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EGU 2009, Vienna, 21 April 2009. e GY-Africa: addressing the digital divide for science in Africa. Charles Barton , Australian National University Monique Petitdidier , CETP/CNRS, France Les Cottrell , Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, USA Peter Fox, RPI, Troy, USA. Area.
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EGU 2009, Vienna, 21 April 2009 eGY-Africa: addressing the digital divide for science in Africa Charles Barton, Australian National University Monique Petitdidier, CETP/CNRS, France Les Cottrell, Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, USA Peter Fox, RPI, Troy, USA
Area Internet Users 2002 Population The Scientific Divide Tertiary Education http://www.worldmapper.org/
African Situation Access to the internet is so desirable to students, teachers, and scientists in Africa that they spend considerable time and money to get it. Many students surveyed, with no internet connection at their universities, resorted to private, fee-charging internet cafes to study and learn. Internet Café in Ghana www.arp.harvard.edu/AfricaHigherEducation/Online.html
0 11 11 01 00 00 11 01 10 11 1 Courtesy: Mark Parsons
Earth & space science informatics responses GEOSS Architecture & Data Committee US National Geoinformatics System CEOS-WGISS Informatics Division ESSI One Geology CGI ESSI IUGG
From IGY to eGY • Data access • Data discovery • Data release • Data preservation • Data rescue • Capacity building - reducing the Digital Divide • Outreach & Education Virtual Observatories
Executive: Alem Mebrahtu (Ethiopia), Victor Chukwume (Nigeria), Monique Petitdidier (France), Abebe Kibede (USA), Colin Reeves (Netherlands), Jean-Pierre Tchouanchoue (Cameroun), Victor Rochon (USA), Charles Barton (Australia), Les Cottrell (USA/UK), Arsène Kobea (Ivory Coast), Mohamed Gaye (Senegal), …. eGY-Africa Goal: better Internet access for African scientists and educators Use the voice of the scientific community at the institutional, national, and international levels (advocacy) • raise awareness (problems and benefits)• strengthen cooperation• influence policy + decisions. IUGG
eGY-Africa Program • Organisational infrastructure (lever off eGY and IHY)National groups (use existing networks)Website, newsletter, conference presentations, articles (to share information and raise awareness)Measure Internet performance (PinGER Project)Survey present status, problems, and benefits (Questionaire)Collate policy statements (naming and shaming)and case histories2009 Workshop in Africa (jointly with others?) • 2010 CODATA meeting in South AfricaWork with related programs CODATA, UN-GAID (eSDDC), IAP, ICTP, INASP, IST-Africa, UN-ECA, GIRAF, …
Visit www.egy.org and go to eGY-AfricaContact:alemmeb@yahoo.comvictorchukwuma@yahoo.comcharles.barton@anu.edu.au Interested in getting involved?