“Green ICT, Energy Management and Environmental Protection Workshop”, organised by the department of Applied Chemistry in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth and ICT, will take place on Wednesday, 22nd May 2013 at the Kigali Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) in Muhabura Block Conference Hall.

Purpose and objectives of the workshop

• Creation of an international research network aiming at innovative researches that can bring a long-term solution to energy management and environment protection.
• A public awareness on environmental protection and on green ICT.
• Possible research projects creation.
• Internationalization of research at KIST.
• Research promotion in general.

For registration, please contact:

• Mrs. Sibosiko Consolée, Kigali Institute of Science and Technology
• Mr. Rwabidadi Patrick, Ministry of Youth and ICT

>> Download the workshop programme

The ESASTAP Plus consortium is delighted to invite you to attend the workshop Innovation as a driving force in the EU R&I 2014-2020 which will take place on 27 May 2013 in East London as a side event of the 5th Global Forum on Innovation and Technology Entrepreneurship.

Participants will be informed on the funding opportunities and the most relevant background policies for creating Innovation in Europe and in South Africa. The workshop aims to share the most up-to-date information paving the way for concrete and informed actions.

The ESASTAP Plus project follows on from ESASTAP. Both of the initiatives have been funded by the European Commission to support the deepening of scientific and technological cooperation between the European Union and South Africa, with a special focus on innovation. This will be achieved by supporting South Africa’s participation in Horizon 2020, but also by promoting reciprocal European participation in South African programmes.

View the programme

For registration and any further information please do not hesitate to contact: Martina De Sole or Antonio Carbone

The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) established that information and communication technology must be effectively integrated into development activities for the internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals, to be achieved within the agreed time frame.

In 2006, the Global Alliance for Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) was launched. This called upon governments, businesses, civil society and international organizations to be involved in ICT to further the Millennium Development Goals.

In order to bridge the digital divide in Africa and participate in the development of the African Information Society, Entico Corporation is organising the Great Rift Valley Information and Communication Technology Summit in Dar es-Salaam, Tanzania between 17 and 18 July 2013, in cooperation with the Tanzanian Ministry of Communication, Science & Technology

The Great Rift Valley traverses Burundi, DR Congo, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia and sees unprecedented growth rate in the Information & Communication Technology (ICT) sector with expanding mobile phone and internet lines as well as a growing number of both private and commercial users. In turn, ICT applications not only empower individual users and enrich their lifestyles and livelihoods but boost these economies as a whole.

This summit will address the core themes identified by the UN ICT Task Force, such as E-business and Entrepreneurship, Resource Mobilization, Low-cost Connectivity and Access focusing on ready to invest projects that create active business opportunities in the region.

The summit will gather Ministers of Communication & Information Technology and relevant international organisations, including international development organisations, with operators and private companies able and interested in taking part in the development of the information Societies of the Great Rift Valley such as Telecom Operators, OTT (Over the Top) service providers, Content providers, Apps Developers, Regulators, Analysts and International solution providers.

To learn more about the event, please visit www.enticoevents.com/grv-ict or contact Andi PACURAR

5th June 2013: 2pm-4.30pm House of Lords (Committee Room G), London

With some 650m mobile phone users, Sub-Saharan Africa now has more than either the EU or the US, with a number of countries, including South Africa, now with more phones than people. Alongside the booming mobile banking sector, which millions of people now use to send and receive payments on basic handsets, mobile technology is revolutionising a much wider range of public services across the continent. Mobile phones are already increasing access to health information, providing rural farmers with agricultural data and improving public transportation services.

But, how can this technology be used to help drive educational development in Africa? What lessons can we learn from the more established sectors? YouDECIDE!

This interactive session will poll participants on three key questions:

• Is mobile the future of education in Africa?
• Who is this technology best aimed at?
• What are the greatest barriers to mobile?

Delegates will be asked to vote on each question before and after the presentations from the panel and followed by an open discussion. The panel includes:

• Lord Paul Boateng (Chair): Trustee of the Planet Earth Institute and former UK High-Commissioner to South Africa;
• Professor Tim Unwin: Secretary General, Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation;
• David Atchoarena: Director, Division of Teachers & Higher Education, UNESCO;
• Dr Niall Winters: Senior Lecturer in Learning Technologies for Development at the London Knowledge Lab (LKL), Institute of Education, University of London;
• Anat Bar-Gera: Chairperson at YooMee Africa

This event is part of the YouDECIDE! Series.

The April issue of CONNECT is now available! You can view it booklet style or download the PDF. Printed copies are also available from connect@geant.net

Visit the CONNECT home page

Highlights in this issue include articles on:

• The potential of cloud services
• Introduction to GN3plus – the next step for GÉANT
• GÉANT supporting nuclear fusion scientists in search for clean, sustainable energy
• Double award wins! – GÉANT receives two high-profile accolades!

The next EuroAfrica-ICT H2020 Awareness and Thematic Workshop is taking place at the Terrou-Bi Hotel in Dakar (Senegal) on June 25-26, 2013.

The workshop aims at raising awareness in Africa of the ICT research theme of the European Union’s Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (Horizon 2020) and at enhancing the participation of African organisations in EU-funded, collaborative ICT research projects. This will be done by introducing local stakeholders to the cooperation opportunities offered by Horizon 2020 and by contributing to the refinement of focused Euro/Africa ICT research project ideas.

The workshop is organised by the ESMT (Senegal) in collaboration with Sigma Orionis within the framework of the EuroAfrica-ICT initiative.

More information coming soon…

Embedded into the “Days of the Future congress” there will take place the “AgriFuture Days” from June 17th to 19th in Carinthia\Austria. 3 days are dedicated to the future of the agricultural sector and will bring together senior representatives from leading government, research & commercial organizations from around the world, to share knowledge, experience, lessons learnt and good practice related to ICT Adoption in the rural area business and all affiliated sectors.

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The International Conference on Computing, Electrical and Electronic Engineering (ICCEEE 2013) is taking place on 26-28 August at the Corinthia Hotel in Khartoum, Sudan.

The event is organised by the IEEE Sudan subsection with the aim of enhancing the creation of a strong platform that can facilitate research culture among Sudanese research and development community. ICCEEE 2013 is the first ever IEEE conference in Sudan, technically sponsored by IEEE Region and 8 many local universities, organisations and institutes. The conference will feature a comprehensive technical program in addition to expo program including keynote speeches, industrial workshops, tutorials and technology forums.

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• Marie Curie Intra-European Fellowships (IEF) – indicative budget: €134m
• Marie Curie International Incoming Fellowships (IIF) – indicative budget: €44.5m
• Marie Curie International Outgoing Fellowships (IOF) – indicative budget: €44.5m

The closing date for all applications is 14 August 2013. The success rate is generally around 20%. Potential applicants must consult the calls for proposals regarding eligibility and other conditions.

Since the beginning of FP7, €780m has been awarded for over 4000 Marie Curie Fellowships to researchers from more than 90 nationalities working in 50 countries. The grant normally covers 2 years of salary, a mobility allowance, research costs and overheads for the host organisation.

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Europe’s most visible forum for ICT research and innovation, ICT2013, will take place from 6-8 November 2013 in Vilnius, Lithuania.

The ICT 2013 event will be the first opportunity to learn the details of research funding for ICT-related projects under Horizon 2020, the EU’s new research program for 2014-2020. The European Commission proposed an €80 billion package for research & innovation funding, as part of the drive to create sustainable growth and new jobs in Europe. Horizon 2020 will support the development of ICT in Science (in future and emerging technologies or e-Infrastructures); in industrial leadership (such as smart systems, robotics, photonics, etc.) and in societal challenges (such as eHealth, eGovernment and eSkills).

ICT2013 will also offer participants opportunities to showcase their most advanced research, ICT products and most innovative creations and to meet delegates with common or similar topical interests with whom they could collaborate in the future.

It is expected that ICT2013 will be opened by the President of Lithuania, Dalia Grybauskaitė, who will welcome to Vilnius young people from all over Europe looking to a career in ICT, and open the Lithuanian pavilion, showcasing the best of Lithuanian inventors & inventions.

Neelie Kroes, European Commission Vice President for the Digital Agenda will open the ICT2013 conference, a forum for debating the key issues among Europe as a home for innovation and a destination for ICT research.

Call for proposals for networking sessions and exhibitions are open:

• Networking sessions (deadline: 26 April 2013)
• Exhibitions (deadline: 7 June 2013)

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