E-Paper
IIIT-A to hold SAARC meet on IT
REPOSING FAITH in technical excellence and mettle in the field of Information Technology of Allahabad's Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT-A), Union Ministry of Science and Technology has entrusted the Deemed University with the task of organising SAARC meet on 'Information Technology: Area of Strategic Collaborations.
REPOSING FAITH in technical excellence and mettle in the field of Information Technology of Allahabad's Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT-A), Union Ministry of Science and Technology has entrusted the Deemed University with the task of organising SAARC meet on 'Information Technology: Area of Strategic Collaborations.
The South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC) meet will be held in last week of November in New Delhi and is expected to be attended by eminent IT experts and scientists from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal.
"We have got the official confirmation from the Union Ministry of Science and Technology for holding a special meet on IT for the delegates including scientists and IT experts of SAARC countries," informed IIIT-A Director Dr Murli Dhar Tiwari who was in Delhi on Wednesday for holding high level talks with senior officials of the Ministry in this regard.
It may be mentioned here that the Union Ministry of Science and Technology is making an effort to pave way for exchange of technical expertise and resource among SAARC countries.
Other countries like Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Nepal and Nepal have already sought technical help in evolution of IT infrastructure there from India.
"The seminar-cum-workshop will be confluence of IT experts and professionals from various SAARC countries.
The aim of the seminar is to identify the areas of co-operation in the field of Information Technology. Some of the major areas that are likely to be taken up in the meet include Nanotechnology, Ubiquitous computing, Artificial Intelligence and ICT for development," said Dr Tiwari.
He further added that a core group of experts will prepare a draft on the major consensus and strategy to be adopted for further co-operation in the field of Information Technology.
He informed that representatives of International Development Research Centre (IDRC) of Canada will also participate in the meet.
It may be mentioned here that Canada based IDRC with whom Dr Tiwari had interaction over the exchange and co-operation for ICT Programmes, is the government funding agency and has already funded various research and development projects in the field of Information Communication and Technology (ICT).
The funding agency has showed an interest in projects being undertaken by IIIT-A in the field of telemedicine, development of language translation software and setting up of Village Resource Centres.
The representatives will holds talks with the IIIT-A officials and SAARC countries on several projects to be implemented by IDRC in the sub-continent.
Dr Tiwari, who recently visited Canada as co-ordinator of Joint Indo-Canada project on IT, said the leaders at the Tenth Summit (Colombo, July 1998), noted that the development of a regional self-reliance capability for South Asia in scientific research and development was essential, given a global context in which barriers to the free flow of technology still remained in place. They had appreciated the efforts to foster collective co-operation in this field under the SAARC umbrella.
The meet will be organised in the sidelines of proposed meet of Ministers in November.
