First SIRCA Site Visit- Ezmieralda Melissa (PI) and Alexander Flor (Collaborator)

Site visits have begun!

SIRCA’s site visit is designed to ensure quality collaboration between Principal Investigator and Collaborator by having the Collaborator visit the PI’s research location. The PI will have an ample opportunity to showcase his/her work while obtaining valuable insights from the senior researcher’s expertise in the ICTD field.

The first visit was to Swiss German University, Bumi Serpong Damai, Indonesia, for PI Ezmieralda Melissa’s project. Her research looks into how women in Indonesian urban areas use social media to become entrepreneurs (for more information, click here). During the visit of her Collaborator, Alexander “Sandy” Flor from the Philippines, the pair sought to refine the research methodology, prepare for the fieldwork and anticipate challenges during the phase and to consider options.

In addition to his insights and expertise shared with Ezmie, Sandy also conducted a mini workshop on ICTD Research Traditions in Southeast Asia and another one on the ethnovideographic method as it applies to ICTD research for the research team, their colleagues in the Swiss German University, the guests from communication faculties in other universities in Jakarta and the Ministry of Information and Communication.

Overall, both people found that the visit provided a strong basis for Ezmie’s further progress in her research. Furthermore, it was a true research capacity building experience for them as they were able to collaborate with other researchers and institutions. We hope that others will also have such enriching experience as well in the coming months.