Final Essay Selections

Before delving into my potential final essay selections, it is important I provide some background information in order to make the methodology behind my essay selections clearer. This will also help to put my thought process in context. I spent the last three and half years working for a Technology and Strategy consulting firm headquartered in Mclean, Virginia, located in the District of Columbia metropolitan area. While there, I engaged in evaluating and assessing advanced and emerging technologies in complex environments. This sparked my interest in the actual transfer of technology on an international scale. Thus, my essay selections are based upon the concept of ‘technology transfer’ in the context of international development.

I’m exploring essay topics related to transferring technologies between institutions. Technology can be objects, activities, processes, systems, etc. The concept of technology transfer can be defined as the transfer of a body of knowledge from one location to another. The regions of particular interest to me are as follows:

 Middle East (countries: Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Qatar)
 India (states: Maharashtra, New Delhi and Goa)
 Southeast Asia (countries: Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam)

I believe the Middle East is extremely underdeveloped due to cultural norms that the West find difficult to operate within or around. Pursuing a topic regarding the Middle East would shed light on the operating model for technology transfer in which cultural norms are highly valued. On the other end of the spectrum is India, a country which has enjoyed a steady flow of development over the last decade but is still plagued with infrastructure growing pains. Exploring an ICT case study revolving around India will allow me to examine the successes and failures of implementing technologies in an environment which has sufficient enough infrastructure in certain respects, but hold communal beliefs that are sometimes a deterrent. In regards to Southeast Asia, the local cultural and the business norms are unknown to me. Studying technology transfer in the region would be instrumental in providing me a framework for understanding the socio-economic, political, and cultural dynamics. Regardless of the region, I’m interested in learning more about the nuances surrounding technology transfer in the context of international development.