USE AND DEVELOPMENT OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES TO PROMOTE LEARNING, TEACHING AND RESEARCH IN AFRICAN UNIVERSITIES. PAPER PRESENTED BY PROF. G. O. AJAYI AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT FORUM ‘ OCTOBER 1999 ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR AFRICA ADDIS ABABA

USE AND DEVELOPMENT OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES TO PROMOTE LEARNING, TEACHING AND RESEARCH IN AFRICAN UNIVERSITIES.  DEVELOPMENT OF ICT IN AFRICAN UNIVERSITIES  AFRICAN UNIVERSITIES TO RESPOND TO THE CHALLENGES OF ICT DEVELOPMENT.  CAPACITY BUILDING NECESSARY TO COPE WITH THE REVOLUTIONARY CHANGES TAKING PLACE IN ICT.  RESPONSIBILITY OF TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS TO ACQUIRE ICT SKILLS IN ORDER TO ENSURE SUSTAINABILITY OF ICT.  TRANSFER OF ICT SKILLS FROM THE UNIVERSITY TO INDUSTRY  PARTNERSHIP WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR NECESSARY TO BUILD UP NECESSARY ICT SKILLS.

 DEGREE OF ICT DIFFUSION INTO THE AFRICAN UNIVERSITIES STARTED TO IMPROVE RECENTLY. THERE IS STILL THE NEED FOR ACCELERATED DIFFUSION.  CURRICULUM MODIFICATION AND DEVELOPMENT TO TAKE CARE OF ICT DEVELOPMENT.  POSTGRADUATE DIPLOMA, M.Sc., PH.D. IN ICT

 TRAINING WORKSHOPS  PARTNERSHIP WITH PRIVATE SECTOR FOR DEVELOPMENT OF ICT SKILLS IN THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS.  CONTENT DEVELOPMENT  SOFTWARE ENGINEERING.  DATA BANK DEVELOPMENT  INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT.  NETWORKING  TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS  OTHERS

USES OF ICT IN AFRICAN UNIVERSITIES 1. PRESENT SITUATION  INADEQUATE MODERN LIBRARY BOOKS.  INADEQUATE MODERN JOURNALS.  BOOK LIBRARY IS A GLOBAL WEBSITE IN HARD COPY WITH LIMITED CAPACITY.  COMPUTER CONNECTED TO THE INTERNET IS A VERITABLE INTERFACE BETWEEN THE USER AND THE GLOBAL OCEAN OF INFORMATION.  WEB HAS PROVIDED A RICH AND NEW LEARNING ENVIRONMENT.  FREE LECTURES AND OTHER RELEVANT TEACHING AND RESEARCH MATERIALS..

2. TELE-EDUCATION AND TELE-LEARNING  OPTIMAL USE OF HUMAN AND MATERIAL RESOURCES.  COLLABORATION AT LOCAL, NATIONAL, REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL LEVELS.

3. TEACHING  USE BY LECTURERS TO UPDATE LECTURES.  USE BY STUDENTS TO COMPLEMENT LECTURER’S LECTURES.  COLLABORATION BETWEEN UNIVERSITIES IN THE COUNTRY, AFRICA AND GLOBALLY.  CD-ROMS FOR RESOURCE SHARING.

4. RESEARCH  DISTANCE COLLABORATION.  ACCESS TO ELECTRONIC JOURNALS, ABSTRACTS, ETC.  ACCESS TO ELECTRONIC BOOKS (COST REDUCTION).  GLOBAL ACCESSIBILITY TO RESEARCH RESULTS OF AFRICAN RESEARCHERS.  VIRTUAL LABORATORY TECHNIQUE FOR HUMAN AND MATERIAL RESOURCE SHARING.  USE FOR TRAINING ACADEMIC AT PRE- AND POST DOCTORAL LEVELS FOR OVERALL IMPROVEMENT OF STANDARDS.  USE FOR NORMAL RESEARCH WORK.

 OVER 2000 NIGERIAN SPECIALISTS DOCTORS IN THE USA ALONE.  LARGE NUMBER OF AFRICAN EXPERTS IN THE NORTH.  ICT TO TAP PART OF THE HUMAN RESOURCES. TELE-CONSULTATION DISTANCE COLLABORATION 5. BRAIN-DRAIN TO BRAIN-GAIN

CASE STUDY OF THE ICTP/OAU ACADEMIC COMPUTER NETWORKING PROGRAMME FOR DEVELOPING COUNTRIES. ICTP - INTERNATIONAL CENTRE FOR THEORETICAL PHYSICS, TRIESTE, ITALY. OAU - OBAFEMI AWOLOWO UNIVERSITY, ILE-IFE, NIGERIA. PRIORITY FOR CAPACITY BUILDING  TRAIN ING OF TRAINERS.  JOINT INSTALLATION OF INITIAL 3 SUBSETS.  CAPACITY BUILDING WORKSHOPS AT THE ICTP AND NIGERIA FOR TRAINERS FROM UNIVERSITIES IN NIGERIA (OVER 40).

 NETWORK EXPANSION AND INSTALLATION TO 8 SUBSETS BY OAU STAFF.  EXTERNAL TRAINING WORKSHOPS REGULARLY FOR ISPs, PRIVATE SECTOR (OIL, BANK, ETC.), PUBLIC (ACADEMIC, RESEARCH AND GOVERNMENT DEPTS), ETC.  APPROACH ENSURES SUSTAINABILITY OF THE NETWORK AND TECHNOLOGY. VSAT CONNECTION.  VSAT PLAN FOR OVER 100 INSTITUTIONS IN NIGERIA USING VSAT SATELLITE TECHNOLOGY.

IT - A University Priority  Aim to provide  adequate telecommunication and  information exchange infrastructure.  For use by  The University  University Science Park  “sister institutions”  IT needed for Survival

ICTP TRAINING AND SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT ON NETWORKING & RADIO COMMUNICATIONS  REMOVE ISOLATION OF SCIENTISTS ONN RETURN TO HOME COUNTRY.  ESTABLISH SMALL AREA COMPUTER NETWORKS AND THEIR CONNECTION TO THE INTERNET-DIRECTLY OR THROUGH NATIONAL NETWORKS  PRIORITIES ENVISAGED ARE  provision Of  capacity building for technical personnel  training of users in the academic or scientific institution involved. 1/20/98AJAYI 1998

 Collaboration with ICTP  development of wireless radio network  Packet Radio connectivity for Rural Health centres  Spread Spectrum HF links for Rural Areas  Multimedia conferencing at low bandwidths OAUNET as a TEST BED

Virtual Laboratory - Case Study  Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria  Started in April 1996 by the ICTP and O.A.U  Three Sub-nets -  Technology, Sciences and Computer Science  Spread Spectrum Wireless radio link  Linux and TCP/IP  Growth Rate  About 600 by Early 1998  Over 800 now, limited by number of available computers

Main HUB sctechcs usbchsagric NC First Generation Second Generation Third Generation Key sc - sciences tech - Technology cs - Computer Science usb - Secretariat chs - Health Science Agric- Agriculture NC - NACTEM OA - OAU Teaching hospital OA Planned WaveLan 2Mbps VSAT Earth Station 64 Kbps Dial up MODEM 33 Kbps Packet and HF radio links to rural Health establishments in the area OAUNET - Main Network Diagram

Main HUB or network List location or contact for specification (or other related documents) here Firewall Proxy Mail Server Modem Server Backup Server Inter Subnet Router WLAN Antenna WEB Server Terminal Equipment CISCO router 10 base 2 Ethernet Backbone Pentium II PCs

TRAINING REQUIRED FOR VIRTUAL LABORATORY  Training for network provision  Training in Virtual Laboratory technology  Training of scientists on the use of the virtual laboratory facilities.

 Capacity Building  On going collaboration with the ICTP over the last 2 years  Planned VSAT link for 41 Universities  Probably will be the largest Academic Network in Africa. NUNet

Virtual Laboratory - Definition  Research collaboration carried out over a distance  Remote Computing  Data and application sharing

Virtual Laboratory may provide  Staff training in African Universities and Research centres.  Improved level of University education in Africa.  Reduce Brain Drain

VIRTUAL LABORATORIES FOR DEVELOPING COUNTRIES.  Based on improving information networks  Providing collaboratory research at  the national level or south - south or south - north.  Pre and Post Doctoral Research work  Participation in some major international scientific research projects  Accessibility to sophisticated equipment in the north  Accessibility to relevant electronic publications

CENTRAL LABORATORY  Central Laboratory with  Analytical Section  UV Spectrometer, Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer, UV Scanning Spectrophotometer, High Performance Binary Gradient System, Gas Chromatograph System with keyboard  Photomicroscopy section  with an Electron Microscope, a Scanning Electron Microscope and Compound Light UV and Fluorescence Research Microscopes  General equipment section  with ovens, centrifuges, ultra centrifuges, ice making machines, freeze dryers, etc.  Centre for Energy Research and Development (CERD) 9MV FN Tandem Accelerator

CENTRAL LABORATORY  To be Used by  Local relevant departments and researchers  Other Universities and institutions.  Ability to also access real Laboratory equipment  From Remote Terminals Located in  Other Laboratories in Nigeria  Outside Nigeria  INTERNET and Network connectivity through the OAUNET

EXAMPLE - Ph. D. Programme at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.  Ph.D. programme in Mathematics started as a collaboration with the ICTP  Only for past students of the ICTP Diploma programme in Mathematics.  AIMS  to reduce migration to the north  Provide cost effective and high level Ph.D. training  Slow down Brain Drain  To be based on Satellite Technology

EXAMPLE - OAU Participation in the Climatological Conference taking place at the ICTP in June 1999  Almost real time participation of scientists in some universities in Nigeria  Scientists will assemble at OAU, Ile-Ife  Low bandwidth technology  WEB,  shared white board  bi-directional audio  Total bandwidth to be used would be below 24 kilobits per second.

SCENARIO  University Professor or Academic in a developing country.  Has not attended a conference outside his country for 10 years  He does not have access to the following.  Good library  No fund to purchase new books.  No access to modern journals.  Consider Moore’s Law that every 18 months, the speed of technological innovation doubles. CONCLUSION: Any university that is not fully connected to the Internet in the next two years should be closed down, because it will no longer be able to satisfy the objective of its establishment.

CONCLUSION  Tremendous benefits to developing countries.  Improved Pre and Post Doctoral research training.  Improve manpower development in Universities and research centres.  Improve participation in high level state of the art research work.  Make available central research facilities at virtual laboratories.  Reduce Brain Drain