ERINA4Africa Exploiting Research Infrastructures potential for boosting research and innovation in Africa

1. ERINA4AfricaExploiting Research Infrastructures potential for boosting research and innovation in Africa Simon J E Taylor & Margaret Ngwira Brunel University, Ubuntunet Alliance, KTH, Engineering Ingegneria Informatica and Metaware/Zephyr

2. ERINA4Africa Overview Project aims, objectives & impact Key deliverables Example case studies Key questions Call for participation!

3. e-Infrastructures Global Virtual Research Communities e-Infrastructure-based Applications Scientific Digital Repositories Distributed & High Performance Computing Network Infrastructure

4. Aim, Objectives and Impact Aim Based on experiences with the ERINA study (www.erina-study.eu) The project aims to foster knowledge-sharing between e-Infrastructures stakeholders in Africa and the EU in the key ICT areas of e-Health, e-Government, and e-Learning The overall outcome will be to accelerate the contribution of e-Infrastructures to societal and economical development in Africa

5. Aim, Objectives and Impact Key objectives are to deliver: A foresight study identifying qualitative as well as quantitative benefits in adopting African Research Infrastructures as basic building blocks for other key IST areas A sustainable virtual observatory on trends and current evolution of e-Infrastructures in Africa A series of workshops and conferences to both promote and validate the project results

6. Impact Recommendations for developing the future of global multidisciplinary ICT infrastructures across Africa Application focus A set of best practices of e-Infrastructures adoption in Africa An international community of EU and African players enabled through a virtual observatory and website A foundation for e-Infrastructure applications development in Africa Targets for possible investment (Lighthouse Demonstrators)

7. Key Deliverables Website (live now) (www.erina4africa.eu) Data collection and Analysis Report (March 2010) Case studies Virtual Observatory (March 2010) Community building Patterns and best practices analysis report (November 2010) Foresight Study (November 2010) Workshops Investigating Best Practices for e-Infrastructure Development in Africa, Kigali, Rwanda, 21st April 2010 Malawi Workshop (August/September 2010) Final Conference (Location TBA) (October/November 2010)

8. Example Case Studies Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) in Malaria Research at Malawi College of Medicine Accessing theses and dissertations via the Directory of African Theses and Dissertations (DATAD)

9. MALAWI COLLEGE OF MEDICINE MALARIA RESEARCH A multi institution research collaboration on the effects of malaria on the brains of children but with added value of contributing a medical technology that was not available previously through a MRI Scanner and VSAT Currently there is only one radiologist who serves the entire nation of Malawi. A new MRI unit allows that radiologist – Sam Kampondeni – to send images to MSU where radiologists assess and evaluate them and offer a second opinion. "With this new MRI unit we will be able to serve as many as 18 patients per day," said Kampondeni, who trained as a guest in the MSU Department of Radiology in 2007. Funds include those for a high speed VSAT Internet connection as well as operating costs

10. AAU DATAD PARTICIPATING COUNTRIES

11. Directory of African Theses and Dissertations (DATAD) Often the best research available and having more significance as a piece of research in Africa than it might have in the north The question is how to provide access The AAU service Directory of African Theses and Dissertations (DATAD) is developing the solution Here Universities throughout Africa submit their abstracts and citations from their theses to AAU who collect, manage and make them available. AAU provides equipment and training to national inputting centres. Currently there are about 16 participating countries DATAD is moving towards becoming a full text service

12. Key Questions (so far!) Emerging best practices What are the key lighthouse demonstrators (application exemplars)? Is it possible to produce e-Infrastructure Templates (e-Infrastructure/application development) supporting key application areas? What key strategic e-Infrastructure links need to be sustainably forged between EU/Africa Which EU e-Infrastructure projects need to be linked to which African projects What educational support is needed? How can EU work with African partners to develop application development programmes What is the best form of knowledge sharing Continuous eConcertation? Is it possible to identify leading candidates for investment?

13. ERINA4Africa Summary Recommendations for developing the future of global multidisciplinary ICT infrastructures across Africa A set of best practices of e-Infrastructures adoption in Africa An international community of EU and African players enabled through a virtual observatory and website A foundation for e-Infrastructure applications development in Africa If you wish to contribute a case study or participate in an ERINA4Africa workshop please contact the coordinator (simon.taylor@brunel.ac.uk) or visit the website