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Thank you for your interest.
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March 15, 2010
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Africa4All (FED 2009 / 216 126) is a project co-funded under the 9th European Development Fund (EDF) by the ACP Group and EuropAID with the aim of providing the 5 African countries involved in the project (Kenya, Lesotho, Namibia, Tanzania and Uganda) with ICT solutions that will enable citizens and politicians to better appreciate the impact of legislation, making the complex political debate meaningful and interesting for all citizens. The objective of the project is to create a new relationship between MPs and citizens by increasing the awareness of the Parliament activities and the everyday functioning of democratic decision making processes among its citizens. Africa4All intends to provide African countries with an innovative open-source software solution, methodology and training in order to help their Parliaments to improve the quality, transparency and efficiency of their work through an increasing interaction with its constituents. |
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March 12, 2010
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CAAST-Net has just published a report which outlines the state of the FP7 information system in Africa and provides recommendation for implementing an accredited system of National Information Points on FP7, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. Accredited NIPs, that is officially nominated contact points registered on the CORDIS website, can be found for the time being in only five African countries: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt and South Africa. To download the complete report click here. |
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March 12, 2010
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The Stakeholders’ Conference 2009 organised by the Network for the Coordination and Advancement of Sub-Saharan Africa-EU Science and Technology Cooperation (CAAST-Net) in the framework of the Joint EU-Africa Partnership, took place last November in Kenya with the aim of enhancing policy dialogue among African and European stakeholders on S&T cooperation. The event attracted more than one hundred high-level participants from the scientific and science policy communities willing to exchange their experiences and views on the current state of cooperation in S&T between Europe and Africa. Conclusions and recommendations resulting from the conference are available in English and French at the CAAST-Net website. |
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March 11, 2010
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The Institute for Development Policy and Management (IDPM) is offering 7 “International Development Bursaries” available exclusively for developing country applicants to the University of Manchester willing to study on a one year’s MSc ICTs for Development degree programme commencing on September 2010. The awards, worth £6,000, cover a 50% waiver of the 2010 overseas tuition fee. The deadline for applications is May 28, 2010. Application and eligibility details can be found here |
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March 10, 2010
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The Phase II (2009-2011) of the PanAfrican Research Agenda on the Pedagogical Integration of Information and Communication and Technologies (PanAf II) was launched in Dakar, Senegal on December 2009. The project, funded by the International Development Research Centre ( IDRC) and managed by the Educational Research Network for West and Central Africa ( ERNWACA) and the University of Montreal started its first phase in 2007, with the aim of understanding how the pedagogical integration of ICT can improve the quality of teaching and learning in Africa. The project covers 13 African countries: Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo Brazzaville, Ivory Coast, Tunisia, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Mozambique, Senegal, South Africa, Uganda and Zambia.
For more information, you can visit the PanAf Observatory website and the PanAf webportal. To read the first newsletter of PanAf II, click here. |
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March 7, 2010
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This seminar, organised by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) in collaboration with the Council for Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), will take place in Pretoria, Durban and Cape Town on March 19, 2010 and will be presented by Dr Fisseha Mekuria, Prinipal Research Scientist of CSIR. According to the esteems of the International Telecom Union (ITU), there are over 4.5 billion mobile users in the world, increasing day by day especially in developing and emerging markets. Since there are several future application scenarios involving mobile phones (opportunities for education, banking and payment services, health services,etc.), the seminar will focus on research models for collaboration beyond the boundaries of technology, social and human sciences in order to harness the mobile explosion for sustainable social and economic development, in an emerging country perspective. To reserve a seat, please contact by March 11, 2010: V. Ngxubaza (Cape Town), J. Khoele (Durban), A. Grossberg (Pretoria). |
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March 2, 2010
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As a result of a collaboration between INRIA and six African universities, the International Laboratory for Research in Computer Science and Applied Mathematics (LIRIMA) was created in Yaoundé - Cameroon - in Nov. 2009 under the direction of Maurice Tchuente, a world-renowned computer scientist from Cameroon. Many other research organisations participate as partners in this project: 73 African and 45 European and Canadian researchers, including 25 from INRIA, have already demonstrate their will to work for this new laboratory that perpetuates and reinforces the work undertaken by the SARIMA programme, funded between 2004 and 2008 by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and initiated by INRIA with the aim of setting up equitable North-South collaboration in mathematics and computer science. Willing to operate both in Europe and Africa, LIRIMA could represent the first step for the creation of a Euro-African scientific alliance in this field. For more information: M.C. Sance-Plouchart (INRIA) |
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March 1, 2010
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EuroAfrica-ICT is an EU/FP7 project spanning over 24 months (2010-2011) with the aim of strengthening cooperation on ICT research between Europe & (sub-Sarahan) Africa. eI-Africa is an EU/FP7 project spanning over 18 months (Oct. 2009 - March 2011) with the aim of strengthening cooperation on e-Infrastructures between Europe & Africa.
Those projects have the strategic objectives to promote and enhance ICT research cooperation between the 2 continents and to promote European e-Infrastructures developments and exploitation in Africa thanks to, among other things, the organisation of important conferences filled with discussions and debates, networking opportunities and knowledge-sharing among key stakeholders in the field and policymakers coming from all over Europe and Africa. Co-locating those two events thus definitely make sense.
The Conference (to be held in Helsinki, Finland, the week of Dec. 6-10, 2010) will be organised by the two projects under the aegis of the European Commission (DG INFSO, International Relations Unit + GEANT & e-Infrastructures Unit) and with the support of the Finnish Government (Ministry for Foreign Affairs) and the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland.
About 300 key stakeholders in the field coming from all over Europe and Africa are expected to attend the Conference (Policymakers | Senior representatives from governments | Representatives from international development cooperation agencies | ICT project managers | Programme managers | Heads of research labs | Researchers | IT engineers | Deans, directors, lecturers and researchers from universities and the higher education sector | Managers of NGOs, professional associations, centres of excellence, trade unions, chambers of commerce, etc. | Industry stakeholders | etc.). This Conference will be designed to anyone with an interest in the field.
For all parties involved in the field the Conference will be a unique opportunity to expand ones knowledge and network:
Keep up to date with all the major issues, latest developments and trends in the field!
Meet with your worldwide peers and debate/discuss best practices!
Examine the key components of effective developments and applications!
Hear about success stories and case studies presenting innovative approaches and strategies!
Find out how to increase the visibility and impact of your projects/programmes!
Meet and benefit from valuable opinions and experience of acknowledged experts in the field as well as high-level policymakers!
And many more benefits!
More details coming soon. Stay tuned!
Contacts:
EuroAfrica-ICT/ eI-Africa
Related links:
EuroAfrica-ICT website/ eI-Africa website |
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February 27, 2010
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Through Marie Curie Actions, under the FP7 research funding programme, support can be provided to facilitate the exchange of researchers (at all stages of their careers) and, beyond, to strengthen cooperation between research organisations from Europe and the rest of the world. International incoming and outgoing fellowships are available and particularly target experienced researchers. The IRSES (International Research Staff Exchange Scheme) is a new type of Marie Curie action open to research organisations (and not to individual researchers) envisioning a joint cooperation programme based on the exchange of researchers for a short period. Only countries with which a S&T agreement has been signed or are in the process of negotiating one (South Africa for instance), and countries covered by the European Neighbourhood policy (Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, etc.) can participate in joint proposals with European organisations. Full details on this scheme and on the ongoing Call for proposals (deadline: March 25, 2010) are available on the Cordis website. |
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February 26, 2010
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The Annual Conference of the Centre for African Studies “ICT: Africa's Revolutionary Tools for the 21st Century?” will take place this year on May 4-5, 2010, at the John McIntyre Conference Centre, University of Edinburgh (the new date and venue have been arranged to meet the high demand from participants). The conference organisers are calling for papers that relate to the use or potential of ICT in influencing change in Africa and may be framed in any discipline (health, education, finance, media, governance, etc..). The deadline for the submission of the papers is Feb. 25. More information are available here |
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February 23, 2010
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The final FEAST workshop held on Feb. 25, 2010, in Brussels (EC premises, Berlaymont), attracted about 60 key stakeholders in the field (African governments, EU and African NRENs, EC DG INFSO, DG AIDCO, DG DEV and DG RTD, etc.) and allowed very fruitful discussions about FEAST. FEAST was a one-year feasibility study supported by the European Commission (EC, Unit F3, DG INFSO) to prepare a roadmap for the AfricaConnect Initiative, one of the nineteen projects of the EU-Africa Partnership for Science, Information Society & Space (8th Partnership). FEAST explored the options of deploying sustainable and extensible regional backbone networks in Africa, exclusively dedicated to research and education, to connect National Research and Education Networks (NRENs) to each other, and to global research and education resources via the GÉANT backbone network. The findings are that there is enough infrastructure and ready research and education communities to start the first phase of AfricaConnect. The main challenges include political awareness about the nature and importance of dedicated research an education networks as well as the necessity and will to accelerate the transformation of the communication market making communication infrastructure an affordable utility. The recommendations are to immediately support the ready communities to acquire links to build their networks, to strengthen the capacity in terms of educated and trained human resources both in the ready communities and in the emerging communities, and to high-light applications demonstrating the return on investment and motivating a second phase sup- porting the emerging communities. Website/ Contact |
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February 5, 2010
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The 2nd “Euro-Africa Cooperation Forum on ICT Research” organised by the FP7 EuroAfrica-ICT EU-funded project and supported by the African Union Commission ( AUC – HRST) and the European Commission ( EC – DG INFSO – International Relations Unit) under the Information Communication Technology ( ICT) theme of the Seventh Framework Programme ( FP7) successfully took place on Feb. 4, 2010, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (United Nations Conference Centre – UNCC). This 2nd Forum edition was organised as the only post-event to the “AU 2010 Summit” and the “AU-ECA 2010 Summit Exhibition”. Held this year in the capital city of Ethiopia and aiming at paving the way for a strengthened and coordinated approach to foster Euro-Africa cooperation, this Conference – the 2nd of its series (the first edition was held in Brussels, Belgium early in 2009) – was a considerable success and continued to provide a forum for discussions on recent developments and perspectives in the field.
In addition to a very exciting agenda (72 chair-persons and speakers/panellists have kindly accepted to contribute to the Conference programme) almost 300 delegates (including over 70 Europeans) coming from 44 different countries have decided to join: Policymakers | Senior representatives from governments | Representatives from international development cooperation agencies | ICT project managers | Programme managers | Heads of research labs | Researchers | IT engineers | Deans, directors, lecturers and researchers from universities and the higher education sector | Managers of NGOs, professional associations, centres of excellence, trade unions, chambers of commerce, etc. | Industry stakeholders | etc. Held over only one day, delegates had a very busy schedule with many interesting and stimulating discussions.
The EuroAfrica-ICT partnership would like to express its most grateful thanks to the large delegations of sub-Saharan Africa and Europe for having taken some time of their busy schedules to participate in this important forum (not to forget special guests coming mainly from the Caribbean and North Africa). There are also many individuals who have helped in getting this Conference off the ground and the EuroAfrica-ICT consortium would like to acknowledge the significant efforts of the EC, the AUC, and the event sponsors/donors.
Click here to access the event proceedings and photo gallery. |
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February 2, 2010
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African leaders meeting at the 14th African Union (AU) Summit in Addis Ababa, today approved the establishment of the NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency (NPCA) as a technical body of the AU in replacement of the NEPAD Secretariat. The NPCA is mandated to facilitate and coordinate the implementation of continental and regional priority programmes and projects and to mobilise resources and partners in support of their implementation. In addition, the African Heads of State and Government in attendance at the AU Assembly have directed the NPCA to conduct and coordinate research and knowledge management, monitor and evaluate the implementation of programmes and advocate on the AU and NEPAD vision, mission and core values. The Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC) exercises supervisory authority over the NPCA, whilst giving the new Agency adequate and necessary flexibilities to carry out its mandate and thereby maintaining the corporate brand identity of the NEPAD Programme within the AU. The leaders also directed that the NPCA activities be financed through an established budget from the statutory sources of the AUC, voluntary contributions from AU member states and additional budgetary support from development partners and the private sector. For more information and interview requests, please contact: Andrew Kanyegirire: +27 / (0) 83 704 4506 |
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January 26, 2010
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SATNAC is the event for Industry, Academia and Operators to publish on matters concerning progress achieved in applied research in the Information Communications and Technology (ICT) sector. SATNAC prides itself on being an ideal forum for postgraduate students to highlight successes achieved on their research. As many industry leaders also attend the conference, SATNAC has proved to be an excellent networking platform for the telecoms industry. Website / Contact |
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January 1, 2010
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The EuroAfrica-ICT initiative aims at supporting the development of policy dialogues and at strengthening cooperation links on ICT research between Europe and sub-Saharan Africa. The initiative has been launched in 2005 with the support of the European Commission (DG Information Society and Media) through its FP6 and FP7 research funding programmes. A new phase of this initiative is launched today for a 2-year period, following the selection of the EuroAfrica-ICT.org project at FP7/ICT Call 4.
The activities to be developed during the next two years include:
- The identification of ICT policy and research priorities, from which recommendations for future cooperation programmes and projects will be derived,
- The organisation of cooperation events in Europe and Africa: concertation meetings targeting the development of synergies between national and international cooperation initiatives, awareness and thematic workshops mainly aiming at connecting research organisations from both regions, and cooperation forums focusing particularly on policy and research priorities,
- The provision of support and guidance services to research organisations interested in connecting together and developing joint research projects in the ICT field: active online community of researchers from Europe and Africa, database of African excellence research centres, proactive helpdesk services, etc.,
- The development of various dissemination activities supporting all other activities and maximising the overall impact of the initiative.
For further information, please contact us. |
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Dec. 21, 2009
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The closing date for this ITT has been extended!
Of the world’s regions, sub-Saharan Africa is that with the heaviest burden of communicable diseases, such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. Health service coverage is low and the region faces a serious health workforce crisis. Large portions of the population live in remote areas beyond the reach of telecommunications. There is an urgent demand to train health workers fast and on a large scale. In addition to training, there is a need for access to high-quality clinical services, as well as health infor-mation collection and management, in order to meet the challenges involved.
It is a recognised fact that satellite services are the only possible means of properly including in healthcare systems remote sub-Saharan African populations not covered by terrestrial or mobile phone networks. The eHealth Task Force for Africa (ETFA), formerly known as Telemedicine Task Force (TTF) was set up in 2006, as an effort of European organisations, African stakeholders and the World Health Organization to create a sustainable, satellite-enhanced eHealth and telemedicine network for the whole of Africa.
In the short term, following the TTF Report 2007 recommendation, a demonstration project is to be carried out, to validate the functionality of satellite-based health services, and demonstrate its interoperability with terrestrial-based services. The approach involves health worker training and clinical services in selected underserved areas, where the interoperability of the systems can be demonstrated. The Invitation To Tender (ITT) is issued by ESA, being in charge of the implementation of this project.
This demonstration project should demonstrate the potential suitability of satellite based technology to extend the reach of health services and to complement other forms of Information and Communication Technologies in support of health. The geographical scope of this project covers sub-Saharan countries (African countries of the Africa Caribbean and Pacific Group of States).
The Project must demonstrate clear benefit in satisfying an urgent demand of the inhabitants, building upon existing initiatives which have already demonstrated strong African ownership.
The target community of potential bidders for this ITT must belong to ESA/EU Members and Associated States and ACP countries.
The supporting documentation is available as from 02 /11/2009 at the following address: EMITS: http://emits.esa.int (for ESA Members and Associated States)
Or by writing to the responsible Contract Officer: Ms Virginie SCHMIT (the European Space Agency)
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Dec. 7, 2009
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The annual International Conference on Computing and ICT Research (ICCIR 2010) organizers are very pleased to announce that the 6th in the ICCIR conference series will take place on August 1-4, 2010, in Makerere University, Uganda. Details about the call for Papers 2010 including submission requirements and deadlines, authors’ paper checklist plus other information can be accessed here. |
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Dec. 7, 2009
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Three African scientists have been awarded the first TWAS-AAS ( http://www.aasciences.org) Microsoft Award for Young Scientists. The award, funded by Microsoft Research, recognizes the outstanding work of African scientists that has – or promises to have – a positive impact in the developing world. The award ceremony took place at the African Academy of Sciences in Nairobi, Kenya, on 7 December, during the opening session of the Young Scientists Conference organized by the TWAS Regional Office for Sub-Saharan Africa ( TWAS-ROSSA). Each winner will receive a cash prize of EUR 7,000 (approx. USD 10,500).
"To achieve the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, Africa must create knowledge and skills-based wealth,” said Cheick Modibo Diarra, Microsoft’s Chairman for Africa. “The prosperity of the continent is dependent on African small and medium enterprises relying on results from research and development. They can then develop locally relevant solutions and value-added opportunities that will lead to the sustainable development of Africa. Microsoft applauds the three winners on their achievement."
The winners are:
- Youcef Bentoutou from Algeria, whose focus is image processing and computer vision, and developing applications in medical imaging and remote sensing.
- Omar Fakih Hamad from Tanzania, who is constructing multimedia data communication systems and multicast technology for education and community development.
- Tshilidzi Marwala from South Africa, who is studying the application of computational intelligence to engineering, finance, and medicine.
"TWAS and AAS recognize that ICTs are essential enabling technologies for both increasing scientific capacity and achieving the MDGs,” said Mohamed H.A. Hassan, Executive Director of TWAS and President of AAS. "We anticipate that the work of the three winners will make significant contributions to science and development in Africa in the years ahead."
Andrew Herbert, Managing Director of Microsoft Research Cambridge, added, "It is encouraging to see the high calibre of candidates in our first-ever competition. Computer science has a key role to play in tackling some of the developing world’s greatest challenges, from education to infrastructure, and it’s vital that we support and encourage the scientists and researchers who are working to address these issues."
For information about the TWAS-AAS-Microsoft Award for Young Scientists, see this page .
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Dec. 5, 2009
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Makerere University has published Volume 3 Issue 2 (December 2009) of the bi-annual International Journal of Computing and ICT Research (IJCIR). ISSN: 1818-1139 (Print), ISSN: 19961065 (Online). In addition to publishing original work from international scholars from across the globe, the Journal strives to publish African original work of the highest quality that embraces basic information communication technology (ICT) that will not only offer significant contributions to scientific research and development but also take into account local development contexts. IJCIR publishes two issues per year: June and December of each year and occasional special issues. In the latest issue there are six (6) papers covering a broad range of interests in Computing and ICT issues. IJCIR publishes and seeks papers in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, Information Systems, Data Communications and Computer Networks, ICT for Sustainable Development, and other related areas. Please consider submitting a manuscript to IJCIR in the near future. For more information about the journal, publications, subscription, and/or submission of papers, please visit www.ijcir.org or contact ijcir@ijcir.org. |
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Dec. 3, 2009
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SANReN forms a crucial part of the national cyberinfrastructure initiative funded by the DST. As part of this national cyberinfrastructure, SANReN’s powerful network capabilities support projects of national importance.
The CSIR's Meraka Institute is responsible for the implementation of the DST's cyberinfrastructure initiative which, in addition to SANReN, comprises the Centre for High Performance Computing ( CHPC) and the proposed Very Large Datasets data-storage initiative.
The CSIR contracted Telkom for the installation of the national backbone network in July 2009.
The Minister of Science and Technology, Mrs Naledi Pandor says, “The completion of the national backbone network is an important milestone. The network will greatly reduce the cost of bandwidth for all research and higher education institutions in the country. For the first time, South African researchers will have world-class networking enabling them to collaborate nationally and with their international peers. This positions South Africa internationally as a player in global science efforts. It also makes it possible to harness South Africa's full research and development capacity to address national priority issues, including health, food security and understanding and mitigating the effect of climate change.”
“Bandwidth abundance resulting from SANReN’s networking of universities will shape the growth and development of a new generation of students whose knowledge and skills will contribute to the goal of creating an inclusive information society, enabling socio-economic benefits through information and communications technology and broadband specifically. In turn these advances on the scientific front will contribute to the competitiveness of local industry through the scientific breakthroughs achieved and through the establishment of a world-class national cyberinfrastructure”.
The Director-General of the DST, Dr Phil Mjwara, says, "The broadband connectivity provided by SANReN will allow reciprocal participation between South Africa and international research institutions. It will give the global research community access to facilities such as the Southern African Large Telescope and the Karoo Array Telescope (also known as MeerKAT), and allow South Africa to participate in international projects with the European Organization for Nuclear Research, among others. This milestone will further demonstrate South Africa’s readiness to host the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) radio telescope, for which the country is currently bidding."
“We have entered a new era in research networking made possible by the vision and funding of the DST. Unlocking its potential will undoubtedly benefit South Africa’s research community as our researchers are now able to engage in meaningful online collaboration with peers locally and abroad,” says CSIR President and CEO, Dr Sibusiso Sibisi.
“We would like to commend Telkom for the work done on the SANReN national backbone and for delivering well within the agreed deadline.”
Says Godfrey Ntoele, Telkom's Managing Executive for Medium and Large Business Services, “Telkom, the CSIR and the Meraka Institute are satisfied with the pace at which we are jointly proceeding with the SANReN project. We are happy that all elements are on track and Telkom remains committed to delivering on all aspects of this initiative so that the national agenda of attaining high-technology connectivity at our academic institutions is realised in order to promote skills development in our country.”
The national backbone now interconnects the metros of Tshwane, Johannesburg, Mangaung, Cape Town, Nelson Mandela Bay and eThekwini on a 10 gigabits-per-second fibre-optic ring network.
The Tertiary Education Network has acquired international bandwidth from Seacom which can now be distributed via the SANReN national backbone network. Seacom is a 1.28 terabytes-per-second, 17 000 km-long submarine fibre-optic cable system linking southern and East Africa to global networks via India and Europe. This development bodes well for South Africa’s ability to tackle bandwidth-hungry projects such as the SKA.
The first phase of SANReN will connect 50 higher education and research institutions to the network and in the longer term SANReN aims to connect all research and higher education institutions in the country.
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November 26, 2009
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ICT have fundamentally changed the way people communicate, work and earn their livelihood. It has forged new ways to create knowledge, educate people and disseminate information. It has restructured the way the world conducts economic and business practices, runs governments and engages politically. Considering this reality, the Assembly of the Heads of State at the Second Ordinary Session of the African Union Summit held in Addis-Ababa, Ethiopia in January 2009 approved the Decision (Assembly/AU/Dec. 232(XII)) to have the January 2010 Summit theme on “Information and Communications Technologies in Africa: Challenges and Prospects for Development”. During this Summit, key issues for consideration will be: The Enabling Environment for Growth / ICT Infrastructure Development / Africa in the Economics of the Internet / Capacity Building and Research & Development.
The UN Economic Commission for Africa (UN-ECA) promotes the use of iCT for Africa’s socio-economic development, through policy analysis, advocacy and capacity building of its member States. ECA is also a bridge that brings emerging global UN issues on ICT to Africa, and takes Africa’s ICT issues to the UN. It achieves its objectives through alliances and partnerships, most notably with the AU, the AfDB and with African Information Society communities. The recent repositioning of ECA to better serve Africa’s development needs has created a new, focused Division of ICT, Science and Technology (ISTD), thus aligning ICT more closely with AU partners for enhanced collaboration. The ICT world, its cyberspace and the information Society in general reflect the increasing importance of access to knowledge for socio-economic development. A knowledge based economy is one in which the exploitation of knowledge has come to play the predominant part in the creation of wealth and prosperity for the communities. The importance of knowledge in economic growth is widely acknowledged worldwide and it is evident that the creation of a knowledge economy and knowledge-based industries does not happen in isolation, but is highly correlated with An efficient innovation system of firms, research centers, universities, and other organisations that can tap into the growing stock of global knowledge, assimilate and adapt it to local needs and create new knowledge.
In order to showcase innovative ICT projects and to demonstrate the role that ICT can play in Africa’s socio- economic development, the AU Department of Human Resources Science and Technology, is organising an exhibition on ICT and innovation for Africa with the technical cooperation of the ECA. The exhibition will run in parallel with the 2010 Summit of Heads of States and Governments.
Information Letter / Exhibitor Manual / Contact: Auguste Yankey (S&T and ICT Division - Department of Human Resources Science and Technology - African Union Commission)
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Nov. 26, 2009
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An ‘Advanced School in High Performance and GRID Computing - Concepts and Applications’ is taking place at the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), Trieste, Italy, from Nov. 30 to Dec. 11 2009. The workshop, which is being co-sponsored by the Central European Initiative (CEI), Democritos-Infm, eLab Joint Democritos/Sissa, E4 Computer Engineering S.p.A., and the Italian National Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN), will welcome around 100 computer scientists from more than 30 countries, including 6 European countries and eight countries in sub-Saharan Africa. |
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Nov. 25, 2009
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As a celebration of the fourth anniversary of the second phase of the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS), held in Tunisia in Nov. 2005, the Tunisian Government, in collaboration with UNCTAD, ITU, and in partnership with G@ID, ECA, ADB, the World Bank, the Arab Society for Intellectual Property and the UTICA, organised the fourth edition of " ICT 4 All Forum-Tunis+4" in Hammamet (Tunisia) on Nov. 24-25 2009 to deal with developing ICT activities through ICT Innovation as a tool for strengthening competitiveness and growth.
The Forum was hailed as an important international event, consisting of an International Forum and a Technological Exhibition, aiming to contribute to the implementation of the outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society through the promotion of more dynamic business environment for the ICT sector in the Mediterranean area and particularly in Africa.
For instance, the 2008 edition has been a great success, with the participation of
- 1500 participants coming from 67 countries, among which there are the Secretary General of ITU, and the Vice Secretary General of the United Nations,
- 20 ministers in charge of ICT and 22 high level representatives of international organizations
- A considerable number of leaders of telecommunication operators, Internet service providers from African, European, American and Asian countries,
- More than 500 presidents and vice presidents of many international noteworthy enterprises
The 2009 edition of the "ICT 4 ALL Forum-Tunis+4" focused on "ICT Innovation as a Tool for Strengthening Competitiveness and Growth", with a view to shaping the opportunities in this field, to promote investment and partnership, stimulate growth and develop knowledge economy, with special attention to the Mediterranean area, Africa and developing countries. "ICT 4 All Forum-Tunis+4" included a high level International Forum as well as a Technological Exhibition to enable enterprises to present their own innovative applications and solutions.
The 3rd meeting of the Joint Experts Group for the “8th Africa - European Union Strategic Partnership on Science, Information Society and Space” organised by the African Union Commission, the European Union, the CERT and IRD was held on Nov. 23 at the Solaria Iberostar Hotel (Hammamet, Tunisia) as a piggyback event to the ICT4ALL event.
The EuroAfrica-ICT Partnership was represented by its coordinator - Karine Valin – at both events.
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Nov. 24, 2009
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The next FP7/ICT Call for Proposals (FP7-ICT-2009-6) is now open. The call fiche, the associated work programme, guides for applicants relevant to the funding schemes used in this call, an overview of the basic features of this programme, and other key documents required for the preparation of project proposals are available at: FP7-ICT-2009-6 |
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Nov. 19, 2009
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Scientists have harnessed a free operating system to turn a mobile phone into a device for collecting data in the developing world. The Open Data Kit (ODK), developed by scientists at the University of Washington, United States, is a free set of tools that helps organisations collect information in areas with poor infrastructure. It uses Android, an open-source mobile operating system launched two years ago by a number of companies including Google. "There are many organisations working on all kinds of projects to improve different aspects in developing regions. In order for these organisations to make decisions or determine the effects of their projects, they need to collect various kinds of information," study co-author Carl Hartung told SciDev.Net. ODK enables users to collect a range of data including GPS locations and barcode scans. "The tools we've developed can help them collect a wide variety of data, create visualisations, and analyse it very quickly," Hartung said. "We've found a lot of organisations were building a lot of one-off tools that were very similar," he says, adding that they're trying to make theirs as compatible and flexible as possible. One example where ODK has been successfully trialled is the Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare (AMPATH), said Hartung, a partnership between Kenya's Moi University and Indiana University in the United States. The programme seeks to train Kenyan community health workers testing patients in rural areas for diseases. In field trials, health workers used the phones to scan patients' identity codes - rather than entering them manually - locate themselves within seconds using GPS, and upload the data automatically. Following the success of the trial AMPATH will deploy 100 ODK phones by the end of this year, with an eventual goal of 300 phones. "This opens doors by allowing us to bring data collected in the field directly into our medical records system," said Burke Mamlin, assistant professor of medicine at the Indiana University School of Medicine. "Now we have a phone, all the personal digital assistant capability, the ability to read barcodes, and the ability to capture images or video, all in one unit." |
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Nov. 15, 2009
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A two-year programme aimed at establishing and expanding digital libraries in Africa is underway and is expected to run until the end of next year. The initiative by the Southern African Greenstone Support Network, or SAGSN, follows a pilot project undertaken during 2007 and 2008 in 11 African countries.
Greenstone is a suite of open source software for building and distributing digital library collections that is produced by the New Zealand Digital Library Project at the University of Waikato. Its development and distribution is being done in cooperation with the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) and the Human Info NGO.
In an interview with University World News Amos Kujenga, SAGSN regional coordinator, said the SAGSN initiative was aimed at promoting the establishment of digital libraries using Greenstone Digital Library Software.
"Digital libraries are an effective way for libraries in higher education to support teaching, learning and research," said Kujenga, who is also a systems analyst at Zimbabwe's National University of Science and Technology (NUST).
This month, he added, SAGNS expects to draw conclusions on expressions of interest to become National Centres received from Kenya and Senegal.
The librarian added that between 2007 and 2008 Electronic Information for Libraries (eIFL), a non-profit organisation that supports the wide availability of electronic library resources in transition and developing countries, facilitated a Greenstone pilot project to train librarians and archivists from Southern African countries including Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
That project resulted in the formation of a regional support network consisting of five national centres at university libraries or affiliated organisations in Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, Tanzania and Zimbabwe.
"The success of the pilot led directly to the formation of the Southern African Greenstone Support Network in late 2008," Kujenga added.
SAGSN paved the way for the current 2009-2010 initiative that is at strengthening the existing national centres and networks in Southern Africa through centre-specific investments and activities, as well as extending the network to other African countries.
The project also seeks to "work towards a self-reliant and self-sufficient network of national centres in a broad landscape of libraries, archives and museums," Kujenga added.
Information posted on the Greenstone website says the aim of the Greenstone software is to empower users, particularly in universities, libraries and other public service institutions, to build their own digital libraries. It says the software has been used to radically reform how information is disseminated and acquired in the fields of education, science and culture around the world, and particularly in developing countries.
The establishment of the Greenstone project in Africa was largely as a result of the efforts of Dynal Patel, who in 2004 was a senior student in computer science at the University of Cape Town in South Africa.
That year Patel proposed the need for a Greenstone organisation in Africa whose main aim would be to support African users to establish and develop digital library projects. Patel's proposal was supported by Unesco in the form of a grant to the University of Waikato, which commissioned a study that recommended the initiative.
In August this year, University World News reported that an international conference held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, had recommended the urgent setting up of an African digital library and archives programme. It argued that the continent lacked a comprehensive system for accessing and storing information.
The conference suggested that the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) champion the initiative as the continent is lagging behind in the global drive to build digital libraries and archives.
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Nov. 4, 2009
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The University of Ghana, Legon in collaboration with The Royal Swedish Institute of Technology (KTH) and Ghana Academic and Research Network (GARNET) hosted the 7th International Conference on Open Access (“Harnessing the rapid growth of fibre infrastructure for Social Economic Development”) in Accra Ghana on Nov. 2-3 2009 and its preliminary meeting on Nov. the 1st, 2009 focusing on Regional Research Education Networks (RRENs), by bringing together key players in West and Central African Universities and other participants who shared their experience in forming RRENs.
The EuroAfrica-ICT partnership was represented at those meetings and Karine Valin (Coordinator of the EuroAfrica-ICT Project and Managing Director of Sigma Orionis) presented the EuroAfrica-ICT project activities to a very interested audience of about 70 delegates.
Open Access in the context of Communication (Open Communication) means that anyone, on equal conditions with a transparent relation between cost and pricing, can get access to and share communication resources on one level to provide value added services on another level in a layered communication system architecture. There is currently a high momentum in the deployment of infrastructures such as optic fiber, wireless and the like. Also, the advancement in the use of ICT in general such as mobile phones, multipurpose tele-centres. If used wisely, these developments can facilitate provisioning of relatively inexpensive, easily accessible, diversified and expandable ICT services.
An important objective of this conference was also to focus on the relevance of Research and education Networks in all these endeavours. Research and Education Networks are initially potentially the largest anchor customers for broadband links and need to nurture their infrastructure provider community. Universities are also the strongest driver of the knowledge society, both directly via projects they engage in and indirectly by producing students that are exposed to broadband services and will demand such services also when they get into their working lives in different sectors of society.
The conference series has facilitated dissemination of successful Open Access schemes in different regions, both from technical and business perspectives, and pointed at the need to place society interests and strong consumer organizations, such as academia, in the driver seat on the road to the knowledge society.
This conference addressed the harnessing of the rapid growth of fibre infrastructure for Social Economic Development. There will be special discussion of the formation of the West and Central African Research Network making use of the extensive availability of Bandwidth that will be offered by SAT-3, Globacom and other fibre projects under construction.
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Oct. 29, 2009
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Limited access to broadband Internet is crippling the spread of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the developing world and widening the already significant digital divide, a report has warned. Bandwidth availability is low and the cost of broadband Internet is high in many developing countries, says 'Information Economy Report 2009', released last week (22 October) by the UN Conference on Trade and Development ( UNCTAD). Prices can reach more than US$1,000 per month in countries such as Burkina Faso and Kazakhstan. Australia, a country with little more than 20 million residents, has more broadband users than the whole of the African continent. This broadband gap deprives developing country businesses of economic development opportunities such as call centres and offshore offices. "Broadband access is almost a must for companies with international branches," Ahmed Ali, a software engineer at computing giant IBM's Egypt branch, told SciDev.Net. While major companies such as his use a satellite Internet connection, smaller companies that provide offshore services for businesses in other regions need a fast communication channel. "If broadband is not sufficient then it will be a problem for them and may hinder progress of their work," he says. But the mobile phone market is booming in the developing world despite the economic crisis, the report found. Mobile phone penetration reached 100 per cent in countries such as Bahrain, South Africa and Qatar. Growth in mobile use increased more than eightfold in less than ten years. Mobiles are becoming the preferred mode of communication over landlines and are increasingly fulfilling ICT needs.
"We now see three and four mobile service providers opening up in these countries to fill demand. For many people, it is becoming an important tool for business as well as accessing the Internet," Ahmed Momtaz, a telecommunication engineer at Vodafone Egypt, told SciDev.Net. The report suggests governments can work with Internet providers to narrow the broadband gap by promoting competition to bring down prices and the sharing of infrastructure to reduce costs by preventing duplicate efforts. Governments can also promote Internet centres to offer access to people in poorer regions. The UNCTAD report also calls for the expansion of underwater fibre optics network, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa.
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Oct. 27, 2009
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The European South African Science and Technology Advancement Programme ( ESASTAP) has the pleasure to inform you of its dedicated service to assist European research and technology organizations
looking to find South African partners for collaboration under the current Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) Call for Africa ( FP7-AFRICA-2010). Whether it is related to health, water or food security, or any other of the focus areas of the Call for Africa, the South African research community offers rich expertise and experience, as well as extensive pan-African research networks to prospective European partners. Furthermore, the ESASTAP offers financial assistance through its FP7 seed funding instrument, to support the preparation of FP7 proposals involving South African partners (chiefly through the funding of travel costs permitting South African and European partners to meet.) Should you be interested in working with South African organizations under the Call for Africa or indeed any other part of FP7, please contact Daan du Toit (Minister Counsellor S&T: South African Mission to the European Union) who will gladly assist you in making contact with potential South African partners.
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Oct. 27, 2009
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In late July this year the CSIR (Council for Scientific and Industrial Research) announced that it has awarded the contract for the installation of the national backbone network of the South African National Research Network (SANReN) to Telkom. The R365-million world-class nationwide network, funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), is being planned and deployed by the CSIR’s Meraka Institute. It has engaged the services of communications service providers Telkom and Neotel for the rollout. The network will be managed by the Tertiary Education Network (TENET). This national backbone will interconnect Pretoria, Johannesburg, Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, East London and Durban on a 10 Gbps (Gigabits per second) optic fibre ring network. The Democratic Alliance’s Marian Shinn, Shadow Deputy Minister of Science and Technology, has recently said that she believes that SANReN is under pressure to meet its target of having 35 university and research campuses connected by December 1, 2009. “According to a comprehensive answer to a parliamentary question 11 campuses in Gauteng now use the network and work is underway to complete the main component – the national backbone of the SANReN – by December 1, 2009. Additionally the DST expects Meraka to connect a further 24 institutions and campuses in Pretoria, Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and Durban by the same deadline,” said Shinn. “This is extremely ambitious and I hope that it can be met so any technological glitches can be ironed out before the start of the 2010 academic year and SANReN’s scheduled completion date of March 31, 2010.” Shinn may however be pleasantly surprised. According to Christiaan Kuun from the Meraka Institute expectations are that that the network will be installed by 1 December.
CSIR/Meraka Institute explains - Kuun explains that various deadlines have been quoted in the press and in other places, including the deadline for completion of the SANReN national backbone network by 1 December, the connection of sites in the metro's by 1 December, and the completion of the project by 31 March 2010. The target date of 1 December 2009 for completion of the national backbone network was determined in consultation with Telkom after the adjudication of the request for proposal for the national backbone network. “Preparation of the SANReN sites was the responsibility of the SANReN team at the Meraka Institute. This process has been completed. All sites are ready and site readiness certificates have been approved by Telkom,” Kuun said. “Time lines received from Telkom also indicate that the project is progressing according to schedule and that everything is on track for delivery of the network by 1 December.” Kuun added that up to now everything has been running very smoothly, and the only possible area of uncertainty a delay caused if equipment is not released by South African customs in time. “Except for this it is expected that everything will be delivered in time and that the network will be installed by 1 December,” said Kuun. SANReN is currently busy installing networks in both Tshwane and Ethekwini metros, and according to Kuun these projects are progressing well. “It should however be noted that the timeline of 1 December 2009 that has been quoted is incorrect and differs from the timelines that SANReN and the Department of Science and Technology are working on.” The target date for completion of the installation of both the Tshwane and Ethekwini metro networks is in fact 15 February 2010. Kuun added that some portions of the networks may be completed before then, and some sites may be live on the network before the due date. SANReN is currently undertaking a due-diligence study for the installation of the Cape Metro network after which the installation of the network will commence. “SANReN aims to finalise this network by 31 March 2010,” said Kuun. Prior to the completion of the SANReN Cape metro network a 155 Mbps link to SAAO will be installed. This will allow SALT significant improvement of their operations and allow them to better collaborate with their international colleagues regardless of whether the SANReN Cape network installation has been completed or not.
Completion of the project by 31 March 2010 - Kuun says that while SANReN is well on track to complete all of the most significant goals of the project by 31 March 2010, it should be emphasised that it is a misunderstanding that SANReN will end on 31 March 2010. “SANReN is a long term cyberinfrastructure initiative supported by the Department of Science and Technology. It is one of a number of investments in national cyberinfrastructure including also the Centre for High Performance Computing (CHPC),” said Kuun. “Even sites that will not be connected by SANReN by 31 March 2010 will see a significant reduction in costs, allowing them to purchase significantly more national and international bandwidth.” SANReN will continue beyond 31 March 2010. During the next phase additional sites will be connected which will further improve and enhance telecommunications between the research, tertiary education and academic communities. SANReN is engaging with stakeholders from the DST, CSIR, HESA, NRF, ASAUDIT, Science Councils and other relevant groups regarding progress and future planning of the SANReN network. The immediate focus of SANReN up to 31 March 2010 will be to finalise the installation of metro networks in Tshwane, Ethekwini and Cape Town. This includes the installation of equipment at all sites, and the completion of fibre networks in those metros. Networks in Tshwane and Ethekwini are currently being installed by Dark Fibre Africa. Thereafter the focus will change to connecting all the sites that could not be connected during this round of funding.
How much bandwidth will become available? - SANReN’s national backbone network will have a capacity of 10 Gbps while metro networks will also have a minimum backbone bandwidth of 10 Gbps. “Some metro networks with DWDM equipment can go up to 40 Gbps, with the possibility to upgrade should sites require more bandwidth. There will be 20 Gbps of capacity between Tshwane and Johannesburg,” Kuun said. |
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Oct. 26, 2009
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CAAST-Net announces a networking/brokerage event in conjunction with the SANORD Conference “Inclusion and Exclusion in Higher Education”, held at Rhodes University in Grahamstown, South Africa from the 7-9th of December, 2009. With reference to the European Union’s 7th Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development, the event centers on the FP7-ICT-2009-6 call to be published in late November. Other bilateral and multilateral instruments that support collaborative research between Europe and Africa will also be presented. The event will bring networks, researchers, private sector representatives and funders together to create mutually beneficial partnerships that can actively participate in the call. The session will address: the various opportunities for collaborative research within FP7, various bilateral and multilateral funding instruments supporting FP7, networking within FP7. After the session, there will be an informal, thematic cocktail session allowing participants to establish connections based on their research interests. Parallel sessions during the SANORD conference are also being organized by potential project leaders to facilitate collaborative planning (eg. formation of consortia) to respond to the FP7-ICT-2009-6 call. This event offers the unique opportunity for organizations to learn more about the FP7 ICT while having the chance to create the partnerships to address the November call. The event is organized by CAAST-Net. CAAST-Net is a network for the coordination and advancement of Sub-Saharan Africa-EU science and technology cooperation. For further information on the event, please contact David Korpela of UniPID. |
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Oct. 26, 2009
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The second international conference of the Southern African-Nordic Centre will be hosted by Rhodes University in Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa from 7 to 9 December 2009. The theme of the conference is: "Inclusion and Exclusion in Higher Education". It will explore how higher education reflects, extends or transcends inequalities of gender, race, class, health and culture. What are the legacies of inclusion and exclusion in the SADC and Nordic regions, what policies and measures did governments, educational institutions or pressure groups adopt to transcend them and with what effects? How are policies changing today as societies are affected by processes of democratization, cultural integration, climate change or economic crisis? Drawing on Southern African and Nordic experiences, the conference will explore diverse challenges and experiences in both regions in order to develop a comparative perspective. More |
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Oct. 26, 2009
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Following technical difficulties which lead to a brief loss of the EPSS service earlier today, the deadline for ICT call 5 has been extended by 24 hours, to 17h00 Brussels time on Tuesday 27th October. |
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Oct. 22, 2009
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The “ 2nd Euro-Africa Cooperation Forum on ICT Research” (Learning and Reflecting on ICT Collaborative Research and Development - Projecting the Future of ICT Research in Africa) is organised by the FP7 EuroAfrica-ICT EU-funded project (coordinated by Sigma Orionis) and is supported by the African Union Commission ( AUC) and the European Commission (EC - DG INFSO - International Relations Unit) under the Information Communication Technology (ICT) theme of the Seventh Framework Programme ( FP7). Organised on February 4, 2010, at the UNCC in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) the “2010 Euro-Africa Cooperation Forum on ICT Research” is a follow-up of the highly successful Forum held in Brussels, Belgium in March 2009. The EuroAfrica-ICT project aims at promoting and supporting the development of Euro-Africa cooperation on ICT research between sub-Saharan Africa, the Caribbean and Europe. To achieve this objective, a set of four main activities are developed: supporting EuroAfrica-ICT policy dialogues; creating awareness on the 7th Research Framework Programme (FP7) and ICT; strengthening consultation between key stakeholders in the field; and supporting the development of partnerships on ICT research. Register now! You can also decide to sponsor the event (download a list of benefits associated to sponsorship packages) -- sponsorships will help the Forum organisers to ensure a larger participation of high-level delegates from sub-Saharan Africa and the Caribbean (by offering grants covering part of their travel and subsistence expenses). Over 200 delegates are expected to attend the 2nd EuroAfriCa-ICT Cooperation Forum on ICT Research, among them, ICT experts, policy and decision makers, heads of stakeholder institutions and international organisations, academia from sub-Saharan Africa, the Caribbean and Europe, together with high-level representatives from the European Commission (EC) Directorate General Information Society and Media (DG INFSO) and other EC Directorates General. Contact / Event Flyer / Registrations / Sponsorship Packages. |
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Oct. 21, 2009
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The 12th annual AfricaCom Congress & Exhibition is the continent's one and only must attend telecoms event. This year offers a programme packed with inspirational conference sessions delivered by 50% more CxO level speakers, networking with 3,500+ telecoms players and a 220+ stand exhibition to discover new telecoms products and build profitable partnerships - not to mention the 2nd annual AfricaCom Awards. Download the AfricaCom brochure for more information. |
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Oct. 20, 2009
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South Africa will experience one of the largest-ever influxes to the country of notable scientists and scholars from the South next week when the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) hosts the meeting and conference of the Academy of Sciences for the Developing World (TWAS). More than 400 delegates and guests from 63 countries will attend the three-yearly General Conference of the Academy of Sciences for the Developing World (TWAS) themed "Science for Africa's Development" taking place in Durban from Oct. 19-23. For those unable to attend, the conference will be available on the web from Oct. 20 at 11 am as a live stream. The conference aims to mobilise the scientific community to generate collective, evidence-based solutions to national problems, and to play a critical role in global endeavours to promote science and technology. It is sponsored by the Department of Science and Technology and the Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF), the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. TWAS, an autonomous international body, was founded in Italy in 1983 by a distinguished group of scientists from the South. Its aim is to promote scientific excellence and capacity in the region for science-based sustainable development. The Minister of Science and Technology, Naledi Pandor, will participatein a symposium on the "Impact of the Global Financial Crisis on Research and Education in Developing Countries" with her counterparts from India, Brazil and China. Six other symposia in which South Africa will feature strongly include"Astronomy in Developing Countries" and "Science and Technology Education for Development". The programme features distinguished scientists such as Michael Atiyah, who will deliver a lecture titled "Truth and beauty in mathematics and physics". ASSAf will at the same time launch the State of Science in SouthAfrica book at the conference. The book reflects on the state of science in South Africa; considers the historical context and the key features that have shaped scientific research in the country and are determining its current trajectories; highlights some of the future challenges and opportunities; and celebrates some of the achievements of South African scientists. To promote science and careers in science among Grade 10 and 11 learners, TWAS fellows, South African scientists and other role models will meet teachers and learners in Empangeni, Port Shepstone and Durban. This "Meet the Scientists" initiative will be launched as a side event on Oct. 24 by the DST and the South African Agency for Science and Technology Advancement (SAASTA). The Conference of TWAS will be held at the Durban International Convention Centre. Contact: Andrea Meyer. |
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Oct. 17, 2009
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Les pays de l’Afrique subsaharienne (Niger, Sénégal, Burkina Faso, Mali, etc.) sont absents des grands défis du libéralisme, de la mondialisation et de la globalisation. Depuis des années, le fossé scientifique et technologique entre l’Afrique et le reste du monde ne cesse de s’accroître. La science peut contribuer à réduire cet écart et doit apporter des solutions pour répondre efficacement aux besoins des peuples africains. Les scientifiques ont donc un rôle important à jouer pour rétablir l’équilibre entre les différentes sociétés. Ils doivent développer des projets scientifiques respectant les exigences culturelles des pays ainsi que des projets contribuant à l’avènement d’un développement durable. La conférence organisée par l' ACSAL au Luxembourg cette semaine visait à promouvoir le développement de l’Afrique par les sciences appliquées et le transfert de technologie. Elle a permit d’offrir une tribune aux différentes délégations Européennes et Africaines présentes afin d’examiner les questions de coopération scientifique entre le Luxembourg (et plus généralement l’Europe) et l’Afrique. Karine Valin (Coordinateur du projet EuroAfrica-ICT et Directeur Exécutif de Sigma Orionis) a présenté à une large audience de plus de 100 participants les activités d’EuroAfrica-ICT et à contribué au Manifeste rédigé à l’issue de la conférence et qui sera bientôt dévoilé.
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Oct. 13, 2009
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The UNESCO Bamako Cluster Office in collaboration with the Government of Mali, the International Telecommunications Union, the Global University Network for Innovations (GUNI), the National Universities Commission (NUC) of Nigeria, the Association of African Universities, the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) Working Group on Higher Education is very pleased to announce its 1st International Conference on Building Research Capacity in Africa (“Promoting Research in African Universities through Regional and International Research and Knowledge Networks and the Use of ICTs“) to be held in Bamako, Mali on Nov. 9-11, 2009.
The conference will be followed by a training workshop on the theme “Development and Use of Virtual Facilities for Quality Teaching and Research in Africa”. The proposed conference prominently features within the Africa’s Science and Technology Consolidated Plan of Action which mainly aims at implementing the African Union research and development programmes through the NEPAD network of Centres of excellence in five programme clusters. The conference is also in line with the African Union Plan of Action of the Second Decade of Education in Africa (2006-2015) and the African Regional Action Plan on the Knowledge Economy (ARAPKE) -- A Framework for Action. This first conference is also seen as a follow up to the “Knowledge for Africa’s Development” (KAD) Conference organized in 2006 in Johannesburg as part of the World Bank’s “Knowledge Economy Forum” to assist African policy and decision makers in the formulation of strategies focused on the role of education, ICTs and innovation to promote the Knowledge economy in Africa.
Objectives - Review the state of research in higher education institutions in Africa | Identify human resource and institutional obstacles to quality research | Propose strategies for enhancing research capacities | Update participants with modern methods of conducting and reporting research. Sub-themes - State of research in higher education in Africa | Advances in research methods in scientific and non-scientific disciplines | Innovative practices in research: Learning from success stories | Maximising synergy between academia and industry in research and development | Enabling environment and policies for funding research. Participants - Ministers in charge of higher education and research | Vice-Chancellors/Rectors/Provosts | Head of research institutes and agencies | Directors of research in higher education institutions | Supervisors of theses and dissertations of higher degree students | Researchers in all disciplines in the higher education system in Africa and other regions of the world | Research funding agencies | Other stakeholders and interested persons in higher education research (National and international award winners in research, Funding agencies for research, etc.). Expected Results - Participants who have acquired modern skills in the conduct of scientific and non-scientific research | Enhanced contribution of African scholars to the global world of knowledge | Networking for research collaboration between African scholars and colleagues from other regions of the world | Outline Plan of Action for improving research capacity in the African higher education system. Updates on the conference will be uploaded shortly to the conference site located at http://www.unesco-bamako.org/conferences.
For further information, please contact: Professor Juma Shabani
(Director, UNESCO Bamako Cluster Office)
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Oct. 1, 2009
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Given the increasing number of Regional, National and International initiatives addressing the development of EU-Africa S&T Cooperation, the EuroAfriCa-ICT project - in its mandate to establish links between related initiatives developed in Europe, sub-Saharan Africa and the Caribbean addressing ICT research - organises quarterly concertation meetings to offer stakeholders in the field opportunities to share visions, network and build synergies. The last six meetings (organised since December 2006) have proved to be very successful in fostering partnerships and information sharing, and in building contact networks among researchers. The 7th EuroAfrica-ICT Concertation Meeting, organised with the support of the European Commission's DG Information Media and Society ( DG INFSO) through its Seventh Research Framework Programme ( FP7) successfully took place at the Radisson Blu Hotel (Brussels, Belgium) on Oct. 1st, 2009. The event attracted over 100 delegates coming from both Europe and Africa together with several EC Directorate-Generales ( DG INFSO, DG DEV, DG RTD and DG AIDCO), four ETPs ( NEM, NESSI, eMobility, ISI), a keynote speaker (Tim Unwin - “ICTs, Citizens and the State - Moral philosophy and development practices in an African context”) and top-notched speakers. Presentations as Acrobat files together with the event attendee list are available here. |
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September 30, 2009
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The 2009 edition of the Summit of the NEM (Networked Electronic Media) European Technology Platform (NEM ETP) has just been held in Saint-Malo, France. It gave the opportunity to over 460 delegates from all regions of the world to attend a 2-day conference, to discover leading-edge technologies presented by over 50 exhibitors, and to actively network. The event, in the organisation of which Sigma Orionis (a member of the NEM Steering Board and of the NEM Executive Group) has taken a substantial role, included a session devoted to international cooperation. In this session, Roger Torrenti, CEO of Sigma Orionis, presented an overview of the EU-funded activities of his organisation aiming at strengthening cooperation on ICT research, under FP7, between Europe and Asia and between Europe and sub-Saharan Africa. To access this presentation, and full details on the event, please visit the event web site. |
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September 18, 2009
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On Oct. 20, 2009, this key seminar will gather ICT research leaders from the Caribbean and Europe to discuss about outstanding ICT research initiatives from Cuba, Francophone Antilles, Dominican Republic and the English speaking Caribbean, among other countries from the region, and to discuss future strategies to foster EU-Caribbean cooperation in ICT research. During the event, participants will get an overview of the ICT research capacities and dynamics present in the Caribbean region, as compiled by the WINDS-Caribe project, and will have the possibility to find research partners from the Caribbean region. In the afternoon session, participants will participate in an open discussion with key decision makers (such as the European Commission, the Commonwealth Secretariat, the Caribbean Embassies in Brussels) on how to shape the Roadmap on EU-Caribbean Cooperation in ICT research (developed and proposed by the WINDS-Caribe project). |
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September 9, 2009
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The Kenyan Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology (MoHEST) in collaboration with the International Bureau of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (IB of BMBF) announce a Stakeholders' Conference on Africa-Europe science and technology cooperation, taking place in Mombasa, Kenya, on November 10-11, 2009. Details regarding the conference programme and registration will be made available shortly on the conference website. People interested in participating in the conference, can express their interest by fill in the dedicated Expression of Interest form and send it to the conference secretariat not later than Sept. 25 2009. Individuals submitting expressions of interest will then be considered for formal invitations. Please note that due to limited capacity not all received expressions of interests may be considered for a formal invitation. For a limited number of participants financial support may be provided to facilitate the attendance of the conference. The allocation of support has to consider the special character of the conference. Please note that an Information Day for African institutions about the 7th EU Framework Programme for research and technological development (FP7) is scheduled to take place on November 9, 2009 at the same venue as the stakeholder conference. Interested parties should contact the organisers. |
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September 3, 2009
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Total broadband adoption in Africa will increase at a CAGR of 28 percent through 2013 as new undersea cables boost Africa’s international bandwidth, reducing the number of coastal countries without any cable access from 19 to one, according to a new report from Pyramid Research, the telecom research arm of the Light Reading Communications Network. Africa Connects: Undersea Cables to Drive an African Broadband Boom describes in detail the upcoming evolution of Africa’s international bandwidth market, as five major new cables and a host of smaller ones are deployed and launched over the next three years. The 15-page report then discusses how this increase in capacity will affect African broadband end users, driving adoption of fixed and mobile broadband by reducing tariffs by up to 72 percent. Finally, it examines how this changed environment will affect African broadband operators and looks in detail at two key markets, Egypt and Kenya, to see how their contrasting regulatory environments will affect the impact of the newly available bandwidth. Download an excerpt of this report here. The biggest change to African telecom markets over the next three years will be invisible. ‘Twelve new undersea cables planned for launch between third quarter 2009 and mid-2011 will remove the most serious obstacle that has historically prevented operators from taking advantage of Africa’s great unmet demand for broadband services,’ says Dearbhla McHenry, analyst at Pyramid Research and author of the report. ‘As a result, the cables will increase Africa’s total international bandwidth from about 6 Tbps to as much as 34 Tbps and will reduce the number of coastal countries without any cable access from 19 to one,’ she adds. ‘Through the end of second quarter 2009, 40 percent of continental Africa’s 47 nations had no direct cable connections at all, forcing operators to rely on expensive satellite links,’ McHenry explains. ‘The combination of heavy reliance on satellite and monopoly control of local access to undersea cables meant that prices were also astronomical: Rates for SAT-3, for example, are about US$4,500 to $12,000 per Mbps per month, which is more than 20 times more expensive than bandwidth prices in the U.S.,’ she says. The quintupling of Africa’s international bandwidth will support the upcoming boom in African broadband adoption by increasing capacity and bringing down prices for end users. ‘By early 2011, we expect that more than half of all African markets will have 3G, while broadband coverage is increasing daily via both wireless and wireline technologies,’ McHenry comments. ‘We forecast that total broadband adoption in Africa will increase at a CAGR of 28 percent from 2009 to 2013, as increased competition in the international bandwidth market brings down prices and as new cables support the corresponding increase in demand. |
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September 3, 2009
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The European Commission has just published a call for proposals under its horizontal Development Cooperation Instrument (i.e. covering all countries classified as development cooperation partners of the EU and including South Africa) for the Thematic Programme: Environment and Sustainable management of natural resources, including energy. Details on the Thematic Programme are available here. South Africa is eligible for the following focus areas of the call: Promoting Environmental Sustainability / Climate Change in non-European Neighborhood Partnership Countries / Forests / Forest Law Enforcement / Governance and Trade / Desertification / Fisheries / Sustainable Production / Consumption and Waste / Sustainable energy for Sub-Saharan Africa. Further details are in the Guidelines. All other supporting documents required for participation are available here. Whilst actions focused solely or mainly on research will not be eligible for funding, elements of knowledge generation, technology transfer and demonstration, could certainly be part of proposals, for example under the energy section. |
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September 2, 2009
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Internet access has largely been the preserve of rich, urban, industrialised communities since the world wide web was born. But, in a digital age, Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are essential to the growth and development of emerging economies, such as those in Africa. A major conference organised by the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO) last week sought to redress the digital isolation of rural communities in Africa. Bringing together nearly 200 policy-makers, IT companies, donor organisations and regulatory heads, the African Connecting Rural Communities conference in Livingstone, Zambia, looked at how to improve ‘rural connectivity’ through tools such as Universal Service Funds (USFs). Universal Service Funds are government vehicles set up to levy funds to reinvest in internet connections in remote areas, but are regarded by many organisations as under-utilised. Bob Lyazi, Administrator of the Uganda Rural Communication Development Fund, a USF run by the Uganda Communications Commission, said conference discussions focused on ‘how the funds can improve and become more efficient’. ‘Previously we have discussed all aspects of universal access, including government intervention, universal service obligations and USFs in largely regulated forums,’ he explained. ‘Now we are going to finally be able to deal with the global problem of a significant amount of accumulated funds said not to be utilised.’ At the three-day event, which took place on August 25-27, 2009, delegates were also able to look at the economic impact of the digital divide, the make-up of IT regulatory regimes, and how policy-makers can increase the uptake of wireless broadband. Dr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, Chief Executive of the CTO, spoke of the importance of creating a policy framework that goes beyond creating traditional ‘public-private partnerships’ to also encompass the needs of the ordinary public. ‘The CTO, as the main organisation mandated to develop ICTs in the Commonwealth, remains totally committed to removing both international and national digital divides,’ he said. ‘These various actors need to work much more closely to forge the ‘public-private-people partnerships’ we advocate, if rural communities in Africa are to be connected sooner than later. ‘Forging these partnerships is critical for sustainable community ownership and empowerment.’ Dion Jerling, a delegate from Connect Africa, an ICT initiative combining entrepreneurship and social enterprise in Zambia, added: ‘The conference opened up a lot of solutions for us and it was a tremendously good networking opportunity.’ First founded in 1901 as the Pacific Cable Board, the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation is one of the oldest associations affiliated with the Commonwealth. Since 1985, it has delivered 3,500 policy, operational and regulatory assistance projects to its members in Europe, the Caribbean, Americas, Africa and Asia-Pacific working to bridge the digital divide across food and agriculture, education, health, e-government and e-commerce sectors. |
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September 1, 2009
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London will be hosting the first BarCampAfrica UK event on Nov. 7, 2009. This event is expected to attract technologically inspired Africans from diverse fields who have a common passion – to bring about further development in Africa. Participants will include talented entrepreneurs, technologist, charities, engineers, designers, bloggers, and artists. Like other BarCamp events, the actual content and format of this event will be driven by the participants themselves. So if you have ideas to share, want to collaborate with similarly minded people, or are simply interested in African development within the context of technology we’d love for you to come. For more details and to be notified about ticket availability please visit the BarCampAfrica website or contact Ethel D Cofie. |
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August 27, 2009
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Advancing research competitiveness through collaboration: towards an integrated South African cyber infrastructure - The Centre for High Performance Computing (CHPC) and Bringing Europe’s eLectronic Infrastructure to Expanding Frontiers Phase II (BELIEF II) are hosting the CHPC National Meeting 2009 and 5th BELIEF Symposium during the period Dec. 7-9 2009 at the Sandton International Convention Centre (Johannesburg, South Africa). The event is aimed at advancing research collaboration and competitiveness through an integrated South African national cyberinfrastructure. The joint event of CHPC and BELIEF intends to explore the contributions and expectations from policy makers, research communities, ICT vendors, industries, academia and EU funded projects. Through a series of presentations and open discussion forums, both local and international stakeholders and key players will have the opportunity to jointly harness synergies, in an attempt to promote existing cyberinfrastructure activities. The event will showcase some of the recent progress in the South African (SAn) cyberinfrastructure and its role in SA and developments in Africa. Keynote research and application results utilising the cyberinfrastructure will be illustrated, and the latest international developments will be discussed. The closing date for abstract submission is October 2 and October 30 for registration. For more information and registration, visit http://www.chpcconf.co.za. |
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August 25, 2009
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The BIO CIRCLE is a project funded by the European Commission. It aims at increasing the participation of researchers from outside Europe in research projects under the Food, Agriculture, Fisheries and Biotechnology theme ( FAFB) of the 7th Framework Programme (FP7). Whether you are an education body, researcher, entrepreneur, business specialist, government agency, representative of a public service or a non-profit organisation, you can fill in your profile. The BIO CIRCLE project organises an Info Day on Oct. 7th, 2009 in Brussels.
- FARA has received funding from BIO CIRCLE to sponsor the participation of only 2 African researchers to this event.
- FARA operates as an interface between the EU and FAFB research communities in Sub Saharan Africa.
Kindly send your profile to FARA before Sept. 5, 2009.
- This application is open to researchers and companies who have the expertise to participate in European projects.
- The selected candidates will also be included with their profiles in the catalogue of the Info Day of Oct. 7
Once screened by FARA the profiles (also those not selected for the Brussels’ event) will be uploaded on the partner search database
More...
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August 17, 2009
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Africa's access to digital research resources has improved but the continent faces new challenges in its use of these resources, a report finds. "With infrastructure and facilities steadily improving … addressing the use of, rather than access to, electronic resources should perhaps receive greater attention," writes report author Jonathan Harle, programme officer for the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU). His report, 'Digital resources for research: a review of access and use in African universities', was published by ACU in June. It reviews studies in the area, as well as listing resources available to African universities. While there is still "a considerable way to go" before all African universities have access to broadband and the large bandwidth that the majority of digital resources require, Harle notes that "progress is encouraging". Generally, free or affordable access is available but the material is not always used, Harle told SciDev.Net. Poor awareness of available resources is part of the problem, says Harle. Other problems faced by institutions include difficulty gaining access to relevant sites and an inability to locate relevant, high-quality material. "The range of electronic resources now available is dizzyingly wide … Users must be given the skills to identify and locate what they need for their work," writes Harle. Library staff has a key role to play in this. "As information gets more complex, we increasingly need skilled people to manage it," he says. To this end, time must be invested in training staff, particularly in information and communication technology and web skills, says Harle. He adds that developing online platforms for the publication and dissemination of local research is also important, such as the Database of African Theses and Dissertations Initiative launched in 2003 by the Association of African Universities — a project that aims to collect, manage and disseminate theses and dissertations electronically. He says the ability of African scholars to publish and contribute information is critical to redressing the prevailing imbalance, where Africa is a consumer but not a contributor of information and knowledge.
More...
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August 17, 2009
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The University of Ghana, Legon in collaboration with The Royal Swedish Institute of Technology (KTH) and Ghana Academic and Research Network (GARNET) will host the 7th International Conference on Open Access (“Harnessing the rapid growth of fibre infrastructure for Social Economic Development”) in Accra Ghana on Nov. 2-3 2009. There will be a preliminary meeting on the Nov. the 1st, 2009 ushering the OA conference, and will focus on Regional Research Education Networks (RRENs), by bringing together key players in West and Central African Universities and other participants who may share their experience in forming RRENs; it is expected that this meeting will lead to the formation of the West and Central African Research Education Network (WACREN). More...
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August 17, 2009
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The European Commission is organising an information day on the upcoming Africa call for proposals ( FP7-AFRICA-2010 / call fiche) of the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) on Sept. 18, 2009 in Brussels, Belgium.
A global promise to ease hunger for millions has been undermined by financial turmoil and climate change. Meanwhile, fears about global water and food security continue to grow, as does public concern for the health of populations in developing countries. In this context, the publication of the Africa call from the 7th Research Framework Programme represents a great opportunity for strengthening Africa’s base in research areas addressing these complex issues.
The EU-AFRICA Strategic Partnership has paved the way to this call, implemented jointly by the Themes: ‘Health’, ‘Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, and Biotechnology’ and ‘Environment (including climate change)’, which will fund projects aimed at enhancing African socio-economic development and capacity building.
The call is structured around two major areas: Water and Food Security / Better Health for Africa. It has a holistic approach involving various scientific and technological research fields, such as food, agriculture, health, land and water resources, including their interaction with climate change and integrating broader socio-economic factors such as migration and resettlement, urbanisation, health care systems and programme interventions. Research activities are intended to strengthen local capacities. Achieving the expected impact means that the involvement of local stakeholders and regional actors is of paramount importance. Funded projects will provide innovative management, governance tools and technologies suitable for the relevant authorities and stakeholders, empowering them to reduce poverty, increase food security and enhance public health. Further expected benefits are related to academic training and the setting up of health research networks, efficient water management and the protection of natural ecosystems in Africa.
The Info Day (Sept. 18, 2009 - Conference Centre “Albert Borchette” - Brussels, Belgium) is for everyone interested in the research opportunities offered by the Call FP7-AFRICA-2010. That means researchers and research institutions, universities, industry, small and medium size enterprises, civil society organizations, other non state actors, and National Contact Points. Participants from African international cooperation partner countries (ICPC) are particularly welcome.
The Info Day will be opened by the European Commissioner for Science and Research, Janez Poto?nik and a representative from the African Union. The morning session will continue with an overview of EU-AFRICA Strategic Partnership in the research field and ongoing activities in support of Africa carried out by DG RTD highlighting the rationale of the call, modalities for its implementation, and presentations of the different topics. A general discussion with all Commission services involved will follow. In the afternoon session, the research topics of each Theme will be further discussed in two parallel sessions: “Water and Food Security” and “Better Health for Africa” . The second part of the afternoon will be dedicated to a brokerage session with flash presentations from participants and to networking.
The Info Day offers participants the possibility of giving a ‘2-3 minutes flash’ (3 slides max) presentation. This should be a presentation related to a project idea, to competence in the specific field or to interest in starting or joining a consortium. Presentations will be uploaded on the Conference website for public access. Presentations must be sent by 14th September 2009 to: RTD-AFRICA-2010-CALL@ec.europa.eu
You must register to participate. Registrations will be accepted on a ‘first come first served basis’.
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August 17, 2009
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South Africa through the Department of Science and Technology (DST) has concluded a Reciprocal Agreement with the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) office in June 2009. DST has designated the European South African Science and Technology Advancement Programme (ESASTAP) to be the implementing agent for the South Africa COST Reciprocal Agreement. COST is Europe's oldest science and technology networking programme, and under the Reciprocal Agreement, COST will avail funding for European researchers to undertake short-term scientific missions to South Africa, whilst ESASTAP will avail funding to South African researchers undertaking such missions to Europe. Please visit esastap website for more information on the agreement and DST co-funding. The agreement will be launched on Sept. 8, 2009 at the Innovation Hub, Pretoria, South Africa. The Director-General of the South African Department of Science and Technology, the President of COST and representatives of the European Commission and the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the European Union will be participating in the launch. A draft agenda of the launch is available on the esastap website. |
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August 17, 2009
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South Africa’s Department of Science and Technology (DST) together with the European Commission (EC) and the Swedish Government Agency for Innovation Systems (Vinnova) is organising an SME side event to the 2009 South African-European Union Summit. The event will be held on Sept. 9, 2009 at the Table Bay hotel, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town, South Africa. The theme of the event is “Enhancing SME participation in South Africa - European Union Science and Technology Partnerships”. The event is targeted at South African and European SME, and other research institutions which are interested in collaborating with SME under FP7, will provide a platform for participants to identify possible areas of collaboration under the Seventh Framework Programme and other EU funding programmes. A draft agenda of the event and more information on the event is available on the esastap website. |
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August 17, 2009
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The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) in association with the International Science Programme (ISP - Uppsala University, Sweden) and the Addis Ababa University (AAU - Ethiopia) under the auspices of The African Union Commission (AUC) is organising the “International Conference on the Strengthening of Research and Higher Education in Basic Sciences by Regional and Interregional Cooperation; Relevance for Developing Countries” on Sept. 1-4 at the United Nations Conference Centre in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. How can regional and interregional cooperation best strengthen Basic Sciences in developing countries? How can cooperation be enhanced? In the cases where cooperation already exists, how has it improved postgraduate training and building of research capacity? What has been the impact on society? Which form of cooperation is most efficient under different circumstances and from different perspectives? What is the importance of education at all levels for the development of research and higher education in basic sciences? What is the role of governments and intergovernmental organizations in promoting research cooperation in the Basic Sciences? More. Contacts: Leif Abrahamsson and Zsuzsanna Kristofi. |
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August 12, 2009
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The Rural ICT Development Foundation (RICTDF) was founded in 2008. It is a non governmental organization, which seeks to improve on the socio-economic living conditions of deprived communities in Africa by bridging the yawning gap between developed countries and the poorly developing African communities in the field of ICT and promoting good health. RICTDF is targeting ICT illiteracy, rural-urban migration by creating opportunities through ICT training and job creation which should lead to poverty reduction in impoverished local communities in Ghana.
Through its innovative and sustainable ICT efforts to empower the rural poor, RICTDF seeks to form partnership with all stakeholders to achieve the following: 1/. Reduce ICT illiteracy by 85% in the targeted community within two years from implementing our intervention. 2/. Ensure that community members become knowledgeable both theoretical and practical in the field of ICT and use these knowledge in their daily activities to reduce illiteracy, extreme poverty, disease and hunger in pursuit of achieving the MDGs. 3/. Support good health in targeted local areas through the application of ICT.
The initiative objectives are the followoing: 1/. Identify rural communities which are deprived of ICT and make consultation with traditional authorities and opinion leaders of such communities; to harness the potential of the community to achieve a sustainable ICT intervention. 2/. Create awareness through advocacy and focus group discussions on “The Role of ICT in Sustainable Development” in the identified local communities. 3/. Build new computer laboratory(s) (ICT centres) in targeted rural communities and/or renovate old labs where necessary. 4/. Provide ICT training for local people (school children / students and community members) and empower them with modern technologies so as to establish a system of Training of Trainers (ToT) in enhancing sustainability of the intervention programme.
For further information, please contact RICTDF at info@ruralictdf.ws.
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August 1, 2009
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The 2009 Annual Conference of the International Network for Postgraduate Students in the Area of ICT4D will be held at Royal Holloway, University of London on Sept. 11-12 2009, hosted by the ICT4D Collective and UNESCO Chair in ICT4D. In line with previous IPID events, the conference is intended to be informal. Its main purpose is twofold: 1/. To let postgraduate students present short papers about their research in a supportive environment where they can gain positive feedback from other participants; 2/. To provide an opportunity to discuss key themes of interest to ICT4D postgraduates. The conference organisers would be pleased to hear from potential participants about the themes they would like to have discussed. More… |
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July 30, 2009
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The 5th Call on Information and Communication Technologies (FP7-ICT-2009-5) is now open. This call closes earlier than previously announced; its deadline is Oct. 26, 2009 at 5:00 pm (Brussels local time). More... |
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July 23, 2009
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New cables could revolutionise communications in the region. The first undersea cable to bring high-speed internet access to East Africa has gone live. The fibre-optic cable, operated by African-owned firm Seacom, connects South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and Mozambique to Europe and Asia. The firm says the cable will help to boost the prospects of the region's industry and commerce. The cable - which is 17,000km long - took two years to lay and cost more than $650m. Seacom said in a statement the launch of the cable marked the "dawn of a new era for communications" between Africa and the rest of the world. The services were unveiled in ceremonies in the Kenyan port of Mombasa and the Tanzanian city of Dar es Salaam. The cable was due to be launched in June but was delayed by pirate activity off the coast of Somalia. The BBC's Will Ross in Nairobi says the internet revolution trumpeted by Seacom largely depends on how well the service is rolled out across the region. To the disappointment of many consumers, our correspondent says some ISPs (internet service providers) are not planning to lower the cost of the internet, but instead will offer increased bandwidth. But businesses, which have been paying around $3,000 a month for 1MB through a satellite link, will now pay considerably less - about $600 a month. The Kenyan government has been laying a network of cables to all of the country's major towns and says the fibre-optic links will also enable schools nationwide to link into high quality educational resources. But our correspondent says it is not clear whether the internet revolution will reach the villages, many of which still struggle to access reliable electricity.
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July 23, 2009
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South Africa through the Department of Science and Technology ( DST) has concluded a Reciprocal Agreement with the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) office in June 2009. DST has designated the European South African Science and Technology Advancement Programme ( ESASTAP) to be the implementing agent for the South Africa COST Reciprocal Agreement. COST is Europe's oldest science and technology networking programme, and under the Reciprocal Agreement, COST will avail funding for European researchers to undertake short-term scientific missions to South Africa, whilst ESASTAP will avail funding to South African researchers undertaking such missions to Europe. Please visit esastap website for more information on the agreement and DST co-funding. The agreement will be launched on 8 September 2009 at the Innovation Hub, Pretoria, South Africa. The Director-General of the South African Department of Science and Technology, the President of COST and representatives of the European Commission and the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the European Union will be participating in the launch. A draft agenda of the launch will soon be available on the esastap website. For registration to attend the launch visit, please click here. |
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July 22, 2009
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Since an increasing number of regional, national and international initiatives addressing Euro-Africa S&T cooperation in ICT have been developed, EuroAfrica-ICT concertation meetings have been launched in the framework of the START FP6 project (in 2006) and are still organised on a regular basis (every 6 to 8 months) by the EuroAfrica-ICT FP7 project in Brussels, Belgium. The next meeting will be held on October the 1st at the Radisson Hotel in Brussels, Belgium.
Agenda’s main features:
- Recent developments and perspectives for EU-Africa cooperation on ICT & introduction to Call 5 (FP7-ICT-2009-5) -- By the EC DG INFSO (ICT)
- Update on the FEAST feasibility study for interconnection of sub-Saharan Africa to GEANT & introduction to Call 7 (FP7-Infrastructures-2010-2) -- By the EC DG INFSO (GEANT & e-Infrastructures)
- Introduction to AfricaConnect -- By the EC EuropeAid Cooperation Office (AIDCO)
- Recent developments related to the implementation of the Africa-EU JSAP (Joint Strategy and Action Plan) -- By the EC DG DEV
- EU-Africa cooperation in the 7th Framework Programme; Status & Perspectives -- By the EC DG RESEARCH
- Including sub-Saharan Africa in ETPs (European Technology Platforms) SRA (Strategic Research Agendas) -- By the main ICT ETPs (NEM / NESSI / ISI / eMobility)
- The use of low-cost technologies to bridge the digital divide -- By the Digital World Forum Project
- Bringing Europe’s eLectronic Infrastructures to Expanding Frontiers -- By the BELIEF II Project
- The Wireless World Research Forum (WWRF) -- By the Vodafone Group
Main benefits for the audience:
- Hear about the latest developments in the field (from EC services, industry, academia, research labs, etc.)
- Meet with your peers in the field and with possible partners
- Promote your activities to a targeted audience
Over 80 representative of the European and African ICT communities have already registered! Participation will be limited to 100 delegates... Register now!
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July 10, 2009
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The expected closing date of ICT Call 5 has been brought forward by one week. The call is now expected to close on October 26,2009. Please check the closing date when the call is officially published end of July 2009. |
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July 8, 2009
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From Nov. 30 to Dec. 11 2009 there will be a new edition of the ICTP advanced school in HPC and GRID entitled: "SMR 2068: Advanced School in High Performance and GRID Computing - Concepts and Applications". This is a course TWAS (part of the EuroAfriCa-ICT partnership) runs to teach anybody interested in basic high performance computing skills to efficiently conduct research in computational science.vThe first week of the course will cover basic skills: Installing and using Linux, setting up compilers and math libraries, compiling and optimising scientific code, basic MPI programing etc. The first week offers comprehensive lectures and lab exercises designed to elucidate the concepts from the lecture (this material is best suited for beginner/intermediate level students). The second week of this event is dedicated to more advanced topics such as efficient method of handling large amounts of I/O, queue systems, grids and computational infrastructure in the developing world. TWAS also plans this year to have an advanced course in mixed MPI/openMP approach and GPGPU programming lab as well. If you have interest in this course we would ask that you register on line starting from here. Deadline July 15, 2009
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July 7, 2009
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The University of Chicago/National Opinion Research Center, the Oxford Internet Institute, the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland and Empirica Communication and Technology Research (Germany) collaborate on a study that will propose strategies to enhance e-Infrastructure uptake and use in different fields of science. The work is done on behalf of the European Commission, Directorate General Information Society and Media ( DG INFSO). Please take the time and fill in their online questionnaire before July 31, 2009. In order to have our community represented well in the study, it is important that you invest the 25 minutes required for filling in the questionnaire. If you have further questions and comments please contact the project team directly at eResearch2020@empirica.com or check the website.
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July 6, 2009
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On July 6 2009, the Director-General of UNESCO, Mr Koïchiro Matsuura, met with Mr Michael Mendenhall, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at Hewlett Packard, on the margins of the 2009 UNESCO World Conference on Higher Education, currently being held at the Organisation’s Headquarters. Mr Mendenhall thanked the Director-General for the opportunity to deliver a key statement at the Plenary session of UNESCO’s World Conference on Higher Education and reiterated Hewlett Packard’s commitment to continue the fruitful cooperation it has enjoyed with UNESCO since 2003. He recalled the partnership agreement signed by both Organisations in 2007 and emphasised that “together with UNESCO, we can make a bigger difference in the world, moving from theory into tangible results.” The Director-General welcomed Hewlett Packard’s enthusiasm for what he called an exemplary partnership that both Organisations were committed to continue developing. Mr Matsuura recalled with satisfaction the success of the UNESCO/Hewlett-Packard partnership in South East Europe, following which, in 2006, UNESCO and Hewlett-Packard launched a joint pilot project to help reduce brain drain in Africa by providing grid computing technology to universities in Algeria, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal and Zimbabwe. The discussions then turned to the new phase of the joint Initiative, the UNESCO/Hewlett-Packard Brain Gain Initiative: A digital infrastructure linking African and Arab Region universities to global knowledge, which, based on the Africa pilot project and the positive results obtained in Eastern Europe, was further scaled up to three additional countries in Africa and to the Arab Region in 2008, and will be further expanded in 2009 and 2010. This initiative’s main objective is to further consolidate the lessons learned and ensure more sustainability for the project. It also aims at countering some of the conditions that force students and professionals to leave their country through reinforcing the capacities of universities and research centres, thus encouraging greater exchanges between immigration and reception countries and promoting two-way mobility. The project aims to establish links between researchers who have stayed in their countries and those that have left, connecting scientists to international colleagues, research networks and potential funding organisations. Faculties and students at beneficiary universities will also be able to work on major collaborative research projects with other institutions around the world. After exchanging views on how best to achieve a more global dimension to their partnership, Mr Matsuura and Mr Mendenhall agreed to renew the partnership agreement as a foundation for a future of close cooperation.
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July 2, 2009
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The CAAST-Net Bulletin publishes recent news and reports from the Europe-Africa science and technology cooperation landscape. Events, projects and work featured in this issue include: the second CAAST-Net Annual Assembly held in Marseille on June 16-18, a thematic workshop on energy research cooperation hosted by CAAST-Net in Dakar in May, the CAAST-Net-hosted FP7 information day in Cape Verde, and the much-heralded CAAST-Net workshop on bridging the S&T-development divide. Among other items, we also examine the latest on the next round of FP7 calls, provide some guidelines on steps in the FP7 proposal cycle, and cover the recent bi-lateral agreement in S&T signed by South Africa and Uganda. To subscribe for and contribute to this important publication please send your news, insights, or comment to editor@caast-net.org. |
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July 2, 2009
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The Forum is organised by the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO). In its fourth successful year, this year’s conference will be in collaboration with the Ministry of Information and Communication, Zambia and is designed to prepare African ICT decision-makers for the next steps in driving rural connectivity. CTO is delighted to announce that His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia, Rupiah Bwezani Banda has confirmed his attendance as the Guest of Honour. Furthermore, the CTO has already confirmed the attendance of several ministers from across Sub-Saharan Africa to speak on current policies and practices and how we can work together to bypass the infrastructure difficulties, plan, deliver and learn from best practice case studies in ICTs and ultimately change the face of ICT’s in rural communities. The Forum is the only event in Sub-Saharan Africa that brings together more than 30 Government Ministers and ICT Regulators from over 20 countries to discuss policy and regulatory frameworks for 3 full days including 12 hours of planned networking and receptions for you to develop business relationships and future sources of funding. Join us and our fellow Partners, Sponsors and ICT decision makers in our biggest event of the year. Early bird registrations close on July 7 so book your conference place now. To register as a speaker, or to speak and support the event though sponsorship please contact: Isla Falconer at +44 20 8 600 3807 or email. To register as a sponsor, exhibitor, delegate please contact: Marco de Kock at +44 20 8 600 3811 or email or Joseph Taylor at +44 20 8 600 3810 or email. Registration form and agenda are available here. |
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June 26, 2009
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TWAS, AAS and Microsoft are accepting applications for their Grants for Computer Science Meetings in African Countries programme until Sept. 1, 2009, for meetings to be held in the first half of 2010. The deadline for meetings to be held in the second half of 2010 is Dec. 1, 2009. Applications for grants up to EUR 4,000 should be submitted by the organisers of international and regional scientific meetings being held in Africa. Support is normally provided in the form of travel grants for principal speakers from abroad and/or participants from developing countries other than the country where the meeting is held. Supported speakers should be from not-for-profit research organisations. More… |
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June 19, 2009
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Facilitated by the Digital World Forum, this workshop (Sept. 8, 2009 / 9:00 am - 5:30 pm / Brussels, Belgium) on using low cost information access devices to foster social and economic development will gather a cross-section of stakeholders, among them interested members of various European Technology Platforms (ETPs), device designers, manufacturers, researchers, innovators, suppliers, consumers, and special interest groups with an interest in low cost information access devices (LCIADs). The workshop is expected to deliver a European Perspective on possible application of such devices in fostering social and economic development, thereby closing the digital divide. A state-of-the-art analysis of LCIADs will be availed to participants by July 31, 2009. Participants to the workshop will add value to the analysis by drilling down to specific possible interventions, based on their experience, expertise, research focus, strategic objectives or interests. Through this synergy, an informed Roadmap for LCIADs can subsequently be developed. To register for the workshop, or to get further information please visit the website or contact the workshop chair. You can learn more about the Digital World Forum – a forum on Accessible and Inclusive ICT, and about the workshop on Low Cost Information Access Devices on this website. The Digital World Forum is a project of the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7), the primary European instrument for funding research and technology development. |
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June 15, 2009
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Makerere University
(Kampala, Uganda), a partner of the EuroAfrica-ICT project, is organising an international forum for researchers and practitioners in computer science, software engineering, information systems, information technology, computer engineering, data communications and computer networks and ICT for sustainable development. The conference will bring together the world’s most respected authorities in the above disciplines and is scheduled to take place on August 2-5, 2009 in Kampala, Uganda. Additional details regarding thematic presentations and speakers can be found here.
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June 12, 2009
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Penetration rate of mobile and wireless technologies in developing countries is far above the world’s average. The usage of such technologies in developing countries, as a result, has been exponentially increasing and has surpassed the usage in developed countries. A number of questions are being raised by local academicians, technology professionals, industry and policy makers on how better to exploit the popularity of mobile and wireless technologies in developing countries for social and economic development through innovative localized mobile products and services. Various SMS-based mobile projects for learning, health, governance, and banking have been identified based on mobile and Web technologies. In addition to a few SMS-based services that appear on the scene, these are just a proof of concept and announce the beginning of the thousands of new locally relevant mobile services that can be easily absorbed in the future mobile market in developing countries. In fact, we are witnessing mobile terminals being transformed into tools capable of delivering any public information and services, just like the Internet. This is demonstrated by the Internet and Web services emergence in the mobile arena and the increased capabilities of modern mobile devices. The theme of the 2nd workshop to be organised by Makerere University (EuroAfriCa-ICT Project Partner) due to take place on July 31s 2009 is to foster the development of innovative and secure mobile services for solving societal needs and promote economic development. Therefore, the Faculty of Computing & IT would like to invite academics and stakeholders to submit original ideas that will solicit the theme of the workshop. For more information visit the dedicated url. |
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June 12, 2009
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Senior African scientists have asked the world's richest and most rapidly developing countries, meeting under the G8+5 banner next month, for help to stem the ruinous exodus of scientists from their continent. Migration is one of the main agenda points of the meeting, which will take place in Italy from 8-10 July. In a statement published on 11 June, the Network of African Science Academies (NASAC) urges the governments of the G8+5 grouping - including Brazil, China, India, Mexico and South Africa - to help Africa rebuild its university sector. It also urges them to take up the proposals for African universities that have been made in the past. It calls for training programmes that would allow African research students to stay in Africa or study in other developing countries rather than in rich ones where they may be more likely to stay. Brain drain remains a devastating force in Africa, NASAC says. "One third of all African scientists live and work in developed countries. This outflow represents a significant loss of economic potential for the continent, especially in today's global society where scientific and technological knowledge drive development," the statement reads. Although the primary responsibility for addressing brain drain rests with African governments, external assistance will remain "instrumental" for resource-starved countries, it continues. Africa has yet to see many results from the endorsement of centres of excellence by the G8 summit in Gleneagles in 2005 (see G8 leaders give indirect boost for science in Africa) or recommendations by the Commission for Africa, also in 2005, that the continent needs US$5 billion in funding for universities and US$3 billion for centres of excellence (see Commission 'to seek US$5 billion for African universities' and Science capacity 'imperative' for Africa's development). The statement also underlines the need to connect African scientists in the diaspora with those remaining at home. "Tens of thousands of Africa's scientists now live and work in developed countries. Most will never return. It is important to recognise this reality and to devise policies that will allow Africa to take advantage of the knowledge and expertise of their emigrant citizens," NASAC says in the statement. Abed Peerally, a Mauritian agricultural scientist and early shaper of NASAC, told SciDev.Net that to stop brain drain Africa must also address a range of socioeconomic challenges. "We need more good governance, sound economic policies and a dramatic boost to infrastructural development without which no amount of science and technology (S&T) input would have any impact," he says. Meanwhile Calestous Juma, development expert at Harvard University, questions the effectiveness of lobbying the G8+5 grouping and urges African scientists to explore other avenues to foster S&T in their countries. Juma believes industrial and infrastructural development, such as the new fibre optic cable being laid along the East African coast, offer better avenues for revitalising S&T in Africa. "This is the most important investment in the region since the construction of colonial railways," he says. "The academies should look further and identify other practical opportunities to foster new partnerships." |
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June 11, 2009
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TWAS, in partnership with the African Academy of Sciences (AAS) and Microsoft Research Ltd, has established the TWAS-AAS-Microsoft Award for Young Scientists for the three-year period 2009-2011. The award aims at recognizing young scientists working and living in Africa whose research in computer science has had, or could have, a positive impact in the developing world. Scientists who have received their most recent research degree in the past 10 years are eligible. Nominees can be any nationality, but must have been resident in Africa for at least two years prior to their nomination. Each year, three winners will be selected from different countries on the continent. Each recipient will receive a EUR 7,000 cash award generously contributed by Microsoft Research Ltd, EUR 5,000 of which is earmarked for further research. The deadline to receive nominations has been extended to July 31, 2009. Inquiries and completed nomination forms should be addressed to: TWAS-AAS-Microsoft Award for Young Scientists (Phone: +39 040 2240-387 / Fax: +39 040 2240-689 / E-mail: prizes@twas.org). |
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June 11, 2009
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The next Brokerage Event organised by Ideal-ist with his new brokerage software is the “Challenge 3 Face2Face” in Basel, on June 25, 2009. Ideal-ist is organising this brokerage event in collaboration with the European Commission (DG INFSO) to provide the latest information about ICT Challenge 3 (Nanoelectronics Technology, Engineering of Networked Monitoring and Control Systems, Photonics and Microsystems and Smart Miniaturised Systems) and to enable the participants to facilitate the setup of FP7 project consortia (ICT Call 5). Online registration is already open. This event specific brokerage tool enables Face2Face members to match their ICT interests, expertise, collaboration offers and requests with those of other Face2Face members. Furthermore, the Face2Face Brokerage Tool will be used to plan pre-scheduled meetings at events between researchers, delegates from universities, government and laboratories, big companies and SMEs who want to find project partners or want to join a project from countries all over the world participating in the 7th EU framework programme. An intelligent search matching algorithm-software allows automatic allocation of timeslots for Face2Face meetings and simplifies the organisation of brokerage events as well as the success rate for finding appropriate partners. Further enquiries? Contact Susanne Formanek. |
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June 10, 2009
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Ideal-ist, the worldwide ICT support network has been assisting proposers for 13 years in building consortia and strengthening the whole network for Information and Communication Technologies by using its unique quality labelled and well-established partner search system. Other services include providing update information to open calls and workshops for proposers. Just in time for the 5th ICT Call, which will be launched at the end of July, Ideal-ist presents its new software tool as an additional service to the successful partner search system: the Face2Face Brokerage Tool. This newly developed software is implemented on the ideal-ist website and offers the following possibilities: 1. to promote profile and collaboration offers and requests / 2. to get in touch with other proposers / 3. to book meetings with potential project partners on-line / 4. to actively participate in a Face2Face event. Further enquiries? Contact Susanne Formanek. |
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May 30, 2009
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The fourth eLearning Africa conference on ICT for Development, Education and Training was held on May 27-29, 2009. Under the patronage of the Republic of Senegal and attended by its President Abdoulaye Wade and Prime Minister Souleymane Ndéné Ndiaye, as well as 10 other ministers, eLearning Africa attracted 1315 eLearning users, newcomers, providers and experts from 85 countries, who gathered over the three conference days at Le Méridien President in Dakar, Senegal. The EuroAfriCa-ICT project has been presented during the conference in a session entitled “Creating a Research Agenda for TEL in Africa”. Presenters in this session tried to answer at least some of the following questions: what should a research agenda on technology-enhanced education entail and what is the best way to go about such research in the first place? what is the best way to link research outputs to policy decision-making? are there promising practices that can be used to inform stakeholders and just how easy is it to take research outputs from one region to another in the field of technology-supported learning? Judith Lenti-Sidibé form PIWA (EuroAfriCa-ICT Consortium Member) represented the EuroAfriCa-ICT project by addressing the following topics: “Creating a Research Agenda for TEL in Africa and Accessing Further Research Fundin”g. Both the EuroAfrica-ICT project and the FP7 programme (especially the Technology Enhanced Learning challenge) were explained to the session attendees in addition with the EuroAfrica-ICT project activities and main objective (foster the dialogue between researchers and decision-makers -- Euro-Africa Cooperation Forum on ICT Research, Bird-of-a-feather sessions, community section, etc.). eLearning Africa is the most comprehensive conference on ICT for development, education and training on the Continent. Its mission is to bring people together who are actively engaged in education and in the implementation of learning technologies in schools, universities, corporate training as well as in education in the public sector. Participants are high-level decision-makers such as Ministers of Education, representatives from government agencies, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), development agencies and international organizations, senior executives from businesses, as well as practitioners from all fields of education. |
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May 26, 2009
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CAAST-Net
is a network for the Coordination and Advancement of Sub-Saharan Africa-EU Science and Technology Cooperation, which is supported by the European Commission ( DG Research). CAAST-Net organises an Information Day on the EU’s 7th Framework Programme ( FP7) in Cape Verde, which aims to foster both the sharing and discussion of general information about FP7, opportunities under FP7, and the best conditions for successful participation by African entities in FP7. The event will provide specific relevant information about schemes within FP7 of special interest for African researchers and institutions, and may interest either researchers, decision makers at research units or representatives of national authorities aiming at implementing or reinforcing the promotion of National Information Points for FP7. Please note this is not a specific event on FP7 regarding ICT but generally regarding Science & Technology. The Information Day will take place on the Ilha de Santiago, and is hosted by the Direcção Geral de Ensino Superior e Ciência (DGESC), Cape Verde and Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, Portugal (FCT). A preliminary agenda can be found here. For more information please contact, very urgently, José Bonfim
or Margarida Ferreira.
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May 21, 2009
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Over 70 delegates participated in the successful 13th EuroAfriCa-ICT FP7 Awareness Workshop held on May 19-20, 2009 in Cotonou, Benin. The 2-day workshop was organised by PIWA (the Panos Institute West Africa), as partner of the EuroAfriCa-ICT consortium and focal point for the Western African region, in partnership with the Campus Numérique Francophone ( CNF) of Cotonou. The aim of this workshop was to raise awareness on collaboration/funding opportunities offered to sub-Saharan African organisations by the European Commission’s Seventh Framework Programme for research and technological development ( FP7). The opening ceremony was marked by welcome speeches delivered by Honourable Gounde Désiré Adadja (Ministrer of Communication and ICT in Benin), Jean Tchougbe (Manager of the Campus Numérique Francophone of Cotonou), Ken Lohento (PIWA ICT Programme Coordinator), and Hoa-Binh Adjemian (Head of the Infrastructure Section at the European Commission Delegation in Benin). Dr Goundé Désiré Adadja insisted on scientific research impact on development issues, on the importance of R&D in the ICT sector and in particular on challenges for Benin in these domains, and, finally on the Head of State vision of Benin to become the “Digital District of West Africa”. He also underlined the importance of welcoming foreign attendees from Senegal, Burkina Faso, Togo, Niger and Morocco because it enables to foster South-South cooperation and to create African regional networks of researchers able to enter greater worldwide networks. He welcomed the EuroAfrica-ICT project and expressed the hope that Benin will get high benefits from this initiative. The meeting then provided an important opportunity for participants to exchange about Nigerian R&D and ICT achievements, opportunities and constraints, to network and meet key organizations active in this area, including ISOCEL Telecom, Benin Telecom, the Institut de Mathématiques et de Sciences Physiques (IMSP), the Centre Béniniois de la recherché Scientifique et technique (CBRST); the African Virtual University, etc. A thematic group discussion held the second day helped in identifying more specifically R&D ICT themes of interest to West Africa with indications of their linkages to FP7 challenges. The workshop also gave participants a unique occasion to see demos of e-health softwares from Senegal and Mali. This workshop was really successful and a real 'eye-opener' as indicated by most participants. Collaboration between the various partners went very well, as they were truly engaged and contributed in cohesion, through various manners, to the success of the event. Outputs from this workshop can be found here. |
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May 19, 2009
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The Digital World Forum is facilitating a workshop on applying low cost information access devices in fostering social and economic development by bridging the digital divide with such devices. The workshop is scheduled on June 30, 2009 from 9am to 5pm, in Brussels, Belgium. The workshop will gather a cross-section of stakeholders, among them representatives from European Technology Platforms (ETPs) whose Strategic Research Agendas (SRA) are or may be closely linked to future developments in the domain of low cost information access devices (LCIADs) and related domains on which the use of LCIADs may depend. Other stakeholders will include researchers, manufacturers, suppliers, consumers, special interest groups with an interest in LCIADs. The Digital World Forum (DWF) is analysing the current State-of-the-Art of LCIADs. Participants to the workshop will add value to the analysis by drilling down to specific possible interventions, based on their experience, expertise, research focus or strategic objectives. The focus of the workshop will, therefore, be to share knowledge of the participating stakeholders that needs to be taken into account in developing a possible roadmap for LCIADs. The workshop will take the form of 1/. Breakaway sessions for discussing, brainstorming and analysing issues on LCIADs, 2/. Feedback sessions during which each group will present proposed agreed solutions to issues considered, as well as 3/. Pening up such feedback to positive challenge by fellow participants through logical questioning. A backdrop to the workshop will be the State-of-the-Art Analysis of Low Cost Information Access Devices (LCIAD’s) to be availed to registered participants by 24 June 2009. The workshop will provide useful feedback to the document by drilling down to specific possible future interventions in the domain of LCIADs and how such initiatives may foster social and economic development. Areas of interest may cover but will not be limited to: 1/. Political, economic, cultural or social, legal and technological environmental analysis covering both enablers and impediments to the use of LCIADs in fostering social and economic development, 2/. Analysis of application areas to which LCIADs may be employed, and 3/. Analysis of the actual technologies that may be employed in future LCIADs. To register for the workshop, or to get further information please visit the website or contact the workshop chair . You can learn more about the Digital World Forum – a forum on Accessible and Inclusive ICT, and about the workshop on Low Cost Information Access Devices on this website. |
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May 19, 2009
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ESASTAP (the dedicated platform for the advancement of European - South African scientific and technological (S&T) cooperation) has created South Africa's mobility Portal. The portal has been created to promote researcher exchanges between South Africa and Europe. With the publication of the recent Marie Curie International Outgoing Fellowships call for proposals, which can provide funding for European researchers to work in South Africa, typically for periods of 2-3 years, ESASTAP invite all South African research and technology organisations, interested in hosting a European Marie Curie fellow, to publish details of available research positions in their organisations, which could be filled by a Marie Curie fellow. Please forward information on the research positions for publication on the mobility portal to Ms Mamohloding Tlhagale. Details of these positions will also be disseminated by ESASTAP throughout Europe in order assist South African organisations in finding possible applicants. |
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May 9, 2009
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The Meraka Institute, together with Sigma Orionis the EuroAfriCa-ICT Project Coordinator participated in the IST-Africa 2009 Conference and Exhibition, supported by the European Commission ( DG INFSO), co-sponsored by IEEE and hosted by the Government of the Republic of Uganda through the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology ( MICT). The event took place on the shores of Lake Victoria at Speke Resort & Conference Centre, Munyonyo, Kampala, on May 6-8, 2009. This was the fourth in an annual conference series which brings together representatives from leading commercial, government & research organisations across Africa and Europe, to discuss national and regional developments, issues of concern and good practice models and learn more about opportunities to participate in ICT Calls under Framework Programme 7 ( FP7). Almost 200 conference participants had the opportunity to network, share experiences and work together to identify opportunities for research collaboration under FP7 as well as adaptation of existing research results. IST-Africa 2009 featured a small exhibition that provided exhibitors the opportunity to showcase research results and applications through technology demonstrations, whether funded commercially or at national, regional or European level. The EuroAfrica-ICT project was involved in the IST-Africa 2009 exhibition and networking session. The exhibition booth was shared with the European - South African Science & Technology Advancement Programme ( ESASTAP) and Science and Technology Europe Africa Project ( STEAP). The stand distributed project brochures and information about the EuroAfriCa-ICT project activities undertaken in the sub-Saharan Africa, Europe and the Caribbean and how the project support services for FP7 proposals work, the European Commission’s Research Funding Programme (FP7) in the ICT field, and promoted the EuroAfriCa-ICT Cooperation Forum on ICT Research scheduled for early next year (2010). The EuroAfrica-ICT initiative coordinator, Sigma Orionis, represented by Ms Karine Valin took the opportunity of this event to deliver a presentation during the conference networking session on Day 3 (May 8, 2009) of the conference under the theme “Challenges and Opportunities for African-European ICT Partnerships in FP7”. The session was chaired by Mr. Mmboneni Muofhe (Department of Science & Technology, DST, South Africa) and attended by over 20 representatives of the Euro-Africa ICT community. |
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May 7, 2009
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Given the increasing number of regional, national and international initiatives addressing the development of EU-African S&T cooperation, the EuroAfriCa-ICT project is mandated by the European Commission (DG INFSO - International Relations Unit) to enhance links between related initiatives implemented in Europe, in sub-Saharan Africa and in the Caribbean and addressing ICT research. In this perspective the EuroAfriCa-CT consortium organises quarterly “concertation meetings” offering an opportunity to key stakeholders in the field to share visions, network and build synergies. The first meetings (organised since December 2006) have proved to be very successful in fostering partnerships between projects and initiatives from sub-Saharan, the Caribbean and Europe, in sharing information, building networks among researchers, etc. The 7th EuroAfrica-ICT Concertation Meeting organised by the EuroAfriCa-ICT project, in close liaison with the European Commission's DG Information Media and Society through its Seventh Research Framework Programme (FP7) will take place at the European Commission premises in Brussels, Belgium on October 1, 2009. Envisioned agenda items include presentations related to the the 5th FP7/ICT Call for Proposals and past event outputs such as the “1st Euro-Africa Cooperation Forum on ICT Research” (March 25-26, 2009 - Brussels, Belgium), the IST-Africa 2009 Conference (May 6-8, 2009 - Kampala, Uganda) and the 4th international conference on ICT for development, education and training (May 27-29, 2009 - Dakar, Senegal). Different units of the European Commission (mainly from DG INFSO, DG DEV and DG RTD) will also join to address the status and perspectives of their respective activities and programmes with sub-Saharan Africa. Registration is free but pre-registration is compulsory. More information coming soon. |
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May 2, 2009
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A follow up event to the one that successfully took place on March 24-25 in Brussels, Belgium - Meeting the networking needs of the Euro-African ICT communities, the “2nd Euro-Africa Cooperation Forum on ICT Research” is the key venue for organisations addressing ICT research from Africa, Europe and the Caribbean. Enabling event delegates to develop multinational and cross-industry contacts and partnerships, as well as to enhance their knowledge, expertise and abilities, the “2nd Euro-Africa Cooperation Forum on ICT Research” will highlight the key issues that currently hamper the full deployment of ICTs in Africa and see how Europeans and Africans can collectively maximise their impact in bringing concrete responses to African needs, support the development of a truly inclusive Information Society on the continent, and enhance the development of Euro-Africa collaborative projects. At the 1st edition of the event earlier this year, over 320 participants from some 50 different countries - including both policy-makers and ICT researchers in the public and private sectors - gathered in Brussels (Belgium) during the 2-day Conference at the European Commission premises in Brussels. Over 40 percent of the participants came from sub-Saharan African countries. The event was organised by the European Commission (Directorate-General Information Society and Media -
DG INFSO) and the African Union Commission ( AUC) with the support of the EuroAfriCa-ICT EU/FP7 project, funded under the EU's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7). The conference programme featured the work of many speakers and chairpersons, addressing different related topics (“Africa-EU cooperation on ICT”, “EU-AU partnerships”, “EU, AUC and ACP programmes”, “private and public partnerships”, “African participation in FP7”, “e-Infrastructures”, technology roadblocks and socio-economic goals and applications, etc.) and including a rich mix of themes, topics and a variety of session formats. The Forum will bring together sub-Saharan African and European policy-makers with ICT research organisations for an interactive and a participative event with the following objectives: 1. Reflect on progress made and lessons learnt on ICT research and development in Africa and its contribution through partnerships to economic growth, improved quality of life and efficient service delivery, 2. Gain insight on the status and perspectives of the 8th Partnership (“African-EU Partnership for Science, Information Society and Space”) and support its action plan, 3. Learn more about the status and perspectives of the EC/AUC/ACP Programmes, 4. Enhance the development of Euro-Africa collaborative ICT research projects and identify potential partners, 5. Highlight the range and excellence of ICT research in Africa and in Europe, 6. Allow participative and interactive working sessions on ICT research and development through high-level visionary panel debates and interactive thematic sessions, 7. Network with key stakeholders in the field (private and public bodies), 8. Hear about opportunities to enhance African participation in FP7, and finally 9. Get detailed information on successful EU-African FP7 cooperation projects and EU-African PPP (Public-Private Partnerships). The event will include plenary sessions with world-class experts, smaller presentation and special focus sessions, practical demonstrations and debates on specific topics, as well as various informal networking opportunities where delegates share their experiences, ideas, new information and perspectives. More information coming soon.
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April 29, 2009
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The ict@innovation is organising a series of trainings on building a business on Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) in Eastern and Southern Africa. Individuals and institutions from those regions are invited to apply. The trainings will cover topics ranging from FOSS basics to business skills, and will enable participants to work on their own as trainers on the subject, or to incorporate the training's content into the curricula of their institutions. The deadline for applications is May 30, 2009. Trainings are free of charge beyond a minimal registration fee. Trainings will take place from July to October 2009. They will be organised by a partnership of FOSSFA and InWEnt, and carried out by AITI-KACE and UNU-MERIT. |
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April 1, 2009
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The FP7 Call 4 for Proposals (ICT theme) closed today at 5:00 pm. The next Call (ICT Call 5) will be published in a few months from now (opening on July 31, 2009 with November 3, 2009 as a deadline). It is however already timely to work on potential EU-African cooperation projects on ICT research to be presented at this coming Call for Proposals. Interested organisations have to notice that not the whole pool of ICT research areas is addressed by this Call. For further information on ICT Call 5 and on the ICT Work Programme for 2009, please visit the European Commission's website. |
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March 26, 2009
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The “1st Euro-Africa Cooperation Forum on ICT Research” has been a great success. On March 24-25, over 320 participants from some 50 different countries - including both policy-makers and ICT researchers in the public and private sectors - met in Brussels (Belgium) to highlight the key issues that currently hamper the full deployment of ICTs in Africa and see how Europeans and Africans can collectively maximise their impact in bringing concrete responses to African needs, support the development of a truly inclusive Information Society on the continent, and enhance the development of Euro-Africa collaborative projects. The two-day event was organised by the European Commission (Directorate-General Information Society and Media - DG INFSO) with the support of the African Union Commission ( AUC) and the EuroAfriCa-ICT EU/FP7 project, funded under the EU's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7). The meeting was opened by Ms Viviane Reding (European Commissioner for DG INFSO) firstly through a video message (Ms Reding had to participate in a last minute Parliament session) and then through a member of her Cabinet: Mr Jan Ostraja-Ostraszewski. Ms Reding highlighted that Europe has a lot of experience and best practice to share and the EC is committed to support African institutions on the necessary policies and programmes needed to set-up and implement. “We are pursuing those objectives through two complementary Africa-EU Partnerships: the Partnership on Infrastructures, for supporting the rolling-out of trans-national physical backbones, and the Partnership on Science, Information Society and Space “the so-called 8th Partnership” for supporting complementary S&T and ICT capacities”, said Ms Reding and Mr Ostraja-Ostraszewski. "We look forward to working with all of you, in Africa and the EU, on ICT policy and research," added Commissioner Reding. "There are already tangible results of EU policy in research cooperation," complemented Jan Ostraja-Ostraszewski. "For example, there have already been more projects supported under the first call of FP7 than under the whole duration of FP6." Ms Vera Brenda Ngosi (Director, Directorate of Human Resources, Science and Technology, African Union Commission) thanked the EC for its determination to assist Africa adding that the Forum provided "an excellent opportunity for addressing mutual concerns and partnerships. We are opening a new chapter, and Africans are ready to work shoulder to shoulder with our European partners," she added. "ICTs in all forms are key to people-centred development," said Abdul Waheed Khan ( UNESCO's Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information) "and UNESCO stands ready to play a catalytic role with the organisations present here at this Forum". The situation in Africa was put into context by Ms Sally Kosgei (Kenya's Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education) when she said: "Africa has a roadmap for development, but we have only taken the first step. We need to take a thousand more steps, otherwise we will be left behind. We have received some bilateral support from some EU countries and some support from the African Development Bank, but there is a need for proper coordination and to assess where we are”. Among the discussions during the Forum were high-level sessions dedicated to “Africa-EU cooperation on ICT”, “EU-AU partnerships”, “EU, AUC and ACP programmes”, “private and public partnerships” (PPP), “African participation in FP7”, “e-Infrastructures”, technology roadblocks and socio-economic goals and applications. In the session on EU, AUC and ACP programmes, Africa's isolation - the 'digital divide' - was highlighted. Summing up in the closing ceremony, Thierry Devars (Policy Officer, International Relations Unit, DG INFSO) concluded that there had been too many pilot projects in Africa, and that now was the time to move them to the commercial models. "This can be done," he said, "by developing partnerships and friendships between the EU and AUC." "The EU-AUC partnership is real," added Vera Brenda Ngosi, "and it is advancing, but it can move forward faster. In the opening panel session, Stefano Manservisi (Director-General, Directorate General Development -
DG DEV
- European Commission) noted that he was pleased, when looking out at the high level of participation at the Cooperation Forum. “Five years ago, this was not possible,” he said, referring to the fact that the seeds of political will in Europe to assist Africa had been sown, and that there was at least enough capacity in Africa to be able to nurture these seeds into something viable. As a result of the connections made and opportunities for collaboration discussed during the “1st Euro-Africa Cooperation Forum on ICT Research”, increasing the pace of development in Africa has been given a major boost. It is hoped that, in five years time, cooperative ICT research and development programmes initiated at this Forum have begun to bear fruit. For further information (event report, proceedings, photo gallery, etc.) please click here.
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March 20, 2009
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The 12th EuroAfriCa-ICT FP7 Awareness Workshop was held jointly with the Winds/Caribbean Project in Kingston, Jamaica, on March 18-19, 2009 organised by CAS (Caribbean Academy of Sciences) as partner of the EuroAfriCa-ICT Consortium and CARIMAC as partner of Winds/Caribe. The aim of this workshop was to raise awareness on collaboration/funding opportunities offered to Caribbean organisations by the European Commission’s Seventh Framework Programme for research and technological development ( FP7). Being the first workshop of its kind ever organised in the country, the workshop was very well attended and demonstrated a high interest from the audience. The two-day workshop drew over 100 participants from around the region, the USA and Europe, representing universities, ICT private companies, public stakeholders, non-governmental organisations, the European Commission and international and regional organisations dealing with ICT . The workshop included the following components: welcome address, introduction to the EuroAfriCa-ICT Project, opening addresses, introduction to the 7th Research Framework Programme (FP7), presentations (on topics such as Europe-Caribbean and regional cooperation perspectives on ICT research, selected ICT sectors for R&D, how to participate in a project proposal under FP7/ICT, etc.). The opening session was chaired by Professor Tara Dasgupta, President of CAS and Mr Roderick Sanatan, ICT Projects Coordinator, CARIMAC. Welcome greetings were brought by Mr Joseph Pereira, Deputy Principal of the Mona Campus of UWI, Mrs Marcia Forbes, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Mining and Telecommunications, Professor Ishenkumba Kahwa, Dean of the Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences, UWI, Dr Dwithin Wilmot, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Education, UWI, Mrs Brigitte Collins, Chief Information Officer, UWI. This was followed by an introduction to the EuroAfriCa-ICT and Winds Projects by Professor Tara Dasgupta on behalf of Sigma Orionis and Professor Fabio Nascimbeni, Director of Menon Network Belgium for Winds/Caribe. This followed a series of 15-20 minute presentations dealing with selected ICT sectors for R&D. The final presentations were related to participation in a project proposal under FP7/ICT and were delivered by Dr Klaus Pendl (Project Officer, European Commission) and two Winds/Caribe representatives. Outputs from this workshop can be found here.
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March 3, 2009
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Over 90 delegates participated in the successful 11th EuroAfriCa-ICT FP7 Awareness Workshop held yesterday and today in Kigali, Rwanda. The 2-day workshop was organised by KIST (Kigali Institute of Science and Technology) as partner of the EuroAfriCa-ICT consortium and focal point for the Central African region. The aim of this workshop was to raise awareness on collaboration/funding opportunities offered to African organisations by the European Commission’s Seventh Framework Programme for research and technological development (FP7). Being the first workshop of its kind ever organised in the country, the workshop was very well attended and demonstrated a high interest from the audience. The opening session was kindly chaired by Prof. John Mshana, Vice Rector Academic of KIST and Conference host. Prof. Abraham Atta Ogwu - Rector of KIST - did a very welcome address encouraging attendees to take the opportunity of this unique workshop to learn, discuss and network. To set the scene Santhi Kumaran (Senior Lecturer at KIST and EuroAfriCa-ICT Focal Point for Central Africa) gave to all attendees a very interesting introduction to the EuroAfriCa-ICT initiative; its activities and its possible benefits for the people in the room. Then, Honourable Dr. Daphrose Gahakwa (Minister of Education, Rwanda), Honourable Prof. Romain Murenzi (Minister in President’s Office in charge of Science and Technology, Rwanda), Simon Vanden Broeke (Head of Section Economics & Governance, European Commission Delegation to Rwanda), and Karine Valin (Managing Director of Sigma Orionis and EuroAfriCa-ICT Project Coordinator) officially opened the workshop by emphasizing the great opportunities for collaboration on ICT research among the two regions. Keynote addresses were given by ICT authorities from the considered region covering research capacities, the role of government in fostering ICT research. Some guidelines to answer FP7 Calls for Proposals and a set of successful Euro-African collaborative initiatives addressing Science and Technology were also introduced. The meeting took a turn on day two where participants were invited to participate in the “Birds of a feather” thematic sessions - the idea being to allow participants to engage thematic discussions and consider opportunities for future collaboration under FP7 with European organisations. Need more information? Click here. |
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March 1, 2009
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An annual event for developing eLearning capacities in Africa - Meeting the networking needs of the pan-African eLearning and distance education sector, the annual eLearning Africa conference is the key networking venue for practitioners and professionals from Africa and all over the world. eLA is the largest gathering of eLearning and distance education professionals in Africa, enabling participants to develop multinational and cross-industry contacts and partnerships, as well as to enhance their knowledge, expertise and abilities. At eLearning Africa 2008, over 1500 eLearning users, newcomers, providers and experts gathered during the three conference days at the Accra International Conference Centre in Accra, Ghana. Eighty percent of the participants came from African countries. The conference programme featured the work of 315 Speakers and Chairpersons from 54 countries, addressing all forms of technology-enhanced learning and including a rich mix of themes, topics and a variety of session formats. Delegates are high-level policy and decision makers and practitioners from education, business and government - the three key areas driving eLearning adoption and innovation. The conference is held in English and French. It includes plenary sessions with world-class experts, smaller presentation and special focus sessions, practical demonstrations and debates on specific topics, as well as various informal networking opportunities where practitioners share their experiences, ideas, new information and perspectives. An exhibition and demonstration area accompanies the programme, where leading international eLearning manufacturers, suppliers and service providers present their latest products and services. Need more information? Click here. |
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February 20, 2009
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TWAS, the academy of sciences for the developing world, and the OIC (Organization of Islamic Conference) Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH) are offering grants to scientists up to the age of 40 working in OIC countries. Deadline for applications is 31 March. Grants of up to US$15,000 are available in the following fields of science and technology: information technology and computer sciences, earth sciences, engineering sciences, materials science including nanotechnology, pharmaceutical sciences and renewable energy. The deadline for receiving applications is 31 August each year. Exceptionally for 2009 only, there is an additional deadline of 31 March 2009 More information. |
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February 10, 2009
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Potential stakeholders are invited to contribute to a new study on the viability of interconnecting existing African research and education networking infrastructures and connecting them to the European backbone network, GEANT. The feasibility study (FEAST) team welcomes contact from interested politicians, telecommunications regulators, heads of research and education institutes and other
relevant stakeholders in the region, as well as from European NRENs (National and Regional Education Networks) wishing to support the initiative. The ten-month study will run until October 2009. The European Commission (EC) has awarded a contract to the Swedish Royal Institute of Technology, KTH, and its supporting partners TERENA and DANTE to carry out the
project. Several European NRENs have pledged their support to the project, as has the Italy-based International
Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP). Press Release l More information |
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February 6, 2009
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With regards to the ongoing Call for Proposals of the ACP Science and Technology Programme, the ACP Secretariat is happy to announce that a postponement of the submission deadline has been agreed upon. This means that any proposal can be submitted until 13 March 2009. Any questions on the Call and request for clarifications from the ACP Secretariat can be sent to info@acp-st.eu until 20 February 2009, which is 21 days before the submission deadline. The ACP Science and Technology Programme aims at facilitating the creation or strengthening of frameworks for regional and sub-regional co-operation and of inter-institutional co-operation in the ACP region in the field of science and technology. This Call for Proposals is open to all 79 countries of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP), the 27 EU Member States, the 3 EU Candidate countries, and the 3 European Economic Area - European Free Trade Association (EEA EFTA) States. More information. |
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February 5, 2009
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Hosted by the Government of the Republic of Uganda through the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), supported by the European Commission and technical Co-Sponsored by IEEE, IST-Africa 2009 will take place on the shores of Lake Victoria at Speke Resort & Conference Centre, Munyonyo, Kampala, on May 6-8, 2009. Part of the IST-Africa Initiative, which is supported by the European Commission under the ICT Theme of Framework Programme 7 (FP7), IST-Africa 2009 is the fourth in an annual conference series which brings together senior representatives from leading commercial, government & research organisations across Africa and from Europe, to bridge the digital divide by sharing knowledge, experience, lessons learnt and good practice and discussing policy related issues. IST-Africa 2009 focuses on the role of ICT for Africa's development and specifically on applied ICT research topics in the areas of eHealth, technology enhanced learning and ICT skills, open source software, ICT for inclusion, eInfrastructures, ICT for environmental risk management, ICT for networked enterprise and eGovernment and eDemocracy. In the context of focusing on the role of ICT for Africa's development, the opening plenary features a high level dialogue on implementation of the “Africa-EU Partnership on Science, Information Society and Space”. The closing plenary focuses on initiatives supporting development of regional S&T. For further information please click here. |
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January 23, 2009
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The call for papers for the 6th edition of the Health Informatics in Africa conference 2009 (HELINA 2009) that will take place on 16-18 April 2009 in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire is now open. HELINA is the African regional conference of International Medical
Informatics Association (IMIA). The theme of the conference is "Information and Communications Technology in Health Information Systems of African Countries". Deadline for submission of papers is 15 February 2009. To submit a paper and to attend HELINA 2009 follow this link. More information on the Conference here. |
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January 7, 2009
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TWAS, the academy of sciences of the developing world, Microsoft Research, and the African Academy of Science ( AAS) announce the creation of two new programmes designed to recognize and assist scientists working in Africa in the field of computer science. The TWAS-AAS-Microsoft Award for Young Scientists will recognize young scientists in Africa whose research in computer science promises to have a positive impact in the developing world. Each year, three winners will be selected from different countries on the continent. Scientists who have received their most recent research degree within the past 10 years will be eligible. Each recipient will receive a €7,000 cash award. Nominations may be made by members of national academies and senior academics. Winners will be chosen on the basis of their past achievements. The nomination and selection process will be administered by TWAS in collaboration with AAS. The deadline to apply is 15 May 2009. The first winners of the prize will be announced in 2009.
The award ceremonies will be held in Nairobi, Kenya, and organized by TWAS and AAS. The TWAS-AAS-Microsoft Grant for Scientific Meetings aims to encourage the organization of international and regional scientific conferences and workshops in Africa. Microsoft will provide support in the form of travel grants for some principal speakers from abroad and/or participants from developing countries other than the country in which the event is held. Applicants, who may be of any nationality, must be involved in the organization of international or regional scientific meetings to be held in Africa in the field of computer science. More information. |
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December 11, 2008
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The EuroAfriCa-ICT project, coordinated by Sigma Orionis, held a successful 6th information and exchange meeting in Brussels (Belgium) yesterday. Gathering over 50 participants from 13 different countries in Europe and sub-Saharan Africa, this meeting is one of its series addressing S&T Cooperation on ICT between sub-Saharan Africa and Europe. Chaired by Karine Valin (Managing Director of Sigma Orionis and EuroAfriCa-ICT Project Coordinator) the meeting welcomed representatives from three European Commission Directorates-General: Development (DG DEV), Research (DG RTD) and Information Society and Media (DG INFSO) who introduced the recent developments on the relations between Europe and Africa with regard to ICT research. A specific session was also devoted to the implementation of the EU-AU Partnership on Science, ICT and Space that was adopted on December 2007 during the Lisbon 2nd EU-AU Summit. Case examples of existing cooperation projects in the field of ICT research were also introduced during this one-day meeting that eventually convened time for round-table discussions with the main objective to bring support to emerging cooperation projects in the perspective of FP7/ICT Call 4. More information.
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December 3, 2008
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This Workshop, hosted by the Ministry of Science and Technology of the Government of Mozambique, is part of the the Digital World Forum project (European Union's 7th Research Framework Programme - FP7) which explores how to take advantage of the new paradigm of low-cost technologies in broadband infrastructure and devices to bridge the digital divide and connect the unconnected. The W3C Workshop on the "Africa Perspective on the Role of Mobile Technologies in Fostering Social Development" aims to understand specific challenges of using mobile phones and Web technologies to deliver services to underprivileged populations of Developing Countries, and to capture the specificities of the African context. More specifically, workshop participants will discuss the barriers for potential content providers (NGO/grassroots, government, entrepreneur, etc.) to develop and deploy services, and the barriers for the targeted population to access these services (issues around illiteracy, internationalization, accessibility, usability, etc.). More information. |
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November 28, 2008
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The Secretariat of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP - Secretariat) has just launched the Call for Proposals of the “ACP Science and Technology Programme”. Interested parties are invited to participate. The deadline for submission of project proposals is 27 February 2009 at 16:00 hours (Brussels time). The ACP Science and Technology Programme aims at facilitating the creation or strengthening of frameworks for regional and sub-regional co-operation and of inter-institutional co-operation in the ACP region in the field of science and technology. This Call for Proposals is open to all 79 countries of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP), the 27 EU Member States, the 3 EU Candidate countries, and the 3 European Economic Area - European Free Trade Association (EEA EFTA) States. More information. |
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November 28, 2008
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The EuroAfriCa-ICT project benefited from a high visibility at the ICT 2008 EVENT - Europe biggest ICT research event - that took place in Lyon (France) this week (25-27 Nov. 2008). More than 4,500 delegates attended the 2008 edition of the major conference and exhibition organised every two years by the European Commission’s DG Information Society and Media, making Lyon one of the best-attended ICT Events ever. The event presented Europe's priorities for ICT research, development and funding. Leading personalities from the world of ICT looked at how Europe can lead the ICT agenda for the next decade. The EuroAfriCa-ICT project hosted an exhibition booth in the International Village that welcomed a wide range of visitors as well as many questions from European organisations interested in preparing proposals in response to FP7 ICT Calls including partners from sub-Saharan Africa and the Caribbean. Information on the project was distributed to visitors including on the upcoming Euro-Africa Cooperation Forum co-organised by the European Commission and the African Union Commission to be held on 25-26 March 2009 in Brussels, Belgium. At the initiative of the EuroAfriCa-ICT project, a networking session was also devoted to strategic cooperation opportunities in ICT research with sub-Saharan Africa on 26 November. Chaired by Karine Valin, EuroAfriCa-ICT Project Coordinator, this session welcomed presentations from Roseline Favresse, EuroAfriCa-ICT Project Manager, Thierry Devars, Policy Officer, DG INFSO, European Commission, Daan du Toit, Minister-Counsellor (Science and Technology), South African Mission to the European Union that were followed by regional overviews of ICT research introduced by Idris A. Rai Associate Professor, Makerere University, Uganda & EuroAfriCa-ICT Focal Point for Eastern Africa for Central and Eastern Africa and by Johan Eksteen, Technology Research Programme Manager, the Meraka Institute of CSIR, South Africa & EuroAfriCa-ICT Focal Point for Southern Africa for the Southern African area. This session then welcomed a presentation from the NEM (Networked and Electronic Media) ETP (European Technology Platform) on “How to share a vision and a strategic research agenda with African countries” that was given by Pierre-Yves Danet, Vice Chairman of the NEM ETP. Well attended, this session ended with fruitful and very enriching discussions between European and sub-Saharan African stakeholders. Given its Caribbean component, the EuroAfriCa-ICT project also took part in a networking session addressing “EU-Latin Amercian and Caribbean visions and opportunities for ICT challenges” on 27 November. |
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November 12, 2008
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The first WINDS-Caribe Conference will take place in Martinique on the 11th and 12th of December. The event will aim at gathering ICT researchers and research stakeholders from the whole French-speaking Caribbean sub-region, in order to present the possibilities offered by FP7 and to facilitate aggregation and networking of researchers around potential areas of collaboration with Europe. The Conference is organised under the coordination of the WINDS-Caribe local partner, RIVELO, with the support of the Universitè Antille Guyane. More information. |
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November 3, 2008
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Given the increasing number of Regional, National and International initiatives addressing the development of EU-Africa S&T Cooperation, the EuroAfriCa-ICT project in its mandate to establish links between initiatives in Europe, sub-Saharan Africa and the Caribbean addressing ICT research organises quarterly concertation meetings to offer an opportunity to stakeholders to share visions, network and build synergies in ICT Research. The last five meetings (organised since December 2006) have proved successful in fostering partnerships between projects from sub-Saharan, the Caribbean and Europe, information sharing, building networks among researchers. The 6th EuroAfrica-ICT Concertation Meeting organised by the EuroAfriCa-ICT project, with the support of the European Commission's DG Information Media and Society (DG INFSO) through its Seventh Research Framework Programme (FP7) will take place at the European Commission premises in Brussels, Belgium on the 10 December 2008. Envisioned agenda items include key note addresses on roles and visions of ICT research cooperation between Europe, the Caribbean and sub-Saharan Africa, thematic sessions on ICT research for health, infrastructures, sharing perspectives on the way forward in light of the recent EU-AU partnership implementation for Science, Information society and Space as well as introduction and guidelines on the next FP7 Call 4. Registration is free but pre-registration is compulsory. |
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October 28, 2008
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Over 90 delegates participated in the 10th EuroAfriCa-ICT FP7 Awareness Workshop that was held at Protea hotel in Kampala, Uganda on 20 & 21 October 2008. The 2-day workshop was organised by Makerere University Faculty of Computing and IT as a key partner on the EuroAfriCa-ICT project. The aim of this workshop was to create awareness on opportunities offered by the European Commission’s Seventh Framework Programme for research and technological development ( FP7) targeting organisations or projects in sub-Saharan Africa, the Caribbean and Europe. Being the first workshop of its kind to be organised in the country, the Honourable Minister of Education and sports Mrs Geraldine Bitamazire who opened the workshop on behalf of the Prime Minister Hon Apollo Nsibambi stressed that, Investments in ICTs are a key factor in driving innovation in companies, productivity growth, honing competitiveness, cutting red tape and creating jobs and that organizing workshops of this nature creates platforms and networking for key stakeholders to share visions and map the way forward in the ICT field. Mr. Harvey Rouse, head of political and trade section at the European Union delegation to Uganda emphasized the increased interest of the European Commission to work with sub-Saharan Africa in reducing the digital divide and noted the various opportunities for collaboration among the two regions. Key note addresses were given by ICT authorities from the region covering research capacities, role of government in fostering ICT research, guidelines to answer FP7 Calls for proposals and Successful initiatives addressing Science and Technology in sub-Saharan Africa were also introduced. The meeting took a turn on day two where participants were invited to participate in the “ Birds of a feather” thematic sessions of which the idea is to allow participants to engage in discussions following different thematic topics and consider possibilities or potential for future collaboration under FP7 with European organisations. The meeting was then closed with remarks from the project coordinator of the EuroAfriCa-ICT project and Managing Director of Sigma Orionis Ms Karine Valin and the Dean of Makerere University faculty of Computing and IT, Prof Venansius Baryamureeba. Outputs from this workshop can be found here |
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October 8, 2008
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On the 24 September 2008, the European Commission called on governments to jointly develop a strategy for international cooperation in science and technology. It proposed a strategic framework for jointly strengthening science and technology cooperation with non-EU countries, notably in the field of Information and Communication Technologies where Europe is a strong exporter. The Commission's objective is to contribute to sustainable development worldwide while at the same time improving Europe’s competitiveness in science and technology. The Commission invites Member States to define together, rather than in isolation, priority research and technology areas where a coherent EU effort would have more impact. |
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October 8, 2008
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The launch of the Blue Gene for
Africa (BG4A) initiative at the Centre for High Performance Computing
( CHPC) in Cape Town on 7 October 2008 marks a significant milestone in South Africa’s expanding cyberinfrastructure .The donation of the supercomputer by IBM (NYSE: IBM) follows an extensive series of meetings in 2007 on economic development opportunities in Africa convened by IBM as part of its Global Innovation Outlook. IBM has held eight Global Innovation Outlook (GIO) events for Africa in countries including Kenya, Senegal, Beijing, the US and France. The donation is part of a USD 120 million investment in sub-Saharan Africa announced by IBM in December 2007. The BG4A is hosted by the CHPC, an initiative funded by the Department of Science and Technology, and managed by the Meraka Institute of the CSIR. The Blue Gene®/P system is capable of 14 trillion individual calculations per second, and is five times more powerful than the fastest research computer currently on the African continent, the Blue Gene/L in Egypt. This donation has given impetus to the Blue Gene for Africa initiative, which has three interlinking thrusts: infrastructure; promoting collaborative science (through flagships) with a major impact on the African continent; and human capital development (HCD) - building of high-end computing capacity in Africa.
Potential projects which could benefit from this initiative are
environmental simulations (water management, climate and atmospheric
simulations), plant genomics and agricultural modelling, energy,
information analytics and complex systems modelling (such as business
systems, risk management, financial models, transportation management and health).
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October 2, 2008
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On 1st October 2008, during the European Union (EU) - African Union (AU) College-to-College Meeting (see attachments), EU Commissioners for Science and Research (Dr Janez Potocnik), for Information Society and Media (Ms Viviane Reding), for Enterprise and Industry (Mr Günter Verheugen), and for Development (Mr Louis Michel), agreed with AU Commissioner for Human resources, Science and Technology (Dr Jean-Pierre Onvehoun Ezin), that a book of 19 "lighthouse projects" should serve as the framework for implementing the EU/AU Partnership on Science, ICT and Space and its Action plan (called the 8th Partnership). In a Joint Statement on Implementation of the “EU-AU Partnership for Science, Information Society and Space", the Commissioners stress the need to strengthen African capacities in the area of science and technology, including ICT, and infrastructures in order that Africa can produce and use its own knowledge and services and to develop a sound S&T and ICT policy. The 19 “lighthouse projects” have been identified and designed by the African Union Commission (AUC) to respond to African needs. They will help to build the continent’s capacities to harness, apply and develop S&T in order to eradicate poverty, fight diseases, reduce the digital divide, stem environmental degradation, and improve economic competitiveness. The Commissioners agreed that 6 of the 19 lighthouse projects are 'early deliverables' and will receive immediate attention. Among them, 2 ICT initiatives are ready for early implementation: Africa Connect and The African Internet Exchange System (AXIS). |
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September 30, 2008
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The Southern African NGO Network ( SANGONeT) and MobileActive.org will host the MobileActive08 Summit from 13-15 October 2008 in Johannesburg, South Africa. The event will focus on "Unlocking the Potential of Mobile Technology for Social Impact". MobileActive08 will convene civil society, development and technology practitioners interested in the use and application of mobile technology in support of social impact. Participants will explore how mobile phones are used to advance civil society and development work, assess the current state of knowledge in the use and effectiveness of mobile technology to advance social action, and investigate trends, needs and investment opportunities. Specific attention will be given to the role of mobile technology in health, human rights, economic development, advocacy, citizen journalism and democratic participation. More information. |
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September 29, 2008
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The University of the Western Cape ( UWC) and the African Virtual Open Initiatives and Resources ( AVOIR) project have released version 1.0.1 of the Chisimba/KEWL3 Realtime Virtual Classroom. Avoir is a collaboration of 13 African universities specialising in creating free software relevant to African users. The virtual classroom application allows presentations to be uploaded in PowerPoint or OpenOffice format and made available online as well as embedded in websites or blogged.
The Realtime Tools allow the presentation to be picked up and given live on the site, in a realtime virtual classroom setting. The developer on this project is David Wafula, a masters student at UWC and a staff member of Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology and a member of the AVOIR unit there.
“Most notable in this release,” says Wafula, “is the improved easy-to-use interface, which runs in its own window as opposed to using embedded applet used in version 1.0.0.”
The latest release allows presenters to share desktop applications in real time with other participants. Importing presentations into the the application is a one-click operation. The virtual classroom software also allows users to import graphics as well as transfer multiple documents.
Downloadable versions of the software will be available in Debian, RPM, Java and Windows executable formats. The Debian version is currently available. Users can test drive the software online on the demo site.
AVOIR project leader, Derek Keats of UWC, says that this is the first application of its kind in the world that is free software. “It demonstrates the remarkable, world class talent that we have in Africa and what can be achieved when we collaborate to accomplish something.”
(Source: Tectonic) |
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September 23, 2008
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eChallenges (e2008), scheduled to take place on 22-24 October 2008 in Stockholm, Sweden, is the 18th in a series of Annual Conferences supported by the European Commission, which regularly attracts delegates from leading commercial, government and research organisations around the world to share knowledge and experience, lessons learnt and good practice in the areas of ICT for Networked Enterprise & RFID, eGovernment & eDemocracy, eHealth, Collaborative Working Environments, Technology Enhanced Learning and ICT Skills, Knowledge and Content Technologies, Security and Identity Management, GRID and Mobility. The goal of e-2008 is to stimulate rapid take-up of Research and Technology Development (RTD) results by industry and in particular SMEs, and help open up the European Research Area (ERA) to the rest of the world. e-2008 features a series of special tutorials presented by the European Commission officials on participation in the Seventh Framework Programme ( FP7), focused on Software and Services: Current Status and Future Research Directions and Living Labs and FIRE (Future Internet Research and Experimentation). A specific workshop will also focus on the Ambient Assisted Living Joint Programme, presenting an overview of the Experiences from the 1st Call and a preview of the 2nd Call. |
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September 8, 2008
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The Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO) has started the roll-out of highly specialised professional training programmes for 2008-2009. These programmes include highly specialised workshops and seminars aimed at over 1,000 professionals predominantly from ICT operators, regulatory agencies and governments in developing countries. Professional training constitutes a core part of CTO’s activities. Following the successful delivery of more than 30 similar programmes between June 2007 and March 2008, the Organisation plans to almost double its activities in this field with the delivery of 50 or more workshops and seminars by March 2009. The CTO’s training programmes cover a variety of subjects in policy development, regulation, technology and telecoms management. Policy development, technologies and business solutions for rural access and growth will represent a significant part of these programmes. Included in the CTO training programmes will be workshops and seminars aimed at strengthening policy development and implementation in Commonwealth member countries by focusing on topics such as policy and regulatory harmonisation, e-governance, Next generational networking (NGN), wireless connectivity, digital broadcasting and strategies for local content development. However, CTO training programmes go beyond core telecoms subjects to address such issues as digital broadcasting including public awareness campaign execution. For more information please contact Nomita Das. |
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September 5, 2008
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A European research and innovation strategy for ICT: time horizon 2020:
In search of the best strategies to boost Europe's leadership in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) research and innovation in the next decade, the European Commission has launched a public consultation. Contributions from industry, ICT experts, policy-makers and the wider public will be fed into a new strategy for ICT research and innovation, to be unveiled next year. The aim is to put European ICT industry, especially SMEs, to the fore of the race for global competitiveness. The public consultation is open until 7 November 2008. More information |
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September 5, 2008
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The South African Mission to the European Union is organising a breakfast seminar on the theme “Public-Private Partnerships for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Research and Innovation in South Africa”. The seminar will also introduce the SAP Meraka Unit for Technology Development ( UTD) as a highly successful example of an ICT research partnership between the South African Government and a major multinational company. Established in 2006 as a joint initiative between SAP Research and the South African CSIR's Meraka ( African Advanced Institute for ICT), with support from the Department of Science and Technology ( DST), the UTD has as objective to undertake ICT research, in support of small and medium enterprise development and to contribute to South Africa's ICT human capital. The objective of the seminar will be to present South Africa and the SAP Meraka UTD specifically, as an ICT research and innovation partner for Europe, and also within the context of the ICT activities of the EU Seventh Framework Programme for Research ( FP7). This event is to be held Thursday 11 September 2008, by invitation only.
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August 21, 2008
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With the support of the National Science Foundation ( NSF), the National Aeronautic and Space Administration ( NASA) and the Louisiana Board of Regents, the ICT Africa 2008 conference scheduled to take place on 19-21 December 2008 in Yaounde, Cameroon, invites interested participants to submit a call for papers, deadline 1 October 2008. ICT Africa 2008 creates a forum where participants can disseminate their research on the transfer, diffusion, and adoption of ICT within the context of Africa; the innovation and development of ICT solutions for and within this context; impacts of ICT on society and of society on ICT; and other relevant normative, empirical and theoretical concerns of ICT development, implementation, strategy, management and policy that are distinctive to Africa and associated developing economies. More information regarding guidelines and submission.
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August 21, 2008
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The Economic Commission for Africa ( ECA) and the Canadian fund for Africa are pleased to announce the Technology in Government in Africa (TIGA) Awards. Technology in Government in Africa (TIGA) Awards aim to recognise the work of African Governments in the effective use of ICTs for public services delivery as part of ECA’s African Information Society Initiative ( AISI) and Canada’s ICTs for development programme. The Awards are aimed at African Governments and institutions based in Africa that are engaged in initiating, developing, and implementing ICTs for public services in Africa contributing to the development of the Information Society in Africa. Deadline for applications is 31 December 2008. More information |
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August 20, 2008
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eLearning Africa 2009 will host its 4th international conference on ICT for development on the 27-29 May 2009 in Dakar, Senegal. eLearning Africa 2009 will build upon the outcomes from the past three conferences whose major goal has been to bring people together who are actively engaged in education and implementation of learning technologies in schools, universities, corporate training as well as in education in the public sector. These conferences are organised to develop eLearning capacities in Africa by bringing together people involved in all aspects of technology-enhanced education and training in Africa, including management and policymaking. |
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July 29, 2008
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Omatek computers limited, one of the first factories to assemble computer hardware and systems in Africa recently listed on the stock market, after 15 years in operation. Part of Omatek’s visions for listing in the stock exchange, was to ensure that it gets increased supply of the materials it needed from the manufacturers, in order to continue its activities on a big scale. At a recent press conference in Lagos, Mrs Florence Seriki, Omatek Managing Director, said that this was not the first time her company was scoring first in the pursuit of attracting fame to the sector. She said "Our computer factories in Ghana and Nigeria, which are the first in Africa have presented us with enormous opportunities, making us the first in the continent to locally produce computer casings and speakers from Completely Knocked Down process (CKD), locally produced home entertainment speakers and plasma and flat screens from Semi-Knocked Down (SKD) process.
"We are also the first in Africa to buy directly CKD process parts from front-line producers across the world, and the first in the continent to win Microsoft Systems Builder Award 2005 for Central, West and East Africa." According to her, assembling completely knocked down process parts from front-line computer software manufacturers across the world, has helped in promoting technology transfer, research and development and other technical know-how in the country, as well as it has helped to keeping experts updated about new technological developments in the ICT industry. |
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July 28, 2008
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The International journal of computing and ICT research (IJCIR) is inviting authors to submit their original and unpublished work that communicates current research on e-Governance, both the theoretic and policy aspects. This work will feed into its 2009 volume IJCIR, is a biannual publication by Makerere University a partner on the EuroAfriCa-ICT project. The journal publishes papers in computer science, computer engineering, software engineering, information systems, data communication and computer networks, ICT for sustainable development and other related areas in science and technology, business or commerce. For more information Please visit |
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July 28, 2008
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The Kigali Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), a partner on the EuroAfrica-ICT project, will host its first Regional Conference on Scientific Research, Development and Innovations (SREDI2008) in Kigali, Rwanda on 10-12 December 2008. The main objective of this conference is to bring together researchers and practitioners in scientific research to explore new technologies and innovations as well as share research and development opportunities within the region and beyond. Key themes that will be tackled at the conference include; Innovations and Appropriate Technology Transfer; Conservation, Sustainability and Biodiversity; Securing and Sustaining Energy and Water Resource Base; Engineering Materials; Design, Manufacture and Maintenance Engineering; ICT Research; Science & Technology for Development; Mathematics for Environment and Ecology; Aspects of Biotechnology and Microbial Properties in Public Health Problems. Registration is subject to a fee payment based on following criteria: Paper presenters: USD 150, Exhibitors: USD 250, Visitors: USD 150, Students: USD 50. With the exception of exhibitors, the participation fees will cover conference materials, proceedings, lunch, refreshments and cocktail. More information |
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July 21, 2008
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EuroAfriCa-ICT project’s forthcoming 1st Cooperation Summit “Supporting Cooperation on ICT Research between Africa / the Caribbean & Europe” scheduled for 27 & 28 November 2008 in Lyon, France is postponed to early 2009 and will take place in Brussels, Belgium. In light of the tremendous interest of the European, African and Caribbean ICT communities (5 months prior to the event, more than 160 pre-registrations had been received although only 200 seats were available) and the growing interest and likely strong involvement of European, African and Caribbean institutions, the Summit Organisation Committee and the European Commission have officially rescheduled the 1st EuroAfriCa-ICT Cooperation Summit “Supporting Cooperation on ICT Research between Africa/Caribbean & Europe”.
The new date and location will significantly increase the visibility and impact of the Summit as the event is likely to be held in EC premises that can accommodate more than 300 participants. The Summit organisers apologise for any inconvenience caused to all sponsoring organisations, registered participants and potential attendees and will keep you closely informed about the outputs of the ongoing discussions with the European and the African Union Commissions.
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July 15, 2008
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Makerere University (Kampala, Uganda), a partner on the EuroAfrica-ICT project, is organising an international forum for researchers and practitioners in computer science, software engineering, information systems, information technology, computer engineering, data communications and computer networks and ICT for sustainable development. The conference will bring together the world’s most respected authorities in the above disciplines and is scheduled to take place on 3-6 August 2008 in Kampala, Uganda. Additional details regarding thematic presentations and speakers can be found here |
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June 28, 2008
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Over 50 high profile participants representing both European and African countries attended the 5th EuroAfrica-ICT concertation meeting held this week in Brussels. Participation included key stakeholders from private sector, academia, research organisations, NGOs, European Technology Platforms ( ETPs) and Joint Technology Initiatives ( JTIs). The one day meeting was moderated by Thierry Devars from the European Commission DG INFSO and Karine Valin from Orionis, with a special focus on “Science and Technology partnerships:The private sector’s capacity”. Khalil Rouhana from the European Commission started off the meeting with a presentation on the FP7. This was followed by keynote addresses presented by Daniel Annerose Manobi, a mobile and internet services operator in Senegal, Susie Hendrix of GSM Association based in United Kingdom and Paulo Nordeste from Portugal Telecom, ranging from innovations, research and development initiatives that have been carried out by European organisations with a focus on Africa. The ETPs NEM and ISI were introduced by Julian Sesena board member and vice-chairperson respectively. The first achievements of the Seventh Framework Programme ( FP7) were highlighted under the FlossInclude project by Rishab Ghosh and Stéphane Boyera from the Digital World Forum and these generated fruitful feedback and dialogue on FP7. The IRMA project, presentation made by Guy Weets, underscored the need for African countries to integrate disaster risk reduction policies in their development and crisis management agendas. Andrew cherry from the Association of Commonwealth universities, a partner on the EuroAfriCa-ICT project, introduced the CAAST-net project that aims at increasing the quality and quantity of bi-regional (Europe and Africa) cooperation in science and technology. The meeting also gave the opportunity to participants to get detailed information on a call for proposals under the @CP-ICT programme of the African Caribbean and Pacific states ( ACP) secretariat that was presented by John Fred Kakule. Participants were informed that it carried a budget of 20 million euros funded by the European development fund ( EDF)
It has been reminded that the FP7/ICT Work Programme focusing on main European research priorities is open to third countries participation and that African countries can share interest with regard to ICT research applications. This can been exemplified by ICT4health where new technologies are of interest to both European and African governments. A New area that was sited for intervention is the ageing society that should be able to live independently in its preferred environment with the support of ICTs.
All in all the meeting yielded fruitful feedback in the area of future FP7 calls, collaborations with various organisations and initiatives in the area of ICT research. For more information regarding presentations and list of attendees, Please visit |
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June 20, 2008
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Mutual benefits can be derived through collaboration in the information and communications technology (ICT) domains between European countries and African and Caribbean countries. This was one of the messages shared during the EuroAfrica-ICT FP7 Awareness Workshop, which took place in Tshwane (Pretoria) on 17 & 18 June 2008. Organised by the Meraka Institute of the CSIR, a EuroAfriCa-ICT project partner, the workshop focused on opportunities for accessing the European Union-funding within the 7th Research Framework Programme ( FP7) for Research and Technological Development for ICT. The event was attended by some 75 delegates from South Africa, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Namibia, Mozambique, Kenya, Jamaica, Italy, Ghana and France representing academia, industry and government. Johan Eksteen, the National Contact Point for FP7/ICT introduced to delegates the FP7 and ICT whose work programme contains a roadmap for calls for research proposals. He stressed that “The quality of proposal preparation and timing are important factors in this extremely competitive process.” Presentations on research capacity and challenges in sub-Saharan Africa as well as an outline of successes achieved were made. “It is heartening that the number of proposals submitted from sub-Saharan Africa continues to grow as more countries become familiar with FP7 requirements,” commented Karine Valin, Managing Director of Orionis and EuroAfrica-ICT Project Coordinator. The two day event covered key note presentations, thematic group discussions ranging on topics such as e-Health, ICT for development, e-Governance, ICT infrastructure, e-Agriculture, ICT for education and Policy & Regulation and laboratory visits to the Meraka Institute ( Digital Doorway project, Singazenzela project). All research projects are aimed at interventions to improve the quality of life of South Africans by including them in the information society.
The next EuroAfriCa-ICT FP7 Awareness Workshop is to be organised in Kampala, Uganda, on 20 & 21 October 2008. More information
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June 9, 2008
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The EuroAfriCa-ICT project will organise its 5th Concertation meeting on June 26 in Brussels, Belgium with a special focus on :“Building S&T partnerships: The Private Sector’s capacity”. Concertation meetings are one of the key activities developed by the EuroAfriCa-ICT project to boost Science and technology cooperation between Sub-Saharan Africa, the Caribbean and Europe in the ICT field. All interested persons should register online at no cost by June 15 2008.( Online Registration). |
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May 21, 2008
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The ITU Telecom Africa 2008 conference and exhibition that was inaugurated by President Hosin Mubarak of Egypt, was held in Cairo from 12 to 15 May. The event attracted a high participation of key delegates who represented all sectors of the ICT industry like communications, networking, Internet, mobile, e-Commerce, satellite, broadband, voice and video. The four day event was highlighted by an exhibition from manufacturers, service providers, academia among others with a focus on innovation, latest technologies and new infrastructure solutions being used across the African region. At the exhibition, the “ITU Global View”, an interactive map-based tracking tool developed in coordination with Microsoft and IDV solutions was launched. The software integrates existing ITU data sources allowing users to check the status, identify gaps and avoid overlaps in collaborative ICT-for-development programmes around the world. ITU Global View is designed to help implement the connectivity goals of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS).
A highly engaging forum with sessions covering public-private partnerships, entrepreneurial success stories, capacity building and cyber security with over 150 speakers participating, as well as a youth forum and telecom development symposium were among the events. The aim was to explore and exchange views from different perspectives on opportunities and means to overcome any existing regulatory and infrastructural obstacles in the way of rolling-out broadband services in all parts of Africa. One of the key achievements from this summit was, the African Union and Microsoft signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that seeks to catalyse the development of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in Africa. The major components of the MoU included ICT capacity building and enhancing technology access specially targeted towards the youth and rural populations. This partnership will build upon work already in place including support for the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) e-schools and e-parliament programs, existing Microsoft Innovation Centres, and a network of over 1,000 Community Technology Centres. The summit attracted 191 exhibitors from 37 countries and more than 6000 participants. |
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May 20, 2008
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2008 heralds the 10th anniversary of the African ICT Achievers Programme. This programme is endorsed by the New partnership for Africa’s Development ( NEPAD) under the auspice of ForgeAhead Research and Consulting house 2008 promises to be a special year dedicated to a celebration of 10 years of African Excellence. This Year’s nominations for people who have done outstanding work in ICTs are now open. Africans across the continent are thus invited to nominate those individuals and organisations whom they believe are worthy of recognition for their achievements through the use of ICT. All nominations are accepted as long as they are complete and are nominated in the correct categories ( 14 categories have been defined). Since its inception in 1998, the African ICT Achievers Programme has built a strong foundation of recognition and reward for those ICT individuals and organisations who have made a difference to the ICT industry in Africa. The closing date for submission of nominations is 13 June 2008. Nominations can be made through the online form. |
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May 18, 2008
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A call for proposals of 9,5 million euros has been opened under the 'ACP-Information and Communication Technologies [@CP-ICT] Programme'. The European Commission recently took the decision to finance the @CP-ICT Programme with a 20 million euros allocation from the European Development Fund ( EDF). The Call for proposals is a major component of the programme that will be managed by the Secretariat of the African, Caribbean and Pacific group of states ( ACP). The overall objective of this call is to help ACP governments and institutions to design, implement, monitor and evaluate their ICT national, regional and continental policies towards sustainable development, by providing high-quality, globally-benchmarked but locally-relevant policy advice, training and related capacity. Non-profit institutions from member states countries of the European Union and from the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of states (ACP group), as well as international organisations are eligible to apply. Deadline for submission of proposals is 16 September 2008. More information ( EN l FR). |
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May 15, 2008
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The Makerere University Faculty of Computing and Information Technology (CIT), a partner of the EuroAfriCa-ICT project, is the main computing and ICT training, research and consultancy centre in Eastern Africa. The faculty has attained a reputable status on the African continent with its achievements attained because of its commitment to delivering excellent services in the area of ICT education. With competent, qualified and motivated staff, high enrolment rates of students, the support from partners in the North and the growing number of collaborations with leading Universities and organizations in the world has led it to be recognised as the fastest growing computing faculty on the continent. It is believed that by the end of 2008, Uganda will have the highest ICT human capital index in Africa. CIT is also involved in a wide range of projects, partnerships and collaborations with the public and private sector (at both national and international levels). These projects include training and capacity building, scientific research, community outreach, and policy advice on a wide range of computing and ICT issues. As Uganda moves towards ICT-led socio-economic development, CIT has committed to contributing to the realization of this approach to development. For More information please visit CIT website. |
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May 14, 2008
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Three representatives of the EuroAfriCa-ICT project ( Orionis), The Association of Commonwealth Universities - ACU, the Meraka Institute of CSIR) took part in the IST-Africa 2008 conference held last week in Windhoek, Namibia (7-9 May). The IST-Africa initiative which is supported by the European Commission held its third conference in an Annual Conference Series bringing together delegates from commercial, government & research organisations from across Africa and Europe, to bridge the Digital Divide by sharing knowledge, experience, lessons learnt and good practice. IST-Africa 2008 focused on applied ICT research topics addressing major societal and economic challenges. The programme combined strategic keynote presentations, technical and policy papers, case studies, workshops as well as an exhibition showcasing research results and applications through technology demonstrations, funded commercially or at national, regional or European level. The EuroAfriCa-ICT project was presented within a specific workshop session held on 9 May addressing 'Challenges and opportunities for African-European ICT partnerships in FP7'. Presentations on EuroAfriCa-ICT project raised various questions from European and African attendees on the scope of the project, the 1st EuroAfriCa-ICT project to be held on 27 & 28 November (Lyon, France) as well as on the opportunities to take part in the EuroAfriCa-ICT activities. |
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April 5, 2008
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For the first time, African, Caribbean and European scientists and policy-makers in the field of Information and Communication Technologies are being brought together in Europe. Funded under the EU's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7), the first ICT Summit between Europe and Africa aims to expand the dialogue between the European and African ICT research communities and the authorities of both regions.
To achieve this, the two-day summit will include:
- high-level presentations from relevant European and African political authorities;
- research and development awareness-raising sessions;
- round-table discussions; and
- opportunities for networking and identifying new partners.
In particular, opportunities for collaborative research in ICT under Call 4 within FP7, which will be announced in November 2008, will be highlighted.Some 200 delegates are expected to attend, including ICT experts from Europe, sub-Saharan Africa and the Caribbean, policy- and decision-makers, heads of stakeholder institutions and international organizations, and high-level representatives from the DG InfSo and other European Commission Directorates General.
A Second EU-AfriCa ICT Summit will take place in sub-Saharan Africa in November 2009.The First EU-AfriCa ICT Summit is being organized under the EuroAfriCa-ICT project, funded by the EC's DG Information Society and media under FP7.
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February 22, 2008
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The 7th European Union funding programme for Research and Technological Development and the modalities for participation were introduced to Nigerian stakeholders involved in R&D in the ICT field, on February 20 & 21 on the occasion of the 7th Awareness and Exchange workshop, held in the framework of the START/EuroAfrica-ICT initiative, in Lagos, Nigeria. Organised by the Panos Institute West Africa (PIWA) with the collaboration of the Lagos State Government, the event which attracted over 150 attendees was organised with the support of the Center for Information Technologies and Systems (CITS) at the University of Lagos and the National Center for Technology Management (NACETEM), Nigeria. The opening ceremony was marked by welcome speeches delivered by Ibi Ikpoki, Trade and Economics Officer of the Delegation of the European Commission to Nigeria, Prof. Mrs Modupe Ogunlesi, Deputy Vice Chancellor, on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), and the workshop was declared officially open by Dr Femi Hamzat, the Hon. Commissioner for Science and Technology, Lagos State, as Special Guest of Honour, representing Lagos State Governor and partner of the event. Dr Hamzat, in his speech, insisted on scientific research impact on daily life, on the importance of R&D in the ICT sector and in particular on challenges for Nigeria in these domains, and, finally on Lagos State Government commitments regarding ICTs. He welcomed the EuroAfrica-ICT initiative and expressed the hope that Nigeria will attract benefits from this initiative. In his address, Mr Ikpoki reaffirmed the commitment of the European Commission to open its funding programme to third countries including African countries. The representative of the Vice-Chancellor of the UNILAG thanked the START consortium for organizing the event in Nigeria and at the University of Lagos and indicated the willingness of the University to partner with EU initiatives. Following the opening ceremony, substantive discussions around R&D initiatives in the ICT field in Nigeria and West Africa and around partnership opportunities were held. Details information about the FP7 and EuroAfrica-ICT support activities in relation to the funding opportunity were also given to participants who welcomed FP7. The meeting provided an important opportunity to exchange about Nigerian R&D and ICT achievements, opportunities and constraints, to network and to meet key organisations active in this area, including NIGCOMSAT (company in charge of the Nigerian geostationary communication satellite), Lagos State University, Lagos State Polytechnic, Obafemi Awolowo University and the private companies Omatek, Leapsoft, Pinet, etc. A thematic group discussion held the second day helped in identifying more specifically R&D ICT themes of interest to Nigeria with indications of their links to FP7 challenges. The workshop also gave participants a unique occasion to visit Lagos State Government ICT Center (hosting in particular e-government facilities), the new equipped Lagos Digital Village and, the laboratory of the Department of Communication of the University of Lagos. Participants came from Lagos and other states of Nigeria, from all sectors and in particular from Universities, public institutions and private sector. This workshop was really successful and a real 'eye-opener' as indicated by most participants. Collaboration between the various partners went very well, as they were truly engaged and contributed in cohesion, through various manners, to the success of the event. |
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February 13, 2008
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The ICT event 2008 will take place in Lyon, France from Nov. 25 to 27. This conference-exhibition, organised by the European Commission's DG Information Society and Media, is the Europe's biggest research event devoted to Information and Communication Technologies. The previous one was held in November 2006 in Helsinki. The 2008 edition, entitled 'I's to the future - Invention, Innovation, Impact', will provide delegates from all over the world (researchers, innovators, engineers, policy and business decision-makers, etc.) with a key opportunity to access and exchange information, and network. Over 4000 participants are expected. Full details can be found on the event web site. |
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February 5, 2008
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The 4th EuroAfrica-ICT concertation meeting has been successfully held in Brussels at the Borschette Centre (European Commission premises) on January 31, 2008. This meeting was organised in the framework of the EuroAfrica-ICT concertation mechanism launched in October 2006 (more information on meetings previously held: December 2006, March 2007 and September 2007).
Attended by over 80 representatives of the European and African ICT communities, the meeting was introduced by Mr Peter Zangl (Deputy Director General, DG InfSo, European Commission) who introduced the recent EC developments related to the EU-Africa cooperation in the ICT field, including the EU-Africa strategy adopted at the Lisbon Summit. Mr Zangl reminded that a momentum does exist regarding the EU-Africa partnership but that a strong common commitment is still awaited. He stressed that the EuroAfrica-ICT initiative can usefully contribute to develop an active commitment from EU and African ICT communities.
An important representation from various EC DG (DG InfSo, DG Dev, DG Research) was ensured at this meeting; Mr Jean-Francois Soupizet (Head of the International Relations Unit, DG InfSo) namely welcomed the audience. Keynote speeches were delivered by five African representatives: Santhi Kumaran (Head, Dept. of Computer Engineering & Information Technology, Kigali Institute of Science & Technology (KIST), Rwanda), Johan Eksteen (Manager, Technology Research Programme, The Meraka Institute of CSIR, South Africa), Tara Dasgupta (Professor, Caribbean Academy of Sciences (CAS), Jamaica), Beza Belayneh (Director of ICT4Dev, Development Policy Associates, Botswana) and Venansius Baryamureeba (Dean, Faculty of Computing & IT, Makerere University, Uganda) and two European representatives: Christine Leurquin (Vice-Chairman of the European Technology Platform ISI (Integral Satcom Initiative) and Serge Ferre (Vice-President, Nokia Europe). In the morning, EC representatives introduced the latest development related to EU-Africa cooperation after the Lisbon Summit within DG Dev (Ola Sohlstrom, Policy Officer), DG Research (Fadila Boughanemi, Policy Officer, ACP) and DG InfSo (Thierry Devars, Policy Officer, International Relations Unit). A specific session was also devoted to the FP7 ICT Work Programme and its ongoing revision and was led by Eric Badique (Policy Officer, Strategy for ICT research and development, DG InfSo, European Commission). The afternoon presentations mainly addressed Research and Education Networks as well as Grids in Africa and featured presentations from Mario Campolargo (Acting Director, Emerging Technologies and Infrastructures, DG INFSO, European Commission), Boubakar Barry (Coordinator, Research and Education Networking Unit, Association of African Universities, Ghana) and Robert Klapisch (President, Sharing the Knowledge Foundation, France). The one-day meeting closed with a presentation from Roger Torrenti (Project Advisor, EuroAfrica-ICT initiative) who briefly introduced the achievements reached by the EuroAfrica-ICT initiative to date, gave an overview of the project for the coming months. The next EuroAfrica-ICT concertation meeting will be organised in June 2008 (date to be announced) in Brussels. |
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January 31, 2008
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African research capacity is to be boosted through a high speed network link connecting the UbuntuNet Alliance to the international research community via the GEANT2 network. The connection between the UbuntuNet Alliance's network hub in London and the GEANT2 network enables researchers and scholars in Sub-Saharan African universities and research institutions to share information and data and to collaborate through a 1 Gbp/s link with their peers in Europe and the rest of the world. The UbuntuNet Alliance was founded in 2005 by the National Research and Education Networks (NRENs) of Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda and South Africa with the aim of establishing a research and education network backbone for Sub-Saharan Africa. Membership of the Alliance now includes also the NRENs of Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia, and is open to all recognised African NRENs. As well as creating links between national research networks it aims to join Africa to the global research community, with this connection to GEANT2 the first step towards this vision. The high capacity connection aims to bridge the digital divide between Africa and the rest of the world, and enable faster collaboration on projects across the globe, irrespective of location. It builds on an existing link between South Africa and Europe, extending the benefits of collaboration to researchers and scholars across sub-Saharan Africa. |
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January 1, 2008
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The EuroAfriCa-ICT project, Connecting the European Union and sub-Saharan Africa for ICT partnerships, has officially started today for a period of 24 months. Funded by the Directorate General Information Society and Media (DG InfSo) of the European Commission (EC) in the framework of FP7, it will complement the START project that has been developed under the name of the EuroAfrica-ICT initiative since September 2006.
The main project objective is to identify, promote and support strategic S&T cooperation opportunities on ICT between European and African organisations, and to support policy dialogues between Europe and Africa in this field. The project also aims at strengthening and developing existing initiatives, programmes and projects developed in the field of S&T cooperation between Europe and Africa in ICT, ensuring a wider promotion of cooperation opportunities in Europe, maintaining awareness raising on FP7 and the ICT theme in Africa, pursuing a specific focus on South Africa and initiating a specific action towards the Caribbean. The EuroAfriCa-ICT Consortium consists of Orionis (a division of Sigma Consultants, France) project coordinator; the Association of Commonwealth Universities - through its African unit (ACU), United Kingdom; the Academy of Sciences for the developing world (TWAS), Italy; the French speaking Universitary Agency - Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF), Belgium for the European side and the Meraka Institute of CSIR, South Africa; the Panos Institute West Africa (PIWA), Senegal; the Makerere University, Uganda; the Kigali Institute of Science & Technology (KIST), Rwanda for the African side as well as a Caribbean partner, the Caribbean Academy of Sciences (CAS), Jamaica. For further information on the EuroAfrica-ICT project, please contact us. |
