As we enter 2010, I would like to highlight some of our major achievements last year. Reflecting back, these achievements have really exceeded our expectations and they were possible thanks to your support. I would also like to take this opportunity to draw your attention to some of our upcoming activities.
Dear Members and Friends,
Warm greetings from APCICT and Happy New Year!
As we enter 2010, I would like to highlight some of our major achievements last year. Reflecting back, these achievements have really exceeded our expectations and they were possible thanks to your support. I would also like to take this opportunity to draw your attention to some of our upcoming activities.
Capacity Building – At the Heart of APCICT
Over the past year, we have taken great strides in extending the reach of our flagship programme, the “Academy of ICT Essentials for Government Leaders” (Academy), and significant impact has been achieved.
- In 2009, 12 Academy workshops were held in Afghanistan, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, the Philippines, Republic of Korea, Samoa, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Tonga and Tuvalu. And another 12 were held by APCICT partners independent of APCICT support in Kiribati, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia and the Philippines.
- The Academy is integrated into national capacity building frameworks in Afghanistan, Indonesia, Mongolia and the Philippines. Moreover, in Indonesia, knowledge sharing events organized by the Academy alumni have led to the establishment of a National e-Government Forum and the drafting of e-government regulations. In the Philippines, ICT-related questions adapted from the Academy modules have been added in qualifying examination for civil servants.
- Partners of the Academy have mobilized resources and secured funding, for instance, from UNDP to roll out the Academy in six of the seven provinces of Kyrgyzstan; and from the EU for Academy roll out in 14 Pacific Islands States. The Philippine Career Executive Service Board, a partner of the Academy, has allocated in its 2010 budget, funds to conduct training using the adapted version of the Academy.
- APCICT has been actively promoting south-south cooperation through the Academy. For example, the Academy has been made available in Africa through APCICT’s collaboration with the UN Economic Commission for Africa, and discussions are underway with the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia to extend the Academy to the Arab region and translate the modules into Arabic.
- The Bahasa Indonesia and Russian version of the Academy modules are now available at http://www.unapcict.org/academy. They have been translated by our partners, the University of Indonesia and the National Information Technology Center (NITC) of Kyrgyzstan.
- The APCICT Virtual Academy (AVA - http://ava.unapcict.org), the online distance learning platform of the Academy, now allows you to complete the courses online or on a DVD-ROM at your own pace. Until 31 March 2010, the AVA member who completes all eight self-paced modules in the curriculum and obtain the highest score in the final exams will be awarded the opportunity to participate in an APCICT-organized event (see http://www.unapcict.org/news/candidate-from-uzbekistan-wins-award-to-participate-in-apcict-training-event).
The positive feedback we have received from the growing network of Academy alumni and partners has been very encouraging, and in 2010, my team and I will continue to work hard to expand the Academy Programme in existing countries and extend it to new countries, including Armenia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan, Viet Nam, and the Commonwealth of Independent States.
Based on demand from our member countries (and as I am battling with the heaviest snow in Incheon in more than 70 years), I am pleased to announce that APCICT will be developing two new Academy modules on ICT for Disaster Risk Reduction (Module 9), and Climate Change and ICT (Module 10). To keep up with the fast-changing field of ICT, our Centre will also be updating existing modules. You will be hearing more from us on these initiatives.
A Hub for Knowledge Sharing and Research on ICT for Development
The e-Collaborative Hub (e-Co Hub – http://www.unapcict.org/ecohub) has been critical in providing a dedicated online platform for knowledge sharing on ICT for development (ICTD). The e-Co Hub is being accessed and used by a growing group. Its membership base has more than doubled from 270 registered members in December 2008 to almost 600 members from 115 different countries in December 2009. The number of resources has more than doubled from 230 resources last year to a collection of 480 resources from various reputable organizations.
Since the last part of 2009, we have been working to re-design, improve and upgrade e-Co Hub and our website to enhance your online experience and encourage knowledge sharing and interactions. Shortly, APCICT will be conducting an online survey to ask for your feedback and suggestions for improving the e-Co Hub. We hope you will extend your cooperation once again by participating in the survey in order to help us serve you better.
We are also preparing the extension of e-Co Hub’s services to promote and facilitate research. The Centre will initiate two research series - APCICT Briefing Note Series on ICT for Development and APCICT ICT for Development Case Study Series. The Briefing Note Series aims to provide at-a-glance information of key ICTD agenda for high-level policymakers and stakeholders. The first set of Briefing Notes that is being developed focuses on policy considerations drawn from the Academy modules.
The Case Study Series will provide analysis and compilation of best practices and case studies on different aspects of ICTD and capacity building in the Asia Pacific region. The inaugural issue in this series is focused on ICT human capacity building for development, and the second issue on ICT for disaster risk reduction to complement the upcoming new Academy module of the same title. Both publications will be released in 2010.
Customized Services for a Diverse Asia Pacific Region
APCICT has been offering advisory services to national governments and training partners in localizing and delivering the Academy. Furthermore, based on a request from the Government of the Republic of Korea, APCICT provided advisory services to build an ICTD component in the Government's international cooperation strategy.
To build the ICT capacity of youths, APCICT’s Future ICT Leaders Programme is focused on equipping our future workforce with the requisite ICT tools and the knowledge of their application for promoting socio-economic development. Under the ongoing programme, we have been offering internships to graduate students in order to build their ICT capacity and provide practical exposure to work in the ICTD field. We have also partnered with the ASEAN University Network, the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Daejeon University to offer two-month work opportunities to exchange students from ASEAN countries. Through this initiative last year, we had seven students from Cambodia, Lao PDR, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam contributing to the work at APCICT.
As the next step in expanding the programme, we will be supporting the incorporation of ICTD aspects and discussions in textbooks of undergraduate and graduate level university courses in the fields of public administration, computing, and development studies. In 2010, a comprehensive survey will be conducted, including an assessment of existing textbooks in the relevant fields. This will be an important initiative for us and we are excited by its potential for promoting ICTD amongst youth. The 2010 Internship Programme is now open for application. For more information, please visit http://www.unapcict.org/aboutus/careers-and-recruitment/internship.
Thank you again for your support. I look forward to strengthening our network so that together we can ‘leapfrog’ barriers and become the driving force in developing inclusive societies and accelerating socio-economic development through the use of ICTs.
May 2010 bring happiness, good health and prosperity to you and your family!
Best regards
Hyeun-Suk Rhee
Director
APCICT
