Roda Siad

Roda is a PhD candidate in Communication Studies at McGill University. Her research interests lie at the intersection of science and technology studies, critical data studies, migration studies and critical humanitarianism. She researches the sociotechnical dimensions of emerging humanitarian and development technologies and their implications on communities in the Global South. Her work is supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the International Development Research Centre.  

Her doctoral project is a multi-sited ethnographic study of humanitarian innovation and the implications of emerging technologies and data practices on refugees living in camps and settlements across Kenya and Uganda. It examines the productive nature of biometric technology, mobile cash transfers, databases and blockchain technology used in service delivery and how these technologies mediate the everyday lives of refugees. The project uses qualitative methodologies, including in-depth semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, participant observation, and critical discourse analysis.

Contact: roda.siad@mail.mcgill.ca

Publications 
Siad, R., & Sagar, A. (2025). AI-powered digital identity systems and the new digital divide: The case of World. Emerging Media, 27523543251340713.

Toupin, S., & Siad, R. (2025). Artificial intelligence for development (AI4D): A contested notion. Big Data & Society, 12(2), 20539517241304678. 

Siad, R. (2024). Challenges and risks associated with biometric-enabled cash assistance. Forced Migration Review, (73), 1-5.

Activity
McGill Refugee Research Group (MRRG).