News 10 of 50

Source: http://www.ict4dasean.org/index2.php?main=news/2006-05-13.php

Rapid advances are being made in the social uses of information and communication technology (ICT).  Education, commerce, and community development activities are being transformed by the creative uses of new technologies including the World-Wide Web, the mobile ‘phone, and Internet wireless technologies.  Many of these developments are taking place in Asia, and have been the subject of intensive study by the ASEAN Foundation, Jakarta, for the past three years.

The ASEAN Foundation highlighted these innovative developments in an International Symposium on ICT in Social Development, held at the Hotel Sari Pan Pacific, Jakarta, from Monday/22 to Wednesday/24/May.  Forty invited delegates, prominent ICT specialists, attended the event from Australia, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and the UK.  The Symposium examined the 3-year project conducted by the ASEAN Foundation's ICT4D Collaboratory.  Funded by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) of Canada, this project completes its current phase in June 2006.  The Symposium also discussed ideas for future ICT projects.
                                      
Topics discussed at the Symposium included:

• the PAN-ASEAN e-Mall: one of the ICT4D Collaboratory's most successful innovations, providing valuable lessons for future e-commerce activities;
• the PANdora projects: nine major distance education studies involving collaboration between 12 Asian nations, for which the Collaboratory provides an ICT infrastructure;
• the Collaboratory/Microsoft series of ‘Unlimited Potential’ ICT training workshops;
• ICT projects addressing ASEAN’s priorities for avian ‘flu education and youth issues;
• the importance of systematic evaluation in ICT projects; and
• international publishing standards and requirements in the ICT field.

Keynote Speakers at the Symposium included:

• Prof. Colin Latchem (open learning consultant and author);
• Prof. Felix Librero (Chancellor, University of the Philippines Open University);
• Prof. Fred Lockwood (Emeritus Professor, Manchester Metropolitan U, England; and
• Prof. Naveed Malik (Rector, Virtual University of Pakistan).

2006-05-24

News 10 of 50