USE AND DEVELOPMENT OF INFORMATION AND

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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 99 24-28 OCTOBER 1999 ECONOMIC
COMMISSION FOR AFRICA ADDIS ABABA
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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.

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• 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

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• 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

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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..

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2. TELE-EDUCATION AND TELE-LEARNING

• OPTIMAL USE OF HUMAN AND MATERIAL RESOURCES.
• COLLABORATION AT LOCAL, NATIONAL, REGIONAL AND
• INTERNATIONAL LEVELS.

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3. TEACHING

• USE BY LECTURERS TO UPDATE LECTURES.
• USE BY STUDENTS TO COMPLEMENT LECTURERS
  LECTURES.
• COLLABORATION BETWEEN UNIVERSITIES IN THE
  COUNTRY,
• AFRICA AND GLOBALLY.
• CD-ROMS FOR RESOURCE SHARING.

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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.

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5. BRAIN-DRAIN TO BRAIN-GAIN

• 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

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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).

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• 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.

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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

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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 E-Mail
• capacity building for technical personnel
• training of users in the academic or scientific
  institution involved.
• 1/20/98 AJAYI 1998

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OAUNET as a TEST BED

• 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

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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

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OAUNET - Main Network Diagram
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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.

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NUNet

• 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.

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Virtual Laboratory - Definition

• Research collaboration carried out over a
  distance
• Remote Computing
• Data and application sharing

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Virtual Laboratory may provide

• Staff training in African Universities and
  Research centres.
• Improved level of University education in Africa.
• Reduce Brain Drain

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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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 Moores 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.
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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