During this talk I intend to do a preliminary assessment of the ways in which XR has impacted research and education on the continent. I will highlight a number of case studies, and consider the future.
Judith Okonkwo is a Technology Evangelist, Business Psychologist and Organisation Development Consultant with experience working in Africa, Asia and Europe. She sits on the Board of the European Organisation Design Forum, advises Startups, not-for-profits and SMEs on emerging technologies and is a guest lecturer at several HEIs. She is also the creator of the
Oriki Coaching Model™ and a co-founder of
We Will Lead Africa. Judith is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and an Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society.
In 2016 Judith set up
Imisi 3D a creation lab in Lagos focused on building the African ecosystem for extended reality technologies (AR/VR/MR), and connecting XR communities across the continent. The lab provides learning opportunities and access to XR resources for creators and enthusiasts, while supporting engagement and adoption by the wider community, and consulting and content creation for clients. In 2018 she set up
AR/VR Africa which holds large XR events on the continent, the most recent - the 2020 AR/VR Africa hackathon - had participants from 27 African countries. Judith is especially passionate about the adaptation of immersive technologies to create solutions on the continent, particularly low/mid cost virtual reality, for education, healthcare and storytelling. Imisi 3D’s most recent VR film production Lagos At Large made the
Forbes list of the Top 50 XR Experiences of 2019.
Judith is a current member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council for Augmented and Virtual Reality.