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Euro-Africa / ICT News


Research and development cooperation between Europe and Africa in the field of ICTs.
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South African scientists and scholars engage with TWAS
15 11 2009 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 f�r 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.

Join 3,500 African Telecom Leaders
15 11 2009 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.

2010 Euro-Africa Cooperation Forum on ICT Research February 2, 2010 (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia - United Nations Conference Centre)
15 11 2009 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 2, 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.

ICT Call 5 (call identifier FP7-ICT-2009-5) - Notice to applicants
15 11 2009 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.

SANORD 2nd International Conference on Inclusion and Higher Education (Dec. 7-9, 2009 - South Africa)
15 11 2009 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

Europe-Africa Networking/Brokerage Event - FP7-ICT-2009-6, Bilateral and Multilateral Instruments (Dec. 7-9 2009 - South Africa)
15 11 2009 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.

10 Gbps SANReN network on track - SANReN national backbone network is set to be completed by Dec. 1; all areas connected by March 2010 (source: MyBroadband.co.za)
15 11 2009 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.

FP7 Call for Africa (FP7-AFRICA-2010): Finding South African partners
15 11 2009 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.

Developing countries falling into 'broadband gap' (source: SciDev.Net)
15 11 2009 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.

EuroAfrica-ICT Represented at the WACREN Meeting and Open Access 2009 Conference (Accra, Ghana - Nov. 1-3, 2009)
15 11 2009 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.

The European Commission Advocates New Strategy for International Cooperation in S&T
15 11 2009 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.

10th EuroAfriCa-ICT FP7 Awareness Workshop Kampala, Uganda
15 11 2009 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

6th EuroAfriCa-ICT Concertation Meeting - 10 December 2008
15 11 2009 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.

WINDS-Caribe Conference in Fort de France, Martinique on 11-12 December 2008
15 11 2009 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 Universit� Antille Guyane. More information.

EuroAfriCa-ICT Project at ICT 2008 EVENT
15 11 2009 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.

ACP S&T Call for Proposals now Opens
15 11 2009 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.

W3C Workshop in Maputo, Mozambique (1-2 April 2009)
15 11 2009 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.

6th EuroAfriCa-ICT Concertation Meeting held at the European Commission
15 11 2009 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.

New Programmes to assist Scientists Working in the Field of Computer Sciences
15 11 2009 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.

6th HELINA Conference (16-18 April 2009): Call for Papers open!
15 11 2009 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 MedicalInformatics 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.

EuroAfriCa-ICT to Exhibit and Present at the IST-Africa 2009 Conference - Kampala, Uganda
15 11 2009 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.

ACP Science & Technology Programme: Extension of the deadline for the Call for Proposals
15 11 2009 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.

FEAST Project begins with Requests for inputs from Stakeholders
15 11 2009 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

TWAS and COMSTECH Joint Research Grants: New Programme
15 11 2009 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.

4th International Conference on ICT for Development, Education and Training (May 27-29, 2009 - Dakar, Senegal)
15 11 2009 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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