Title:Experiential course in Senegal explores public interest solutions

When designing their new immersion course, Senegal: Public Interest Technology, Katherine Chandler and Rajesh Veeraraghavan, associate professors in the School of Foreign Service, wanted to do something different.

“It’s not a typical course where American students go to a different part of the world,” says Veeraraghavan, a core faculty member in the Science, Technology, and International Affairs program. “The course here is more symmetrical, meaning it’s not just us going there; the Senegalese students also come here.”

Georgetown students enrolled in the Senegal course partner with students at Dakar American University of Science and Technology (DAUST) to develop technology solutions for public interest issues like tourism and local rideshare safety.

The course is offered through Georgetown’s Centennial Lab, an experiential program at the School of Foreign Service that focuses on real issues. In addition to Chandler and Veeraraghavan, the Senegal course is led by DAUST President Sidy Ndao.

As part of the Georgetown Dialogues Initiative, the course engages faculty from different academic disciplines.

“Our course is truly interdisciplinary in its organization and function,” says Chandler, who directs Georgetown’s Culture and Politics program. “Building a technology is not just about coding or engineering. It is a social process as well. Students share their expertise and learn from each other in the process.”

In the spring semester, nine Georgetown students teamed up with 10 DAUST students on technology projects that address community needs in the Senegalese capital. Georgetown students traveled to Dakar over spring break to meet different communities, and in April, the DAUST cohort visited Washington, DC, to gain more insights for their final projects. They also met with experts, including an official from the DC Commission on Climate Change and Resiliency.

One team developed Language Buddy, which translates the Wolof language for tourists in real-time, to improve buyer/ seller interactions and support Senegal’s local economy. Manya Kodali (SFS’25) and Kanmani Duraikkannan (C’26)—along with Mamadou Diallo and Adja Toure from DAUST—earned second place in SFS’s 2025 Global Impact Pitch Competition.

To address rideshare safety for motorcycle taxis in Senegal, another team decided to leverage drivers’ social networks to improve safety with location-sharing between drivers.

Connor Henry (SFS’26) appreciated working with the DAUST students, whose technical expertise complemented his international affairs background. Working together with the help of a postdoctoral fellow, they developed a chatbot to increase rider safety.

“The class opened each side’s eyes to the other’s way of thinking,” says Henry. “We used our prior experiences to discuss how this technology is embedded in the social structure, and how to design new technology that will improve their work lives.”