Dr Devanjan Bhattacharya

This project builds digital maps from data to enable peacebuilding activities in peace processes.   

We are building an integrated infrastructure for distributed geospatial data analysis, visualisation, and collaboration around data in peace process and conflict regions.     ‘Edinburgh PeaceTech’ is a new initiative being developed at the University of Edinburgh in conjunction with NGOs and tech companies.   

We are developing tools for conflict analysis and inclusive peace–building. The vision is to build a collaborative PeaceTech hub at the University of Edinburgh to harness the energies of interdisciplinary research, peace–building practitioners, and technology providers. We are working on the mapping applications co-designed with the respective stakeholders and are embedded into the wider context of our peacetech efforts.   

The project integrates expert domain knowledge (on peace and conflict) on citizen needs, collaboration with peace–builders, and digital expertise. To extract useful information from the data and KB, it is believed that inferencing logics, natural language processing (NLP) and expert system building will be effective.   

With the sudden emergency arising out of Covid19, the project team took into account rapidly developing data on Covid19 and integrated it into its research. The continuing effect and impact are being mapped here: and here. 

Devanjan has recently completed and delivered a UKRI ESRC funded project as PI, titled “Increasing safety and sustainability of micro-mobility modes in pandemic— MobilitySafe”, launched live and project site. 

This TRAIN@Ed project has received funding from the DDI initiative, the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 801215.  

For more information visit Edinburgh Research Explorer Profile.

Video: Technologies for Peace Building

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