The Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South COMSATS

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The Commission on Science and Technology for
Sustainable Development in the South (COMSATS)

• Dr. Hameed Ahmed Khan H.I., S.I.,
• Executive Director COMSATS

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• Mandate UN accredited IGO working to uplift
  the socio economic conditions in
  third world countries through science and
  technology led sustainable development
• Establishment 1994 having 21 countries members
  from three continents - Asia, Africa and
  Latin America
• Network of International Science and Technology
• Centers of Excellence
• 14 centers in the network

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Strengthening Technology Support Institutions and
Building Human Capacity

• The new economy is primarily a knowledge-based
  economy, a strategic combination of many factors
  including
• Organizational and structural changes
• An appropriate combination of technologies and
  policy settings
• Capacity building based on innovation and
  creativity promoted by expanded international
  trade and global networked information
  technologies

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The Scenario in Developing Countries

• Scientifically proficient countries increasingly
  define their relations with the scientifically
  advanced countries on the basis of equality or
  near equality examples include Brazil, China,
  India, Hungary, and South Africa.
• Scientifically developing countries have pockets
  of adequate scientific and technological capacity
  amidst general scarcity examples include
  countries such as Turkey, Colombia, Indonesia,
  Pakistan, and Latvia.
• Scientifically lagging countries lack capacity
  almost entirely examples include countries such
  as Nepal, Albania, Mali, Ecuador, and Libya.

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Why Strengthening Technology Support Institutions
and Building Human Capacity is Necessary

• For Poverty Alleviation
• Agriculture
• Health
• Energy
• For Economic Growth
• Education
• Employment
• Sustainable Income Generation
• For Sustainable Development

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Strengthening Technology Support Institutions and
Building Human CapacityCOMSATS Initiatives
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Strengthening Technology Support Institutions and
Building Human Capacity COMSATS
Initiatives .. (Contd)

• Agreement to initiate ICTs for Rural Development
  of the Remote Mountainous Areas of Northern
  Pakistan, signed on 19 January 2004.
• Objective Strengthening Health and Education
  facilities/support in remote areas
• Partners IDRC, KADO, BHEF

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Strengthening Technology Support Institutions and
Building Human Capacity COMSATS Initiatives
.. (Contd)

• The French Online Project launched on 20 March
  2003
• Objective Provide a first-time learning service
  using the latest distance learning technologies
  that can be emulated by educational institutes
• Partners Alliance Francaise and French Government

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Strengthening Technology Support Institutions and
Building Human Capacity COMSATS
Initiatives . Contd

• COMSATS Tele-health Demonstration Project at
  Gujar Khan - inaugurated January 2002, completed
  2003
• Objective Strengthen Health services and
  encourage technological infrastructure in small
  cities
• Partner Byte 2000, a subsidiary of PAKMT, USA
• Industrial Information Network (IIN) initiated
  in 2001, formally launched May 2002
• Objective Strengthen technological support to
  the SME sector to facilitate income generation
  for challenged sections of the business sector
• Partner UNIDO

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Strengthening Technology Support Institutions and
Building Human Capacity COMSATS Initiatives

. Contd

• CERN Data Grid Application and Physics Data
  Analysis Project, initiated January 2002
• Lectures through Video Conference
• Grid Technology workshop and Tutorial Training
• Training of scientists from member countries
• Project partners COMSATS, CERN NCP

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Strengthening Technology Support Institutions and
Building Human Capacity COMSATS
Initiatives . Contd

• Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical
  Physics - Pakistan Chapter (ICTP-PC)
  inaugurated 10th May 2002
• Biotechnology Web Portal Project initiated 2004

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Strengthening Technology Support Institutions and
Building Human Capacity COMSATS Initiatives
Collaboration and International Linkages

• The World Bank / Islamic Development Bank /
  COMSTECH Strengthening of COMSATS Centres of
  Excellence
• UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Rome,
  Italy and Islamic Academy of Sciences (IAS)
  Collaboration in Biotechnology

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Strengthening Technology Support Institutions and
Building Human Capacity COMSATS Initiatives
Collaboration and International Linkages
.. (Contd)

• Ongoing efforts to establish COMSATS Liaison
  Office and Training Centre in China
• Training will be offered in various areas
  relevant to developing countries with the aim to
  build human capacity and facilitate strengthening
  of institutions through improved human resources

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COMSATS Initiatives- Strengthening Technology
Support Institutions and Building Human
CapacitySome Important Workshops/Meetings

• Close to 20 national and international
  conferences held exclusively or jointly over the
  last 3 years
• Workshop on Mathematical Modeling and its
  Application to Development Issues, Islamabad, Oct
  29- Nov 02, 2002
• The Meeting on CERN Data-GRID and its
  Application, Islamabad held on Nov 4, 2002
• Three-day Symposium on Mountains of Pakistan -
  Protection, Potential and Prospects Islamabad,
  held from 17-19 Dec, 2002
• International Workshop on Climate Variability in
  Asian Monsoon Region, Bangkok, December 2-4, 2003
  
• International Training Courses on Climate
  Modelling and Prediction, Beijing, October 20-30,
  2003

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International Meetings and Conferences.. (Contd)

• International Conference on Science and
  Technology Capacity Building for Developing
  Countries, Islamabad, 19-21 February 2003
• Second National Conference on Non-Destructive
  Testing, Islamabad, October 14-16, 2003
• Workshop On Grid Technology, Islamabad, October
  20-22, 2003
• International Conference on Current Trends in
  Radiopharmaceuticals, Islamabad, October 21-23,
  2003
• Series of Lectures on Nobel Prizes in Physics,
  Islamabad, October 23, 2003

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International Meetings and Conferences.. (Contd)

• Second Seminar of the Series Nobel Prizes in
  Physics, January 30, 2004
• International Meeting on Renewable Energy
  Technologies and Sustainable Development, 10-11
  February 2004, Islamabad COMSATS invited to
  attend the Bonn Conference renewables 2004 in
  June 2004 as a result
• The Meeting on South-South and North-South
  Collaboration in Science and Technology Present
  Scenario Future Prospects conducted just
  recently from March 12-13, 2004

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• COMSATS INTERNET SERVICES
• An Achievement in Strengthening Technology
  Support Institutions

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COMSATS Achievements in Strengthening Technology
Support Institutions

• Operative in more than 12 cities, introduction of
  New Nodes member country - Pakistan
• Multan, Gujar Khan, Gilgit Attock
• and shortly in
• Hunza
• Skardu
• Franchise licenses awarded for
• Swat, Wah, Sargodha, Jhang, Bahawalpur and Rahim
  Yar Khan

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CIS Projects and Programmes

• Commerce Service Provider Project initiated in
  February 2002 in collaboration with Citibank and
  IBM
• COMSATS Internet Services signed a contract with
  the E-Government Directorate for hosting
  Pakistans first E-Government Portal in August
  2002
• Implementation of Java based ISP Billing System
  Initiated in January 2003, completed June 2003

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CIS Projects and Programmes .. (Contd)

• Establishment of the Web Based Solutions
  Department in March 2003, formed to provide web
  based solutions including development of portals
  and complete turn key solutions to corporations
• CISCO Certified Training Since December 2000
  1,427 computer professionals have been trained

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• COMSATS INSTITUTE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
• An Achievement in Building Human Capacity

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COMSATS Achievements in Building Human Capacity

• Five campuses, over 450 highly qualified faculty
  members and over 6,000 students
• Foreign students from COMSATS member countries
  11 at present at Islamabad campus
• Construction of the new Academic Block at
  Islamabad
• Opening of four more campuses at Wah, Lahore,
  Abbotabad and Attock
• Conditional agreement on Campuses for Azad
  Kashmir and other not easily accessible areas of
  Pakistan

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COMSATS Achievements in Building Human
Capacity.Contd

• More than a dozen Government funded projects were
  undertaken and completed by CIIT from 2002 till
  date. Some of these are
• Medical Transcription Training
• Legal Transcription Training
• Establishment of CISCO Networking Academies
• IT Faculty Hiring Program
• Training of JAVA Developers
• Training of Federal Government Employees
• Technology Resource Mobilization Unit
• Strengthening of CIIT Islamabad Laboratories

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Participation in National and International Events

• International Conference on the Use of New
  Information Technologies in the Teaching of
  Science A collaborative effort of ISESCO,
  UNESCO and CIIT, March 2002
• National Exhibition of Locally Manufactured PC
  Hardware and Telecom Equipment Co-Organized by
  CIIT, April 2002
• International Workshop on Computational
  Mathematics and Related Topics Organized by
  CIIT, July 2002
• Conference on E-education Without Borders in Abu
  Dhabi from 20-25 February 2003 under the
  patronage of His Majesty Shaikh Nahyan
• An Inter College Electronics Exhibition -
  Organized by the CIIT Electronics Society
  (CIITRON), April 2003 in Islamabad

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Replication of Success in Other Member Countries

• IT Center in Syria
• COMSTECH COMSATS and Syrian Government joined
  hands to establish the center in 2001
• More campuses will also be opened in COMSATS
  Member countries
• (Sudan etc.)

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Strengthening Technology Support Institutions and
Building Human CapacitySome Important COMSATS
Future Initiatives

• Twinning of Centers of Excellence
• Pursuing stronger networking and student/expert
  exchange programs for member countries
• Establishment of COMSATS Liaison Office and
  Training Center in China
• Meeting on Basic Research and Industrial
  Applications 6-8 July 2004

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Areas of Possible Collaboration Between COMSATS
and UNCTAD in light of Correspondence

• COMSATS as a part of discussions on emerging
  science and technology issues by attending annual
  sessions.
• Facilitating work on the implications of ICT for
  productivity, business operations and export
  competitiveness and the effort to assist policy
  makers of developing countries in taking
  appropriate decisions in the field of ICT and
  e-commerce.
• Distance Learning courses that target policy
  makers, scientists and diplomats in areas such as
  biotechnology, trade and technology transfer.
• Compendium of best practices and success stories
  that can be shared through an interactive forum
  whereby policy makers and scientists from the
  North and South could carry out discussions on
  important issues and promote scientific
  networking.

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Specific Areas of Collaboration

• 1. Developing Technology Support Mechanisms ICT
  For Productivity, Business Operations and Export
  Competitiveness
• COMSATS Experience Developed and implemented
  the Industrial Information Network (IIN) project
  for Pakistan in partnership with UNIDO. The
  project provided e-commerce facilities to SMEs,
  access to international markets and up-to-date
  relevant information.
• Possible Collaboration A similar project may be
  designed for identified common member countries

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Details of Proposed Industrial Web Portal Project

• Generic Features
• Features are not hard and fast, they may be
  adjusted or re-named as per the peculiar
  requirements of that business/industrial sector.
• Sections
• Administrative level through which contents and
  information (News, Events, Articles, business
  information, trade leads, business directory etc)
  can be entered and updated.
• User level where users can view information
  (news, articles, events, trade leads, business
  information, forums) register their companies,
  post their trade leads participate in forums
  discussions, develop and host their websites,
  create e-shops and get other relevant
  information.

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Details of Proposed Industrial Web Portal
Project. Contd

• Major Content Houses on a portal are
• Latest Business Information
• Government rules, regulations, policies regarding
  that particular industrial sector
• Website creation facility for that sector
• Facility to setup and run Virtual Shops with
  minimal technical assistance
• Online Business Directories
• Registering the users or Companies
• Trade Leads (Viewing and Posting)
• Request for Quotations (Online tenders)
• e-Auction, e-Fax, e-Banners, e-Survey, e-Learning
• Web based email client facility
• Clustered Information
• Search Engine
• Business Discussion Forums

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Areas of Specific Collaboration Between COMSATS
and UNCTAD. Contd

• 2. Strengthening Technology Support Framework
  Proposed Participation in the Compendium on Best
  Practices
• COMSATS has the expertise to develop and maintain
  Web Portals tailored to the needs or requirements
  of a specific field.
• Possible Collaboration COMSATS can assist in the
  designing of an interactive web portal that can
  serve as a compendium on best practices and
  success stories as requested by UNCTAD in its
  correspondence to COMSATS.

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Details of Proposed Participation in Compendium
on Best Practices

• Interactive Web Portal for Housing Best Practices
  and Success Stories on Science and Technology
  for Development
• Participate in studying and collecting the best
  practices and success stories, involving all
  stakeholders in this process
• Housing of best practices and success stories,
  allowing easy access to a library of knowledge
  and expertise which can be maintained and updated
• Provision of a discussion forum where all actors
  can carry out discussions and allow for promotion
  of networking
• Linkages to relevant institutions, govt bodies,
  policy forums, universities, research
  organizations, international organizations, NGOs
  and other civil sector organizations
• An intelligent search engine would allow
  accessing information most convenient

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Specific Areas of Collaboration Between COMSATS
and UNCTAD. Contd

• 3. Building Human Capacity Distance Learning
  as a Tool for Technology Transfer, Capacity
  Building and Networking
• COMSATS Experience
• ICTs for Rural Development in the Mountainous and
  Remote Areas of Northern Pakistan with IDRC
• French Online with Alliance Francaise and the
  French Embassy in Pakistan
• Pilot/Demonstrative Distance Learning and Tele
  Health Program The very first successful
  experiment
• Possible Collaboration A distance learning
  project may be designed in an identified area of
  mutual interest

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Details of the Proposed Distance Learning Project

• Distance Learning Courses that Target Policy
  Makers, Scientists and Diplomats in Areas Such as
  Biotechnology, Trade and Technology Transfer
• Suggested Areas
• Distance Learning Courses for policy makers/
  scientists/ diplomats on Biotechnology
  Applications
• Distance Learning Courses for policy makers/
  scientists/ diplomats on Capacity Building
  through Science and Technology
• Distance Learning Courses for policy makers/
  scientists/ diplomats on the Role of Science and
  Technology in Trade and Commerce

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Details of the Proposed Distance Learning
Project.. Contd

• Methodology Options
• Technically, there are several options to deliver
  such courses
• Live sessions in real time through
  video-conferencing Lecturers and Recipients
  would be able to see and speak to each other
  while being in different geographic locations.
  This is the most interactive method available
• Live sessions in real time delivered through
  virtual lectures Lecturers would be present in
  the main Resource Center while Recipients would
  be in the Tele Centers
• Interactive modules available on a website
  secured by Login and Passwords
• Interactive programs made available on CDs

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Areas of Specific Collaboration Between COMSATS
and UNCTAD. Contd

• 4. Building Human Capacity Policy Advocacy and
  Awareness Building
• The Commission has long advocated that
  developing countries cannot pursue sustainable
  development effectively unless it is combined
  with serious efforts towards building of
  effective systems supported by a progressive
  policy framework
• Possible Collaboration
• Joint Meetings/ Seminars/ Conferences/ Training
  Workshops
• Some Suggested Areas
• Information and Communication Technology
• Biotechnology
• Science and Technology for Trade and Commerce

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COMSATS UNCTAD

• Commonality of goals, working for the benefit of
  developing countries through useful applications
  of science and technology

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Thank You!