WSIS Thematic Meeting on Multi-Stakeholder
Partnerships for Bridging the Digital Divide

               Seoul, Republic of Korea, 23 - 24 June 2005                   

Presenters

Biography for Mr. Dorjderem AMARBAYASGALAN

Mr. Dorjderem AMARBAYASGALAN holds his Law degree from the National University of Mongolia in Ulaanbaatar (1998). In 2004 he completed Independent Research work at the University of Central Lancashire, UK.  Since 2000 he is Head of Science, Information and Communication Section, the Mongolian National Commission for UNESCO. In this capacity he provides advice to the Government of Mongolia on issues related to the science, information and communication. He is responsible for the following UNESCO’s Programme activities in Mongolia: International Programme for the Development of Communication, the Information for All Programme, Management of Social Transformation Programme, Man and Biosphere, International Hydrological Programme, World Natural Heritage; and the Periodic Reporting to the 1972 Convention of UNESCO. Mr. Amarbayasgalan worked on formulation of the new Memorandum of Understanding between UNESCO and the Government of Mongolia with specific focus on provisions related to SC, SHS and ICT.

Biography for Mr. Mohammad ATIF SHEIKH

Biography for Ms. Karen BANKS

Ms. Karen BANKS works for the Association for Progressive Communication (APC) as a Networking and Advocacy Coordinator. She is a networking pioneer who has worked with ICTs and their application as a tool for social change since 1990. She coordinates the Association For Progressive Communications' (APC) participation in the WSIS process and has been active in facilitation of the Civil Society content and themes group and an active member of the Human Rights, Information Security, Gender and European caucuses and working groups. She leads APC's work in the CRIS (Communication Rights in the Information Society) campaign and has recently taken up position as Networking and Advocacy Coordinator for APC after coordinating APC's Women's Networking Support Programme for 8 years.  She is a Director of GreenNet (the APC Member in the UK), trustee of Privacy International, an international privacy rights and civil liberties watchdog based in the UK, member of the civil society working group on the Commonwealth Action Programme for the Digital Divide, member of the WSIS Working Group on Internet Governance (WGIG) and was recently awarded the Anita Borg Social Impact Award with the APCWNSP.

Biography for Mr. Mohan Brij BAVEJA

B. M. BAVEJA is presently working as a Director/Scientist in the Department of Information Technology, Ministry of Communications & IT, Government of India. He is responsible for research & development in the areas of Convergence Communication & Broadband Technologies, as well as Information Society matters. He has also initiated several developmental programmes for the benefit of rural India. His current responsibilities include spearheading the growth of Indian electronics and IT and telecom industry by promoting and facilitating indigenous development and policy measures. His specialization is on technology innovation, development and management in the frontier areas of convergence communication and broadband technologies applications. While in the Government, Mr. Baveja has been instrumental in setting up Centres of Excellence in the country in wireless technologies, electronics design, research and training. He has worked as project coordinator for implementing international projects with Indo-German assistance and UNDP aid. He has participated in PrepCom meetings of the WSIS Phase-I and has been instrumental in preparing the Indian position paper on Internet Governance. Mr Baveja received his B.Tech degree in Electrical Engineering in the year 1979 from IIT Delhi and two M.Sc degrees, one from London University in 1980 and second one from Birmingham University in the year 1996. He is also an IEEE member since 1974.

Biography for Mr. Gajendra BOHRA

Mr. Gajendra BOHRA works as an independent consultant mainly on telecom policy (Nepal telecom policy 2004) and the regulatory area in association with local and international consulting firms.  Currently he works with a team of consultants lead by the Organisation development Centre in a World Bank funded study for the Ministry of Information and Communication, Nepal.  The study, entitled “Increasing ICT access to rural and peri-urban areas of Nepal” is part of the Telecom Sector Reform Project in the Ministry.  Mr. Bohra also worked for the state-owned Telecom Operator of Nepal, which he joined in 1967 as a Telecom Engineer.  After working through telecom projects, planning and operations divisions in various capacities, he acted as CEO of the organisation for three and a half years before moving to the Ministry of Information and Communications in November 1996 on an advisory role. While at the ministry, he collaborated on the development of the telecom policy 1999 and drew up regulations for newly created telecommunication regulatory body. He was also associated in a team which formulated the Nepalese IT policy of 2000. Mr. Bohra holds a B.E (Electrical), University of Melbourne, Australia, 1965.

Biography for Mr. Andy CARVIN

Mr. Andy CARVIN is Program director at the EDC Center for Media & Community, in Newton, Massachusetts, USA. He manages the center's programmatic activities related to the digital divide, e-government and other topics. Serves as director of the Digital Divide Network (http://www.digitaldivide.net ), the Internet's largest online community for activists working to bridge the digital divide. Oversaw the launch of the new DDN website, December 2004. Editor and author of report, Ensuring E-Government for All. Moderator of DIGITALDIVIDE, the Internet's oldest email forum for discussing digital divide issues. Represented the center in various professional conferences and media interviews, including CNN, the Associated Press, Wired, New York Times, Chicago Tribune and others. Prior to this position, Mr. Carvin was Senior Associate at the Benton Foundation promoting digital opportunity in the US and abroad. He also was New Media Program Officer at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, In Washington, D.C. Among his many ICT-related activities, Mr. Carvin has chaired the WSIS Civil Society Telecenters Caucus, developed the Mobcasting & The Gates @ Central Park, and is member of the WSIS Civil Society Education Taskforce, as well as of Board of Directors of the Consortium for School Networking. Mr. Carvin holds a Master of Arts degree in mass communication, with a Master's Certificate in telecommunication science, management and policy and a Bachelor of Science degree in communication studies/rhetoric with a minor in religion from Northwestern University (Evanston, IL).

Biography for Mr. Cheung Moon CHO

Dr. Cheung Moon CHO is Director of Division of International Cooperation & Planning of Korean Agency for Digital Opportunity and Promotion, in charge of international cooperation for helping informatization of developing nations and KOIL (Korea IT learning program) which offers training opportunity to IT related government officials and other experts He got a Ph. D. from University of Maryland, majoring in Sociology. After completing school, he has taught social science related subjects in University and before taking his current position, has been a Senior Researcher in the Department of IT Policy Development at National Computerization Agency from 1999 to 2002, and also worked as a consultant with ESCAP and World Bank in the field of ICT development of developing nations. His major research work includes: Current State of the Digital Divide and Policies for Closing the Digital Divide(2000), Study on the Use of Online Information among the Information Poor and the Ways to Promote their Use of Online Information(2000), Study on the Ways to Promote the Participation of Private Sector in Closing the Digital Divide(2001), Survey on the Informatization of the elderly, people with disabilities, and low income people of lower than 50(2002), and E-Learning, Is it a tool for social inclusion(2004), among others.

Biography for Mr. Alain CLERC

Mr. Alain CLERC is currently President of the « Fondation du Devenir », Advisor of the Mayor of Geneva and Executive Secretary of the Global Digital Solidarity Fund (DSF). Former Swiss Government high official with the Federal Office for the Environment (1980-1989) and the Federal Office for Economic Affairs (1974-1980), Alain Clerc represented the Swiss Confederation at IMO, UNEP, FAO and at the International Council of Scientific Unions (ICSU) during negotiations of the final Declaration of the Second World Conference on Climate Change (1990). Previously, he was President of the Technical and Legal Committee for the negotiation of the Convention on Transboundary Movements of Dangerous Waste (Basel Convention, 1987), Vice-President of the Environment Committee of OECD (1982-1984) and Vice-President of the Committee for Chemical products of OCDE 1983-1986). Other international high-level positions include: Director of the United Nations Centre for environmental emergency support (PNUE/UNCUEA); Director of the Climate Change Information Bureau (IUCC/OMM/PNUE); Senior Advisor to the Executive Director of UNEP and President of the Mt. Blanc-Léman Observatory for sustainable development. Mr. Clerc was born in Geneva in 1945; he studied law and social sciences at the University of Geneva, (1966-1970) and further trained as a teacher in British Columbia (Canada).

Biography for Mr. Harsha DE SILVA

Dr. Harsha De SILVA is a development economist focusing on rural infrastructure in South Asia; particularly in ICT and electricity.  Dr. De Silva's most recent work has been in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka for agencies such as the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, USAID and LIRNEasia. In addition, he has contributed significantly to the market research industry in Sri Lanka and also has served as the chief economist of the nation’s premier development bank. Dr. De Silva holds a Ph.D in economics from the University of Missouri, Columbia.

Biography for Mr. Guennadi FEDEROV

Mr. Guennadi FEDOROV is Chief of the ICT Policy Section at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) since 2002. He has supervised the implementation of different UNESCAP projects and programmes. He is also involved in the coordination of the regional preparation to WSIS. Previously, he has worked as an engineer and scientist, as well as an officer in the USSR State Committee for Science and Technology. In 1985 he joined UNESCAP and later became Chief of the Technology Section. Mr. Fedorov graduated from the Moscow Aircraft Technological Institute and the Russian Academy for Foreign Trade. He holds a Ph.D. in material science.

Biography for Mr. Walter FUST

Mr. Walter FUST is Director-General of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) since September 1993. He is Chairman of the Board of the "Global Knowledge Partnership GKP", a network dealing with information and communication technologies (ICTs) within the scope for cooperation. Mr. Fust is also a member of the Panel of Advisors of the United Nations Task Force on ICTs. Furthermore he is member of the Steering Committee of the "Global Governance Initiative" of the World Economic Forum (WEF) and of the Policy Committee of the Global Coalition for Africa. He entered the diplomatic service in 1975 and was assigned to Berne, Geneva, Baghdad and Tokyo. From 1976 to 1979 he was in charge of economic affairs at the Swiss Embassy in Baghdad. In 1979, he was transferred to Tokyo, responsible for economic, commercial and industrial affairs. In September 1983, he was appointed deputy head of the Integration Office, dealing with the Swiss government's relation with the European Community and the EFTA countries. From 1984 to 1986 he was appointed as personal adviser to Federal Councilor Dr. Kurt Furgler, Minister of Public Economy. In 1986, he was elected as Managing Director of the Swiss Office for Trade Promotion. From 1990 to August 1993 he served as Secretary General of the Ministry of the Interior. Mr. Fust studied at St. Gallen University and graduated with a Master of Political Science.

Biography for Mr. Ahmad Farshid GHYASI

Mr. Ahmad Farshid GHYASI is currently the Deputy Project Manager for UNDP/ICT Project in Afghanistan. He is involved in major ICT related projects in Afghanistan including the Telekiosk Project, ICT Capacity Building within the Government and Cisco Networking Academies. He is currently involved in the implementation of the E-Government Pilot within Afghanistan’s Ministry of Communications, in the establishment of the National Internet Register of Afghanistan (NIRA), the Afghanistan Internet Exchange Point (AIX) and the establishment of Afghanistan's National Data Center. Prior to joining UNDP, Farshid was the CEO of NetLynx Solutions, one of the largest web-hosting providers in Afghanistan. Farshid is also the co-founder and Technology Specialist for Mobile Government Labs in Japan where he was mainly involved in research and development on Mobile Government (use of Wireless and Mobile technologies in delivering government services to citizens). He is the writer of many articles on this subject of which "Mobile Government Adoption and Cases of Developing Countries" was presented in the 4th European Conference on E-Government in Dublin. Farshid has a masters degree in E-Business Management, IUJ School of Business Management (International University of Japan), and a bachelors degree in Management Information Systems (MIS). In addition, he has a Diploma in Computer Science.

Biography for Mr. Mongi HAMDI

Mr. Mongi HAMDI, a native of Tunisia, is Chief of Science and Technology at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and Secretary to the United Nations Commission on Science and Technology for Development.  Prior to joining UNCTAD, Mr. Hamdi worked as an Economic Affairs Officer in the Department of International Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat in New York, where he was one of the core authors of the World Economic and Social Survey.  Mongi Hamdi holds a Master of Science and a Ph.D. in Engineering from the University of Southern California at Los Angeles.  He also holds a Certificate in Macroeconomic Policy and Management from Harvard University. His areas of interest are science, technology and innovation policies, technology transfer and information and communication technologies.

Biography for Mr. Sergei KAMBALOV

Dr. Sergei KAMBALOV is Deputy Executive Coordinator of the Secretariat of the United Nations Information and Communication Technologies Task Force (www.unicttaskforce.org). Prior to this he was Chief, Policy Coordination Section, Division for ECOSOC Support and Coordination, Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Prior to joining the United Nations in February 1989 he worked at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the USSR. Mr. Kambalov has a PhD in International Economics from the Diplomatic Academy, Moscow. Graduate of the Department of Economics, University of Moscow.

Biography for Mr. Tim KELLY

Dr. Tim KELLY is Head of the Strategy and Policy Unit of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), where he has worked since 1993. Before joining ITU he spent five years as a Communications Policy Analyst with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and three years with Logica Consultancy Ltd. He has an MA (Hons) degree in Geography and a Ph.D in industrial economics from Cambridge University. Over the last eighteen years, Dr Kelly has specialised in the economics of the telecommunications industry. He has written or co-authored more than 20 books on the subject including the ITU's "World Telecommunication Development Reports" and “Internet Reports” series.

Biography for Mr. Hak-Su KIM

Mr. KIM Hak-Su is the Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific  (ESCAP) since 1 July 2000. Prior to his appointment, Mr. Kim was the Ambassador for International Economic Affairs of the Republic of Korea.  He has vast experience in central banking, development planning, government think-tanks and private sector management, as well as international organizations. Mr. Kim began his professional career in 1960 as a central bank economist, served as Secretary to the Minister of Commerce and Industry in 1969 and worked for the London Representative Office of the Bank of Korea (1971-1973).  He joined Daewoo Corporation in 1977 as Executive Director and served ACWOO International Corporation in New York as President. From 1981 to 1989, Mr. Kim worked as Chief Planning Officer and Chief Technical Adviser under the United Nations Department for Technical Cooperation and Development, in the Pacific island countries, including Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands.  He joined the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy as a Senior Research Fellow, researching and publishing on issues regarding international economic cooperation from 1989 to 1993. He served as President of the Hanil Banking Institute before taking up the post of Secretary-General of the Colombo Plan, based in Colombo, Sri Lanka  (1995-1999.  He served as Ambassador at large for International Economic Affairs since June 1999. Mr. Kim holds a Master’s Degree from Edinburgh University, United Kingdom, and a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of South Carolina, United States.

Biography for Mr. Jonathan KUSHNER

Mr. Jonathan KUSHNER is Global Strategic Accounts Executive for Microsoft’s Public Sector business in the Asia Pacific based in Singapore. Jonathan is responsible for business development and strategic project engagement in public private partnerships with multilateral organizations and bilateral organizations focusing primarily on Japan, China, Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent. In September 2004, Jonathan was appointed by Microsoft as the first business development manager for Asia Pacific to focus exclusively on multilateral and bilateral clients such as the UN agencies, APEC, ASEAN, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, JBIC/JICA and AusAid. Prior to his appointment, Jonathan served in a regional corporate affairs role for Microsoft in which he was involved in outreach to governments, industry associations and multilateral organizations, including APEC, the ADB, and UNESCAP on a variety of IT issues, including e-business, e-government, security and privacy. Before joining Microsoft in January 2002, Jonathan served for two years as the Director of External Affairs at the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan (ACCJ), and was financial advisor to both private and public sector clients in public-private partnerships for large-scale infrastructure projects across the Asia Pacific and Latin America. Jonathan has a masters degree from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs and a B.A. from Tulane University in the United States. He also studied at the University of Madrid in Spain and the University of Tsukuba in Japan.

Biography for Mr. Yong Jae LEE

Mr. Yong Jae LEE is a manager at Global Marketing Operations (GMO) of Samsung Electronics headquarters, and is in charge of global & regional corporate marketing strategy (brand, channel, pricing, investment, etc.). He has a master’s degree of business administration (MBA) from the State University of New York at Buffalo, majoring in marketing and management information system.

Biography for Mr. Jonathan LOPEZ RODRIGUEZ

Mr. Jonathan LOPEZ RODRIGUEZ is the Director of the e-Government project in Mexico, being responsible for the development and impulse of projects in matter of electronic government, together with other entities of the federal public administration (www.e-mexico.gob.mx).  He is responsible for the Customer Service Center of the e-Mexico Network of Community Digital Centers. Mr. López also coordinates the integration of the e-Mexico Data Center. He holds a degree in Information Technologies Administration and is currently studying a Masters in Electronic Commerce.

Biography for Mr. Michael MINGES

Mr. Michael MINGES is Senior Market Analyst at the Telecommunications Management Group, Inc. (TMG). Mr. Minges has more than 25 years of international experience, 15 of which have been in telecommunications. Before joining TMG, Mr. Minges worked as Head of the Market, Economics and Finance Unit, Telecommunication Development Bureau at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), where his functions included the analysis of telecommunications trends in developing nations, market studies of countries and regions, and regulatory and policy advice. He also worked at the International Monetary Fund as an economist and information technology specialist. Mr. Minges has a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from George Washington University (United States).
Mr. Minges has written numerous articles and makes frequent presentations around the world on telecommunications progress in emerging countries. He launched a principal industry publication, the World Telecommunication Development Report and designed a leading indicator for measuring ICT progress, the Digital Access Index. He has conducted almost two dozen e-readiness assessments in developing nations.

Biography for Mr. Yon MOREIRA DA SILVA Jr.

Mr. Yon MOREIRA DA SILVA is Vice President of Brasil Telecom since December 2001. As part of Brasil Telecom he has held several positions at different departments, including Network Operations, M&A, Sales, Marketing, Interconnection, New Business, Business Strategy, Convergence Strategy, Wholesale Market, among others. He was founder and CEO of Telefónica Data in Brazil, as well Officer of Telefónica in Brazil.  He also held Director positions at Lucent Technologies, Nortel and Siemens.  Mr. Moreira is Director of the Sao Paulo State Industry Federation, member of the World Economic Forum for Digital Divide and  Member of the Brazilian Program for the Digital Inclusion, led by the President of Brazil, Luis Ignacio Lula da Silva.  Mr. Moreira is a licensed Professor at Universidade Paulista for Engineering Graduation. He holds a bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering and an MBA from the Fundação Getulio Vargas.

Biography for Ms. Thi Minh Van NGUYEN

Ms. NGUYEN Thi Minh Van is an External Relations Expert at the Information Center of P&T (ICPT) of the Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Corporation (VNPT), where she has worked at for the last eight years. She is in charge of VNPT website development and management, and is also responsible for overviewing, assessing and making recommendations on how the Internet, web pages and online information and contents can effectively serve development requirements and improve social knowledge, while making the most of them to help reduce the digital divide in the world and Vietnam alike. Ms. Nguyen graduated from the Ha Noi National University in 1996 majoring in IT and communications. She also holds a degree in Economics.

Biography for Mr. Jean Paul NKURUNZIZA

Mr. Jean Paul NKURUNZIZA is one of the creators of Burundi Youth Training Center (BYTC). He is also the national coordinator for BURUNDI of a project named "Independent observatory of Internet offer in Africa" (Observatoire indépendant des offres d'accès à Internet en Afrique. This project is being launched in 8 countries in Africa with the financial support of "Fond Francophone des Inforoutes). His activities in the ICT area began in 1999 with the training of Burundian youth in Bujumbura, the capital city of Burundi. In 2003, he was nominated to be the head manager of the project "Internet Center for youth," which was launched with the financial support of the Intergovernmental French Speaking Agency (Agence Intergouvernementale de la Francophonie). He has also been involved in the WSIS process as the national World Summit Award's Expert (WSA) for Burundi. The WSA is an initiative led by the International Center for New Media, which aims to promote best products and applications of ICTs for development.

Biography for Mr. Lilia PEREZ-CHAVOLLA

Dr. Lilia PEREZ-CHAVOLLA is a policy and data analyst at the Strategy and Policy Unit of the International Telecommunication Union. Before joining ITU in January 2005, Ms. Perez worked as a research associate at the National Regulatory Research Institute (NRRI) at the Ohio State University, where she conducted research on retail telephone quality of service standards and best practices in broadband deployment in the U.S.  Her research interests focus on telecommunications policy and on the analysis of institutional reform and performance of the telecommunications sector.  She has participated in tutorials on current telecommunications issues for state commissioners and public utility staff in the United States. Ms. Pérez-Chavolla has authored and co-authored research in the areas of regulatory reform, universal service, and consumer affairs.  She received her Masters and doctoral degrees in Communication from the Ohio State University.

Biography for Mr. Larry PRESS

Dr. Larry PRESS, Professor of Information Systems at California State University, Dominguez Hills, has been tracking the global diffusion of the Internet since the mid 1990s.  Dr. Press and his colleagues at the Mosaic Group developed an early framework to characterize the state of the Internet in a nation, and they, and others, have used this framework in many national case studies and surveys.  Dr. Press also helped organize and was an instructor in the World Bank/Internet Society workshops, which trained over 2,500 networking leaders from nearly every developing nation.  Dr. Press has worked in both industry and academia, consulted to a variety of industrial and non-governmental organizations, and published numerous articles and reports. He has published two books, edited two book series, and been an editor or contributing editor for several periodicals.  He is currently working on two wireless projects and developing and assessing online teaching material.  His PhD in information processing is from UCLA.

Biography for Dr. Bechir RADDAOUI

Dr. Bechir RADDAOUI is currently Director at the cabinet of the Minister of Communication Technologies in Tunisia, post he has occupied since January 2005. Prior to this he was Department Head at the Department of Fundamental Computer Science at the National School for Computer Studies, University of Manouba, Tunisia. He spent eight years, from 1993 to 2001, at the University of Qatar as a member of the faculty of technology, where he participated in the elaboration of a MIS educational curriculum. He holds a bachelor degree in management and computer science from the University of SFAX, Tunisia, and he received his master and doctoral degrees in computer science from the University of Toulouse, France. His areas of interest are science, information and communication technologies and Management Information System (MIS).

Biography for Mr. Michael REED

Dr. G. Michael REED is the recently appointed Director of the United Nations University International Institute for Software Technology (UNU-IIST). Since 1986, he has been the General Electric Company Fellow in Computation at St Edmund Hall, Oxford University. Dr Reed has served as an advisor to the Office of the President (Carter Administration) on scientific manpower, and has served as advisor to government ministers and presidential candidates in Africa. His previous experience includes terms as Senior Research Associate at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and the US Naval Research Laboratory, and as a Manager of Postdoctoral Programs for the US National Science Foundation, He is a former Research Fellow for the American Mathematical Society and former Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science at Ohio University. He has been a Visiting Professor at the University of Maryland, the US Naval Academy, Tulane University, and the University of Paris; Dr. Reed has numerous publications in both pure mathematics and in computation. He has edited several research volumes ad an international research journal. He holds a doctorate in pure mathematics from Auburn University (USA) and a doctorate in computation from Oxford University (UK). 

Biography for Mr. Art REILLY

Mr. Art REILLY is Senior Director, Strategic Technology Policy at Cisco Systems. As the business Vice Chair of the UN ICT Task Force, he is working with other stakeholders to promote the achievement of the goals of the UN Millennium Declaration (improving the quality of life for people around the world) through the use of information technology, and to constructively influence the evolution of the Information Society. Art has also been an active private sector participant in preparations for the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) and in activities of the UN Secretary General’s Working Group on Internet Governance through the Coordinating Committee of Business Interlocutors (CCBI). As Cisco’s principal representative to the ITU and other UN activities on policy matters, he provides leadership in Cisco’s global technology policy and standards management activities. He is also currently a member of the Board of Directors of the US ITU Association. Art has successfully led national, regional and global efforts to promote voluntary, private-sector-led, market-driven standardization and to harmonize standards development. He was an architect of the Global Standards Collaboration (GSC) process which began in 1990 and which regularly brings together telecom standards leaders from the North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. He currently is preparing for the 2005 GSC as a member of the delegation from the Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solution (ATIS).

Biography for Mr. Jun-Hyong RHO

Mr. Jun-hyong RHO is the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Information & Communication (MIC) of Republic of Korea. He joinedthe MIC in 1996 and during this period he helped develop the nation’s Information network and promoted cooperation worldwide. He has also contributed to the field of information systems through his continuous interest and participation in the information field. His MIC experience includes working in the Public Information Office, Informatization Planning Office, International Cooperation Office, Radio and Broadcasting Bureau and Information and Communication Policy Bureau, as well as serving as a Standing Commissioner of Korea Communications Commission. He had also worked as an Assistant Minister of Planning and Management of MIC. Mr. Rho completed his undergraduate graduate studies at Seoul National University, School of Law.

Biography for Mr. Robert SAGUN

Mr. Robert SAGUN is concurrently Executive Director of the Philippine Resources for Sustainable Development, Inc., an NGO that mainstreams sustainable development in Philippine society through research, advocacy and action projects; one of the Southern members of The Third Chamber (www.thethirdchamber.org); and Policy Coordinator of the UN World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Youth Caucus (www.wsisyouth.org), an umbrella of youth organizations and young people engaged and/or involved in ICT4D projects and the WSIS process. He is presently conducting research on the potential contribution of mobile telephony to advance environmental sustainability.
His expertise and interests revolve around environmental sustainability, poverty reduction strategies, information and communications technologies for development (ICT4D), youth participation in political processes, employment and entrepreneurship, multi-stakeholder partnerships, and development financing. He is also an active member of the UN CSD Youth Caucus and the International Ad Hoc Working Group on Youth and the MDGs (download paper on http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unyin/mdgs.htm). He can be reached through robsagun1@yahoo.com.

Biography for Mr. Mohammad SALAHUDDIN

Dr. Rudy Salahuddin is a Deputy Director for Posts, Telecommunication and ICT of the Ministry of National Development Planning (BAPPENAS) of the Republic of Indonesia. He joined the Ministry of National Development Planning (BAPPENAS) as a Planning Officer at the Directorate of Transportation in 1996 and awarded an OTO-BAPPENAS scholarship for continuing his study to the doctoral degree in 1998. When he continued his study back to George Washington University, he worked as a Knowledge Intern at the Transport Division of the World Bank in Washington, D.C. from 1999-2000, where he served as a Working Group for the World Bank Urban Transport Strategy Review. Dr. Salahuddin holds an Insinyur (B.S.) degree in Civil Engineering from the Universitas Indonesia, as well as a Master of Engineering Management (M.E.M.) and Doctor of Science (D.Sc) degree from George Washington University.

Biography for Mr. Oluwagbenga SESAN

Mr. Gbenga SESAN is presently the Program Manager of Lagos Digital Village, a multi-stakeholder partnership project that provides training and mentorship opportunities for underserved youth in Nigeria through the provision of a training centre equipped with computers and internet access. He maintains a personal website, www.gbengasesan.com, and continues to spend time discussing with youth groups on the effective use of Information and Communication Technologies for development. Mr. Sesan was Nigeria's first Information Technology Youth Ambassador. His interest and work is built around "Youth Bridging the Digital Divide" and he is quick to express his strong belief in the potentials that ICTs hold for Nigeria and Africa. He has been an active participant at national, regional and international discussions on the need for Africa's inclusion in the Information Society and has consulted widely for numerous organisations, including the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA). He is presently the Vice Chair of the African Technical Advisory Committee. In recognition of his dynamic efforts, 'Gbenga was a recipient of the "Frontier of Technology in Nigeria" award and the International Telecommunication Union's Africa 2001 Youth fellowship award, among others. He was also honored as one of the "Ten Outstanding Young Persons in Nigeria" and profiled as one of the 35 "Icons of ICT" in Nigeria.

Biography for Mr. Paulo César SIQUEIRA

Dr. Paulo César SIQUEIRA is Head of the International Cooperation Office of the Brazilian  Institute on Science and Technology Information  (IBICT) since July 2001. He has previously held positions at the International Cooperation Office (SCI) of the National Research Council (CNPq-1978-2000); in the Amazon Programs Office of the Ministry of  Science & Technology (MCT- January to  June 2001) and was Professor in the field of International Relations and Management in Science and Technology of the Brasilia Superior Learning Institute (Instituto de Ensino Superior de Brasilia (IESB- from August/2001 to October/2004), as well as invited professor of the University of Brasília, with some publications in International Relations and Science and Technology Management.  Dr. Siqueira holds a Ph.D. in Science, Technology and Society by the Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers-CNAM/Paris – France (1999), as well as a DEA/Master’s degree in Science, Technology and Society by the Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers-CNAM/Paris – France (1995). His Bachelor (1978) and Master (1991) degrees in International Relations were obtained at the University of Brasilia (UnB), Brazil.

Biography for Mr. Yeon-gi SON

Biography for Ms. Rita TSERING

Biography for Ms. Mariana TODOROVA

Mariana TODOROVA is Saga Technology PC Magazine Bulgaria editor in chief. Before starting her job for PC Magazine Bulgaria she worked as a reporter for Bulgarian national radio, newspaper Anteni, Otechestven vestnik and financial newspaper Pari – first as a reporter and after that as a head of Correspondent‘s Bureau.  She is experienced in the financial area also, especially in the area of New Economy, concerning Internet application for developing business. This year she will finish her studies in Finance at the University for National and World Economy. Ms. Todorova has more than 50 publications in the field of telecommunications, analysis in the almost all sectors of IT business and investment activity in Bulgarian economy. She studied at the Technical University in Sofia – M.Sc. Computer science, and after that finished Journalism in St. Kliment Ochridski University of Sofia.

Biography for Mr. Jirapon TUBTIMHIN

Mr. Jirapon TUBTIMHIN is Director of the project Government Information Technology Infrastructure (GITI) under the National Electronics and Computer Technology Center (NECTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST). His recent career records and experiences include IT Consultant to IT Committees of various public agencies, guest lecturer in Public/Private institutions and universities, Project Overseer of APEC funded project entitled “Establishment of Government CIO Training Model”, Consultant to APEC’s e-University project (2004), Member-Editor of IPAIT 2004 Committee on Substances (2003-2004), Member-Secretary of APEC 2003 ICT Working Committee (2003), manager of e-Government Project under NECTEC (2001-2003), Director of Bureau of e-Government Development, Ministry of ICT (2003), IT Consultant-Project Manager, NECTEC (1995-2000) and EDP Manager (1987-1995). He graduated from engineering School of Khonkaen University, followed by law school of Thammasat University and received Master of Engineering from Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand.

Biography for Mr. Cosmas ZAVAZAVA

Dr. Cosmas L. ZAVAZAVA works in the Telecommunication Development Bureau of the International Telecommunications Union and is ITU's Focal Point for Emergency Telecommunications. He has written on Emergency Telecommunications, and on critical role of Information and Communications Technologies in sustainable social and economic development especially in the least developed countries.

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