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STUDY ABROAD OPTIONS
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 JACQUES PERPETUS HOUNGBO Benin’s Jacques Houngbo started work at the beginning of this year with the West African Newsmedia and Development Centre to help them launch their information and communications programme. As a News Update correspondent he reported on what happened at the major global internet conference INET 2000 in Yokohama, a task he will repeat in Stockholm this year. Below he argues that African ICT professionals should make it a priority to get there and that Africa should put itself forward to host a future INET gathering. The organisers of INET are the Internet Society (ISOC), a non profit making organisation. It is a research and education institution dedicated to the development and global development of internet. It organises an annual world congress called INET and the next one is being held in Stockholm, Sweden (5-8 June 2001). Every year INET gathers its international cyberspace participants on a different continent: Sweden (Stockholm) 2001, Japan (Yokohama) 2000, U.S.A (San Jose, California) 1999, Switzerland (Geneva) 1998, Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur) 1997, Quebec (Montreal) 1996, Hawai (Honolulu) 1995, Czech Republic (Prague) 1994. Africa has not yet played host to INET. But I don’t think any African institution has ever put itself forward to play the part of host. Isn’t it time Africans involved in ICT thought about how important it would be to persuade ISOC to bring the event to Africa? An INET on the African continent would help raise the profile of the ICT sector and play a huge educational role in raising awareness. The problem of under-representation from different parts of the globe was topic much debated at INET 2000. As people prepare to get ready to go to INET 2001, I believe it is important to remind African ICT professionals of the reasons why their presence at this year’s INET is crucial. INET offers lots of opportunities to all participants but particularly to African participants. Apart from the financial investment needed in its infrastructure, Africa needs to develop its human resources. INET offers an unrepeatable way of immersing yourself in the issues and technologies that will affect the development of the internet. INET usually comprises several events: a network formation workshop, generally aimed at developing countries, technical courses, separate sessions, regional meetings, work party meetings, exhibitions of latest releases and plenary discussion sessions. This richness of information, debate and the chance to hear and meet key internet people will help you in the following ways: -With your understanding of the role and impact of different technologies. -As an opportunity to exchange experiences that will help you improve your everyday management and ability to provide practical solutions to real problems. -An understanding of what is an adequate and realistic project for installing or developing network infrastructures. -A good way to make personal and organisational contacts that will later help you in your work. -The chance to hold discussions and debate at both a regional and international level. Increasingly African leaders are becoming aware that ICT and the internet in particular will have a key role to play in the continent’s development. It is up to the management, technicians and engineers, advisers and decision makers to understand the need for human investment and to take up the challenge. In learning terms, there will be few better tools than INET 2001. Because of the enormous amount of money at stake in developing internet, how it is managed is a subject of great importance to Africa: the continent has so few of its own realisable resources. The diverse constituencies present at INET - policy makers, the private sector, NGOs and education - debate with each other through structures that are more or less democratic. Africa must play its part in these discussions or its interests will be ignored. African people must take advantage of INET 200I to ensure their presence in regional authorities and technical management of internet which mostly meet outside the INET. INET’s international forums offer a perfect opportunity to carry real messages, to present new techniques, to discuss specific and original uses of the internet. It is a unique moment that Africans can use to upgrade their scientific knowledge. The deadline for contributions from Africa has gone but Africans need to be there to give their opinions on what’s being discussed. The main theme of INET 200I is "The Internet and mobility". The potential investment in mobile communications in Africa could be huge. We could easily find ourselves inundated with all the old solutions which have been discarded or are simply inefficient. Bad investment decisions will only enlarge the digital divide, not help to close it. So that they are not left behind in this discussion, African ICT professionals and decision makers must continually strive to get the latest, most pertinent information which is going to give their continent and their own country the best answers at the best cost. In this context, INET2001 will be an invaluable opportunity. Many African participants to INFT summits have benefited from the help of various organisations to cover travelling and accommodation and participation expenses . Every time INET takes place outside Europe, travelling expenses have been the main drain on budgets. INET2001 takes place in Europe. Travel prices from Africa are fairly cheap. African people should therefore be able to request financial help at a competitive level. Anyone responsible for funding of this kind should understand (from what I’ve said above) the importance of helping Africans to get to INET. Now is the time to make a special effort to make sure you get there and make the most of it.
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This page last updated on January 28 2004.
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