Policy
Expertise in ICT research, education and innovation benefits many global cultures in the digital age. Yet, for African nations lacking requisite infrastructure, these opportunities are often less tangible. To improve ICT provision on the continent, a multinational project has initiated a new capacity building programme in higher education and research in ICT
Improving African ICT infrastructure through education
Communications networks are often praised for
utilising
technologies that
realise convergence, helping to bring the world together and transcend borders. For some commentators, however, there is a clear ‘digital divide’ which differentiates nations. As ranked by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) in 2013, Africa placed lowest in the global IT development index, which measured internet usage and skill. Although certain countries, including the Seychelles and Mauritius, experienced growth above global average, several regional states showed progress below this norm. “Despite what statistics may suggest, it is
important to remember that in many African countries, the number of people employed within the ICT sector is actually increasing,”
says Professor ICT usage Jyri
Hämäläinen, a researcher based at Aalto University’s School of Electrical Engineering. “Overall,
is
growing there. These cultures are beginning their transformation into fully- fledged ‘knowledge societies’. Evidently, the high-tech industries in these nations are small compared to Europe, which is due to wider economic factors. They’re making discernible progress, but this is being inhibited by a lack of competent
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personnel who can build and maintain local ICT systems and infrastructure.” To help overcome these difficulties, Aalto
University launched the ENhANCE project in May 2013. Aiming to implement the ‘Enhancing [of] Education and Research in Networking and Communications Engineering’ across Africa, the university has partnered with two regional institutions: the Addis Ababa Institute of Technology’s School of Electrical and Computer Engineering in Ethiopia, and the College of Information
and Communication
Technologies at the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. In collaboration with these educators, a team of experts
from
Aalto’s Department of Communications and Networking will provide a variety of educational programmes and activities at both African campuses over the next two years. Funded by a €0.5m grant awarded by the Finnish Ministry of Foreign affairs, the collective anticipates the scheme will leave a significant legacy, both at home and abroad. “Mobile networks were established in
Ethiopia and Tanzania over a decade ago. This has led to greater competition, and the usage of the technology in several sectors such as business and banking. We predict that it will also spread further into areas like health and agriculture,” says Hämäläinen,
who is acting as ENhANCE’s technology leader. The researchers predict this expansion occurring not just in both urban and rural zones, however improvements in local
skill levels must be encouraged to
achieve this. “Universities are absolutely key to this. Although the academics teaching there are extremely capable, the context in which they’re operating does not facilitate sustained contact with high-tech industries. Hence, their curriculums, and sometimes their research labs, are outdated. In response, we’re seeking to build capacity in our partner universities and support them whilst they’re implementing frameworks for education and research. We also hope these improvements will have a pronounced, nurturing effect on local ICT industries.” Ultimately, the initiative plans to leave a
lasting scholastic legacy that strengthens master’s and doctoral level tuition. ENhANCE will introduce new higher-tier programmes
in communications and
networking at the partner universities, which will provide a template for the rollout of similar degree programmes nationally. Wireless research tools and methods will also be shared with the Ethiopian and Tanzanian
collaborators and, once
embedded, will be offered to businesses via an industrial outreach scheme.
Insight Publishers | Projects
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