Internet and Africa: higher education, research and technology
In August and September, 2006, the UbuntuNet Alliance is sponsoring an Online Discussion Forum on “The Role of the Internet in Higher Education, Research, Science, and Technology Development in Subsaharan Africa.”
Higher education, research and technology development are increasingly recognized as pre-conditions of and driving forces in African knowledge-based development.
How can information and communication technologies (ICT), especially the Internet, contribute to strengthening the academic and scientific sector? Can e-Learning bring about better access to higher education? Are “open” approaches to publishing and content production a solution to the scarce visibility and availability of African knowledge resources? Will the Internet help Africa to become an active producer of knowledge-intensive products?
Questions like these are at the heart of a study, commissioned by the German Federal Parliament and conducted by newthinking communications GmbH and the German Development Institute.
Participants in the online forum are invited to contribute knowledge, insights and opinions to this research, benefiting at the same time from sharing knowledge with experts in Africa and other parts of the world.
The scheduled discussions are:
Week 1: Internet in Higher Education, Teaching and Learning
Week 2: Internet in Research and Science
Week 3: Internet in Technology Development
A a summary of the discussion report of analysis is planned for September. For information about the study contact Andrea Goetzke.