| ITU and its Activities Related to Internet Protocol (IP) Networks |
  
The Internet and its
underlying Internet Protocol have created major challenges for government, policy-makers,
incumbent operators and regulators, all of whom need to “re-tool” and
re-engineer for the Internet-based economy. This chapter explains how the
Internet Training Centres Initiative (ITCI) was established by ITU, in
partnership with Cisco Systems, Inc, to provide affordable and relevant
training in Internet Protocol and Internet-related technologies in developing
countries with the goal of facilitating their smoother transition to the
information society.
Box 8.1: Perspectives from ITU on the
Internet Training Centres Initiative
“The overriding objective
of ITU’s Internet Training Centres Initiative is to ensure that growth in IP
networking delivers maximum benefits to the global community. It is part of a
global partnership drive with public and private sector organizations which
creates a win-win opportunity for all stakeholders”.
Hamadoun Touré, Director of the ITU
Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT)
|
Leaders and experts around
the world increasingly recognize human capacity building as one of the most
crucial ingredients for development. Both developed and developing countries
face an acute shortage of skilled IP networking and IT professionals. In
developing countries, the problem is compounded by the difficulties of gaining
access to training. Through a unique partnership with key ICT market leaders,
ITU works to provide students and telecom/IT professionals in developing
countries with access to affordable and relevant training in Internet
technology skills in a mentored environment, while fostering a real and
sustainable transfer of knowledge.
With a worldwide
network of over 50 Internet Training Centres, the ITU initiative aims at
strengthening “new economy” skills in developing countries.
The objectives of
the ITU initiative includes:
- To prepare developing nations, and in
particular Least Developed Countries (LDCs), to fully participate in the
networked economy;
- To train a minimum of 50 students per
year per internet training centre under a “train the trainers” approach;
- To promote gender-focused Training
Centres by proactively encouraging greater participation of women in
information technology and the Internet economy through an enrollment
target of 30 per cent of female students;
- To help operators to train or retrain
their staff on IP technologies, three to four places a year being
earmarked for telecommunication professionals;
- To promote the creation, by the selected
learning institution, of other internet training centres at local level to
create a multiplier effect on skill-building in IP technologies in the
country.
The
initiative is a partnership between ITU and industry players, government
agencies, not-for-profit learning institutions and local service providers.
- ITU: As manager of the project,
ITU in cooperation with all its partners, selects the learning
institutions that will host the Centres, coordinates their creation and
helps in negotiating partnership agreements with relevant government agencies,
the national telecom operator and the candidate institution. It also funds
the training of two instructors for each institution selected (tuition
fees, travel, lodging and boarding costs).
- Government: To ensure the
successful implementation of the Training Centre, a High-Level Facilitator
is mandated to provide appropriate support for ITCI and to champion the
cause of the ICTs in the country by mobilizing any local resource needed
for the creation of the Centre.
- Candidate institutions: To
qualify as Internet Training Centre, learning institutions have to be 1) a
non-profit educational institution open to the public (university,
training centre, technical institute etc); 2) strongly motivated and able
to deliver on strict deadlines and 3) able to demonstrate their ability to
implement the Internet Training Centre Programme.
- Cisco Systems, Inc: Cisco Systems
makes available part of the curriculum of the Cisco Networking Academy
Program to each Internet Training Centre. The Networking Academy
Program delivers web-based multimedia rich educational content to
students and working adults world wide on the principles and practice of
designing, building and maintaining computer networks. This includes
online testing, student performance tracking, hands-on labs, and
instructor training and support. The Cisco laboratory equipment used for
the Networking Academy Program is provided at no cost to the
selected Training Centre.
The Cisco
Networking Academy Program is a not-for-profit education initiative
developed by Cisco Systems in alliance with governments, education institutions,
leading technology companies, and non-profit organizations around the world.
The Cisco Networking Academy Program offered by the ITU Internet
Training Centre includes:
- 280 hours of multimedia instructions;
- on-line testing;
- student performance tracking;
- hands-on laboratory exercises;
- instructor training, and
- online technical support.
Box 8.2: Perspectives from Cisco on the
Internet Training Centre Initiative
“Cisco
is committed to ensure that students across the globe
have the access and opportunity to attain the IT skills
needed to compete in the Internet Economy. We continue
to expand this effort by working in partnership with
international organizations such as ITU”.
John Chambers, President and CEO, Cisco
Systems Incorporated
|
To
ensure the Academy Program’s vitality and success, Cisco has created an
educational environment designed to open opportunities worldwide and give a
360-degree view of networking and Internet technology. This is achieved by the
many alliances Cisco has built with various IT industry leaders. Educators can
be confident that the Academy Program delivers a serious, comprehensive and
independent curriculum by encompassing Cisco’s partners, tools, products and
solutions.
ITU
Internet Training Centres that implement the Cisco Networking Academy Program
can have access to its sponsored curriculum which incorporate new curriculum
modules on Java, Unix, voice and data cabling, and IT essentials (PC Hardware
and Software as well as Network Operating Systems). The whole curriculum
offering under the Cisco Networking Academy Program delivers the range of
services and support needed to grow tomorrow’s Internet-savvy global workforce.
Students
are provided with relevant IT skills, and hands-on experience which prepares
them for industry-recognized professional certifications such as the Cisco
Certified Network Associate (CCNA™). Expanded curriculum modules also prepare
students for other well recognized certifications including Sun Certified
Programmer for Java™ 2 Platform, BICSI Registered Certified Installer Level 1
exam, A+ and Network+ administered by CompTIA. These certifications are a
global passport for students to work anywhere in the world. In addition,
participation in this Programme builds life-long learning skills, which are
critical to the success of every graduate in the future.
- Training Centres: 55.
- Participating countries: 47 of
which 17 are LDCs (12 in Africa, 1 in the Arab States and 4 in Asia).
- Instructors trained: 101 of which
18 (or 18 per cent) are women.
- Students enrolled: 2243 of which
654 (or 29.2 per cent) are women.
- Graduates: 150 of which 39 (or 26
per cent) are women.
Learning
institutions that qualify to become an ITU Training Centre have to provide
classrooms equipped with at least 20 PCs, LAN and Internet connectivity (64
kbps dedicated line). They must also be committed to setting up other Internet
Training Centres at the local level and be prepared to assist them in their
functioning. Special attention was given to learning institutions promoting the
enrolment of female students and designating female instructors for their
programme.
Candidate
institutions submitted proposals indicating how they planned to meet
requirements and which government agency supported their application and was
willing to nominate a High Level Facilitator. Information about the ITU
Internet Training Centre Initiative can be found on the ITU website.[1]
|
Country
|
Location
|
Name of Internet Training Centre
|
|
AFRICA
|
|
ANGOLA*
|
Luanda
|
Instituto Nacional de Telecomunicações (ITEL)
|
|
BURKINA FASO*
|
Bobo-Diulasso
|
Ecole Supérieure d’Informatique, Université Polytechnique
|
|
CAPE VERDE*
|
Praia
|
Universidade Jean Piaget de Cabo Verde
|
|
ETHIOPIA*
|
Addis-Ababa
|
University of Addis Ababa
|
|
KENYA
|
Nairobi
|
African Advanced Level
Telecommunications Institute (AFRALTI)
|
|
MALAWI*
|
Lilongwe
|
Lilongwe Technical College
|
|
MALI*
|
Bamako
|
University of Mali
|
|
MAURITANIA*
|
Nouakchott
|
Ecole Nationale de l’Administration (ENA)
|
|
MOZAMBIQUE*
|
Beira
|
Universidade Católica de Moçambique
|
|
NIGERIA
|
Ile-Ife
|
Obafemi Awolowo University
|
|
RWANDA*
|
Kigali
|
Kigali Institute of
Science, Technology, and Management (KIST)
|
|
SENEGAL*
|
Dakar
|
Ecole Supérieure Multinationale des Télécommunications (ESMT)
|
|
TANZANIA*
|
Dar-es-Salaam
|
Dar-es-Salaam Institute of
Technology (DIT)
|
|
|
Arusha
|
Technical College Arusha**
|
|
UGANDA*
|
Kampala
|
Makerere University,
Department of Women and Gender Studies**
|
|
ZIMBABWE
|
Harare
|
University of Zimbabwe
|
|
|
|
|
|
ARAB STATES
|
|
EGYPT
|
Alexandria
|
Arab Academy of Science
and Technology
|
|
|
Cairo
|
Arab Academy of Science
and Technology
|
|
TUNISIA
|
Tunis
|
Ecole Supérieure des Communications de Tunis (Sup’Com)
|
|
YEMEN*
|
Sana’a
|
General Telecommunications
Institute (GTI)
|
|
|
|
|
|
ASIA AND THE PACIFIC
|
|
|
|
AFGHANISTAN*
|
Kabul
|
Ministry of
Communications, Telecommunication Training Centre
|
|
BANGLADESH*
|
Sylhet
|
Shahjalal University of
Science and Technology
|
|
|
Dhaka
|
BRAC University
|
|
CHINA
|
Nanjing
|
Nanjing University of
Posts and Telecommunications (NUPT)
|
|
|
Xi’an
|
Xi’an Institute of Posts
and Telecommunication
|
|
|
Dalian
|
Dalian University of
Technology**
|
|
FIJI
|
Suva
|
University of South
Pacific
|
|
INDIA
|
Kurukshetra
|
National Institute of
Technology (NIT)
|
|
|
Chennai
|
Anna University
|
|
|
Karvenagar
|
Pune Cummins College of Engineering for Women**
|
|
INDONESIA
|
Medan
|
State University of Medan
(UNIMED)
|
|
|
Jayapura
|
Papua Cendrawasih
University (UNCEN)**
|
|
MALAYSIA
|
Kota Kinabalu
|
University of Malaysia
Sabah
|
|
MALDIVES*
|
Malé
|
Maldives College of Higher
Education
|
|
PAKISTAN
|
Islamabad
|
National Post Graduate
Institute of Telecommunication
and Informatics
(NPGIT&I)
|
|
PHILIPPINES
|
Quezon City
|
National Computer Center
(NCC)
|
|
SAMOA*
|
Apia
|
National University of
Samoa
|
|
|
|
|
|
LATIN AMERICA
|
|
BELIZE
|
Belize
|
City St. John’s College
|
|
BRAZIL
|
Brasilia
|
Universidade de Brasilia
|
|
COLOMBIA
|
Popayán
|
Universidad del Cáuca
|
|
COSTA RICA
|
San José
|
Nodo Centros de Excelencia Américas, Instituto
Costarricense de Electricidad
|
|
ECUADOR
|
Guayaquil
|
Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral (ESPOL)
|
|
HONDURAS
|
Tegucigalpa
|
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras (UNAH)
|
|
NICARAGUA
|
Managua
|
Universidad Nacional de Ingeniería (UNI)
|
|
PARAGUAY
|
Asunción
|
Instituto Paraguayo de Telecomunicaciones, Universidad
Nacional de Asunción
|
|
PERU
|
Lima
|
Instituto Nacional de Capacitación de Telecomunicaciones
(INICTEL)
|
|
URUGUAY
|
Montevideo
|
Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad de la República
|
|
|
|
|
|
CENTRAL AND EASTERN
EUROPE/COMMONWEALTH OF INDEPENDENT STATES (CIS)
|
|
BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
|
Sarajevo
|
University of Sarajevo
|
|
BULGARIA
|
Sofia
|
Technical University of
Sofia
|
|
KYRGYZSTAN
|
Bishkek
|
International University
of Kyrgyzstan
|
|
POLAND
|
Warsaw
|
Warsaw University of
Technology
|
|
ROMANIA
|
Galati
|
University of Galati**
|
|
SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO
|
Belgrade
|
University of Belgrade
|
|
TURKEY
|
Ankara
|
Ankara University
|
|
UKRAINE
|
Kiev
|
Head Training Centre of
Ukrtelecom
|
|
|
