Future of IT in Africa

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• My Opinion

• 
  Joseph Abandoh-Sam    Group moderator

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  My Opinion

  Hi all,
  I brought up this topic because of the low rate of research in Computer Science in Africa. I do not know very much about other African countries. In computer science there are two main branches; Industrial computing and Research or Academic computing. Here in Africa, especially Ghana, the concentration is on industrial computing. This is not the best. The few who are into research find it hard getting the necessary financial support hence in the long run either they send their research else where or they forget about it and move on.
  
  Why do I think research is important? There are several reasons that I can give. Most IT specialist in Ghana and I believe in Africa are into industrial computing that is programming, networking, system design and administration, etc. And they are there to provide user support and develop new and improve existing systems. But the current trend in computing is slowly sidelining those with less expertise who are abundant in Africa. When I speak of experts I’m referring to those who can develop complex applications and design and formulate new systems.
  
  Almost every major application that has been developed has come from the outside world. When we buy computers or laptops, they are from outside the continent and some of them cannot meet the tropical and dusty conditions here. We have unstable electrical current flow but yet we buy systems that have been made to suit stable conditions. We have to get researchers who can research and develop systems that can meet the conditions in Africa. It’s good to have researchers from outside the continent but we need to get involve too.
  
  Most of the standards that Africa is being measured with are from external. But we need to research African standards because we will forever be behind the other continents and think we have not done much unless we measure African achievements by African standards. Africans need to sit up and start doing their own research into their own continent because I believe we are only using a minute percentage of the full potentials Mother Africa is presenting.
  
  The economist are researching into ways of improving African economy so I believe for us in IT, we also have to start researching to ways of improving IT in Africa not by other standards but by African standards.
  
  This just the opinion of one person, what is yours?
  
  • 11 Apr 2007, 11:40 am
  Joseph Abandoh-Sam wrote: > Hi all, > I brought up this topic because of the low rate of research in > Computer Science in Africa. I do not know very much about other > African countries. In computer science there are two main branches; > Industrial computing and Research or Academic computing. Here in > Africa, especially Ghana, the concentration is on industrial > computing. This is not the best. The few who are into research find > it hard getting the necessary financial support hence in the long run > either they send their research else where or they forget about it > and move on. > > Why do I think research is important? There are several reasons that > I can give. Most IT specialist in Ghana and I believe in Africa are > into industrial computing that is programming, networking, system > design and administration, etc. And they are there to provide user > support and develop new and improve existing systems. But the current > trend in computing is slowly sidelining those with less expertise who > are abundant in Africa. When I speak of experts I’m referring to > those who can develop complex applications and design and formulate > new systems. > > Almost every major application that has been developed has come from > the outside world. When we buy computers or laptops, they are from > outside the continent and some of them cannot meet the tropical and > dusty conditions here. We have unstable electrical current flow but > yet we buy systems that have been made to suit stable conditions. We > have to get researchers who can research and develop systems that can > meet the conditions in Africa. It’s good to have researchers from > outside the continent but we need to get involve too. > > Most of the standards that Africa is being measured with are from > external. But we need to research African standards because we will > forever be behind the other continents and think we have not done > much unless we measure African achievements by African standards. > Africans need to sit up and start doing their own research into their > own continent because I believe we are only using a minute percentage > of the full potentials Mother Africa is presenting. > > The economist are researching into ways of improving African economy > so I believe for us in IT, we also have to start researching to ways > of improving IT in Africa not by other standards but by African > standards. > > This just the opinion of one person, what is yours?
• 
  Nigel Stonham    Premium Member   Group moderator

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  Re: My Opinion

  my view.... provide fast reliable free internet for everyone, and watch what happens...
  
  Joseph Abandoh-Sam wrote:
  
   
  This just the opinion of one person, what is yours?
  
  • 11 Aug 2007, 4:15 pm
  Nigel Stonham wrote: > my view.... provide fast reliable free internet for everyone, and > watch what happens... > > Joseph Abandoh-Sam wrote: > > > > > This just the opinion of one person, what is yours?