5 th ANIE Conference Oct 2-4 2013 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

1. ICT as an enabler of regional integration through academic and research collaboration within a sub-region Philip Ayoo The Inter-University Council for East Africa 5th ANIE Conference Oct 2-4 2013 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

2. Outline • Overview of EAC and the integration process • Overview of IUCEA and its research coordination activities • ICT and how it is situated within EAC/IUCEA framework • Examples of enabling ICT projects • Challenges

3. East African Community A regional economic community established by a Treaty Partner States Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania & Uganda Vision A prosperous, competitive, secure and politically united East Africa

4. Pillars of EAC Integration

5. EAC Structure • Organs • The East African Community Secretariat • The East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) • The East African Court of Justice (EACJ) • Institutions • Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA) • East African Development Bank (EADB) • Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC) • Lake Victoria Fisheries Organization (LVFO) • Civil Aviation Safety and Security Oversight Agency (CASSOA

6. www.iucea.org • Regional framework for coordinating university education in East Africa • Has a long history • 1970: IUC • 1980: MoU/IUCEA • 2000: Revitalization • 2002: Protocol • 2009: IUCEA Act • Envisages the transformation of East Africa into a common higher education area by 2015

7. Relevant IUCEA Activities • Academic roles • Exchanges of staff and students • Subject meetings (13 thematic clusters) • Research coordination • Joint regional/collaborative research • Quality assurance • Harmonisation of university systems • Mutual recognition of academic and professional qualifications • ICT • Various

8. Research and Innovation at IUCEA • Lake Victoria Research Initiative (VicRes) has been a flagship research project since 2002 • Regional collaborative-multidisciplinary research programme for sustainable development of Lake Victoria basin • Conceptual framework for an integrated Research and Innovation Enhancement Programme for East Africa (RIPEA) developed • Overall objective of RIPEA is to enhance the contribution of research and innovation for building knowledge-based economies, socio-economic transformation and improved living standards of the citizens of East Africa

10. Academia - Private Sector Partnership Forum at Kenyatta International Conference Centre, Nairobi Kenya, Oct 24-26 2013 THEME Bridging the Academia and the Private Sector through Engagement with the Public Sector A partnership between Inter-University Council for East Africa East African Business Council East African Development Bank Under the auspices of the East African Community

11. WHY ICT?

12. Significance of ICT • ICT is one of the pillars of the sub-regional integration and development, globalisation and modernisation (EAC, 2001). • The EAC can speed up regional integration if it fully adopts ICT in its programmes (Dr Mohamed Gharib Bilal, Vice President, United Republic of Tanzania, 2013) • The telecom reform process (in East Africa) is directed at creating an environment to foster massive expansion in the coverage and capabilities of the information infrastructure networks (Juma Mwapachu, Former EAC Secretary General, 2008) • The ICT sector has helped to grow the economy in the EAC region by about 40% (Dr Sezibira, EAC Secretary General, 2013) •  In fact, an ideal ICT environment is much more important than the roads that necessitate movement of goods across these nations (TK Index, Rwanda, 2012)

13. Policy and Regulatory Frameworks • EAC Treaty Article 99: Telecommunications • Develop harmonised policies and regulatory frameworks in the sector to improve communications links and establish new ones as a means of furthering the physical cohesion within the Community • Improve and maintain inter-connectivity and modernize equipment to meet the common standards required for efficient telecommunications traffic within the Community • ICT in the 4th EAC Development Strategy

14. IUCEA ICT Policy Planning Strategic Plan Strengthened university support in ICT application in academic, research and other functions ICT Policy Plan • ICT Management, Security and Maintenance • ICT Infrastructure • Information Resources Sharing and Collaboration • ICT Pedagogical Integration • ICT Human Resources Development • Publicity and Marketing ICT Master Plan • Strengthening ICT Division • Enhancement and maintenance of ICT infrastructure and services • Development and maintenance of integrated MIS • Enhancement of access to academic and research information • Streamlining ICT as a tool in education • Development of globally-competitive human resources in ICT • Publicity and marketing of IUCEA and universities in East Africa 6 Strategic Objectives 6 Focus Areas IUCEA ACT 2009 7 Projects

15. Enabling Environment for ICT • Today all the EAC Partner States have in place National ICT policies (Nyaga et al., 2013) • Corporate strategic plans and ICT policies at EAC and most institutions • Establishment of the East African Communications Organisation (EACO) • A public-private partnership that brings together regulatory, postal, telecommunications and broadcasting organisations in the EAC, with the aim of improving access to affordable and quality communication services to the people of East Africa • Landing of broadband Internet through marine cables e.g. TEAMS and EASSy projects • GSM mobile network coverage throughout the EAC region • Major software companies based in our cities as regional hubs (Microsoft, Google, HP, etc.)

16. ENABLING ICT PROJECTS

17. Database on VicRes Research Projects www.vicres.net

18. Components of the Proposed Framework for e-Learning Resources Sharing (FeLRS)

19. EAST AFRICAN HIGHER EDUCATION INFORMATION SYSTEM Access to Local Content Policy, Sustainability and Institutional Framework Access to Global Content Interaction and Information Exchange • Develop communication strategy • Establish reliable web presence (web portal, blogs and social media accounts) for interactive exchange • Organize regular, conferences, workshops, seminars • Facilitate joint-subscription to international databases • Strengthen regional library consortia • Facilitate access to cheaper Internet bandwidth • Establish policy framework • Develop governance and administrative structure • Mobilize resources • Establish M&E framework • Enable web-based access to library holdings/catalogs • Facilitate access to grey literature (theses, dissertations, etc) through regional e-repository • Enable access to local journals • Facilitate creation and sharing of e-learning content

20. EAC Regional Statistics Portal • EAC Statistics Database: Over 600 statistics indicators covering the socio-economic sectors • EAC Trade Report: Facts on trade flow in EA, to enlighten users on the progress achieved on the implementation of the EAC Customs Union • EAC Facts and Figures Report: Basic statistics of the region at a glance, published annually covering the major socio-economic indicators • Others: Monetary and Financial Statistics; Agricultural Statistics; ICT Statistics; Demographic and Social Statistics

21. East African Monitoring System (EAMS) EAMS is a web-based software build to: • Provide the EAC Partner States and the Secretariat a means to monitor the status of the implementation of decisions and protocols of EAC governing organs • Currently System is comprised of two installations: • EAMS Central which is hosted at the Secretariat and • EAMS which will be hosted at the MEACs • Two modules added recently: • Common Market Protocol • EAC Development Strategy

22. TANZANIA BURUNDI Rwanda Uganda KENYA M&E Central Database EAC Secretariat M&E Country Database EAMS Structure (Theo, 2013) M&E Country Database M&E Country Database M&E Country Database M&E Country Database • EAC Institutions • Lake Victoria Basin Commission • Civil Aviation Safety and Security Oversight Agency (CASSOA) • Lake Victoria Fisheries Organisation • Inter-University Council for East Africa • EAC Organs • EALA • East African Court of Justice • etc.

23. EAC Videoconferencing Facility • In an effort to enhance the performance of its functions, the EAC Secretariat intends to improve its ICT infrastructure by implementing a video-conference (VC) system. • The system shall be a closed-user-group (CUG) network connecting the EAC Headquarters in Arusha with the EAC Ministries in the Partner States, Organs and Institutions. • The feasibility has already been tested three times using skype video call and/or google+ hangout video call

24. Bandwidth to Universities s/n Link Capacity Price/Mbps 1 Satellite 200 Mbps US $ 1,700 2 SEACOM fibre 195 Mbps US $ 500 • Most institutions have been relying on satellite connectivity which is expensive • Undersea fibre cables (that landed on the East African coast since July 2009) have provided increased bandwidth to EA universities at a reduced price (often doubling the capacity at the same or reduced price)

25. Bandwidth Cost Elements Total Bandwidth Costs = Cost 1 + Cost 2 + Cost 3 Cost 2 and cost 3 are ones that bring about high cost of connectivity

26. Challenges • Lack of suitable legislation at the EAC level to ensure interoperability as well as to reduce legal obstacles to applications and services that are offered online • Regulatory divergence - restrictive regulatory environment • Poor rural communications – urban-rural communications gap, poor connectivity, poor access to commercially valuable information • Lack of regional backbone infrastructure threatens the intra and transit EA traffic growth and is responsible for high tariffs in the sub-region • ICT Human capital development – low affordability and ICT skills gaps

27. Thank You