about

Ajay Kumar

I am:

• Ajay Kumar.
• a technologist and development professional with interest in application of ICTs for social benefit.
• a native of Bokaro Steel City, Jharkhand, India.
• an inquisitive mind.
• a travelling enthusiast and likes to understand people, culture by travelling.
• currently living in University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands.

Also, I am Batman!!
Work at present:

• I am studying Philosophy of Science, Technology & Society at University of Twente, The Netherlands. I shall be looking to write my Masters thesis and/or intern at an organisation sometime after January 2014 and graduate in August 2014 and shall be looking for a position after that. (Useful Hint, in case you think you should hire me.)
• I have served as Manager of ICT Operations for Grameen Development Services for 2 years (February 2010-December 2011) an NGO working at the grass root level which focuses on building “Sustainable livelihoods” for the marginalised in rural India & “Women Empowerment”. I am working on application of ICTs in their programs & program level research & monitoring. I was a part of the organisation’s Humanitarian Response Team & Research Core Committee. I have also managed a complete project on Goat Based Livelihood in Bundelkhand region as Assistant Program Manager for 9 Months. (April 2011-December 2011).
• More about my ongoing and past work/projects here. If you are interested in what some of the people I have worked with have to say about me, check recommendations. My academic work related posts can be accessed here.

Areas of Interest:

• Human Aspects of Technology & Human Centered Design
• User Experience Design.
• ICTs for Development.
• ICTs in Disaster Management.

I am also:

• trained for Community Based Disaster Risk Mitigation from Grameen Development Services, Lucknow, India [August, 2010]
• trained as a Volunteer for Disaster Response from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, India [January 2010].
• an honorary Kiwi! (My twitter friends from New Zealand made me their own Honorary Kiwi when I helped them find lost and loved ones during ChristChurch Earthquake 2011 using Twitter. And yes! it worked!)

Education:

• Master of Science – Philosophy of Science, Technology & Society (2014)
• Master of Science – Information Technology (2011)
• Bachelor of Engineering Honours in Computing (2009)

Groups & Associations:

• Trusted Developer – Core Platform – Ushahidi
• Member – Standby Task Force (SBTF)
• Member – The Institution of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers (IETE)

You can find me on the following sites as well:

• Flickr
• LinkedIN
• Twitter
• Facebook
• Slideshare

* Picture courtesy: Bektour Iskender taken at Digital Natives with a cause?: Talking Back workshop held in the Institute of Ethnology, Academia Sinica, Taiwan (August 2010).