Title: Research and Information Technology Connectivity - Opportunities for Innovation and Issues for Africa
Author: Olusola Oyewole
Pages: 8 pp.
Source: UNESCO Forum on Higher Education, Research and Knowledge. Workshop on Research in Diverse Social Contexts:Tensions, Dynamics and Challenges, (UNESCO, Paris, 19-21 March 2009)
Publisher: UNESCO
Date published: 2009
Date accessed: 26/07/2009
Type of information: workshop paper
Language: English
On-line access: yes (pdf)
Abstract:
"The importance of knowledge as a critical element of sustainable development in today’s competitive global economy is well known. People and nations therefore need to be challenged to create, access and employ knowledge to be able to meet the challenges of life and survive in our ever-changing world. This challenge cannot be met if the quest for knowledge through research is not attended to. Higher Education Institutions especially Universities have for all time been identified as the space for generating knowledge through research. Unfortunately, for many African countries, higher education had witnessed a long period of relative neglect and stagnation...In order to improve the effectiveness of African research and educational systems, the Information Communicational Technology (ICT) of these institutions need to be improved."

Contents:
1. Introduction
2. State of Information Communicational Technology (ICT) Infrastructures in Africa
3. Challenges of Information Technology in Africa
(a) The Bandwidth Limitations
(b) Bandwidth Management
(c) Human resources
(d) Policy and regulatory Challenge
(e) Poor Networking and Lack of Regional Collaborations and Cooperation:
4. Opportunities for Innovation and Issues
(a) Promote Global, Regional Links and Collaborations:
(b) Address problems of energy generation in many countries of Africa
(c) Leadership education
(d) Improved funding for research