UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA - AFRICAN STUDIES CENTER
PADIS Newsletter, Vol.9, No.3, Sept. '94

PADIS Newsletter, Vol.9, No.3, Sept. '94

PADIS to Congo

Newsletter vol. 9, no. 3
September 1994

PADIS sent a mission to the Republic of the Congo from 18-31 July to study the feasilibility of electronic networking and strengthening the national PADIS focal point as part of the UNECA delegation to the Congo led by UNECA Executive Secretary and Undersecretary-General of the United Nations Layashi Yaker. The mission was conducted by Mr. Makane Faye, Regional Advisor on Information Systems.

During the visit of Congo President to PADIS in May 1994 (see Newsletter, vol. 9, no. 2), the President expressed interest in PADIS assisting him in developing an electronic connection between the President's Cabinet and ministerial offices with a linkage to PADIS as well.
Under a closed ministerial electronic network, the President envisaged a mechanism for the circulation of cabinet and ministerial decisions as well as for the discussion of draft decrees and laws. The President also requested PADIS' assistance in restarting the Research and Development network based at the National Centre for Scientific and Technical Information (CNDIST), including assistance in securing computer equipment to replace that lost during the recent period of disturbances in the Congo.

PADIS' national participating centre in the Congo is National Centre for Statistics and Economic Studies under the Ministry of Planning and Economics.
PADIS followed up Mr. Faye's mission with the sending of a microcomputer to the Congo in September, to be followed by the visit of electronic networking expert Michael R. Jensen upon arrival of the equipment.

Prof. Ange Nambila also undertook a mission to the Congo in September in conjunction with PADIS' studies on the utilization of information technology policy instruments in Africa, in view of the President's interest in the application of information technology in the public sector.

From the PADIS network

Information Technology

Publications

Trade policy bibliography
A bibliography on "International Trade Policies and Global Agriculture" listing recent articles on international agricultural trade wnd worldwide policies affecting is is available by sending a self-addressed mailing label to the Agricultural Trade and Marketing Information Center, National Agricultural Library, Room 304, 10301 Baltimore Boulevard, Beltsville MD 20705-2351 USA. Requests can also go by Internet e-mail to: mlassanyi@nalusda.gov.

Economics and/of Internet
Two interesting articles on electronic networking recently appeared in an unusual source, the Journal of Economic Perspectives. The summer 1994 issue (vol. 8, no. 3) features a valuable article by William L. Goffe entitled "Computer Network Resources for Economists" which details where and how economists can locate information of interest to them on the Internet. The article by Jeffrey K. MacKie-Mason and Hal Varian entitled "Economic FAQs About the Internet" is an excellent primer of information about the Internet and basic reading for anyone who wants at least a layperson's understanding of this vital phenomenon. [FAQs is cyberspace English for "frequently asked questions."] Single copies of the articles are available upon requests from PADIS.

Training Opportunities

News and Views
Health Foundation made a presentation on their Info-Med programme which provides computers and other information technology and training to information centres working in the health area in developing countries in order to improve their access to health information. In the Africa region, Ghana and Nigeria have benefited from the program. Foundation officials indicated that they would be interested in setting up a similar programme in Ethiopia. (Information on how to apply will be forwarded to the Dean of the Medical School of Addis Ababa University). (info re this in Newsletter pile which people can write for).

Check April MISNAN report (in newsletter pile) for other info items for newsletter.

Publications

Directory of Development Organisations
Those wanting information of development organisations in eight southern African countries (Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe) may wish to obtain the Development Directory published by the Programme for Development Research (PRODDER), Human Sciences Research Council, P O Box 32410, Braamfontein, 2017 South Africa. Government departments, parastatals, research institutions, development corporations, banks, NGOs, international funding agencies, donors and United Nations organisations are listed and their addresses provided.
The Directory is the printed product of PRODDER's database of development in the southern African area.

Food science information
Food Science and Technology Abstracts is a specialised database maintained by IFIS, based in Frankfurt. Food processing, food products and economic and legislation are covered in the database which has nearly half a million records. Abstracts is available in print, online and on magnetic tape and compact disc. Further information is available from IFIS GmbH, Melibocusstrasse, 52; 6000 Frankfurt am Main 71, Germany.

Training Opportunities

Training course
The Institute of Development Studies (IDS) holds an annual course for librarians in the development field. Further information is available from the Head, Information Resources Unit; Institute of Development Studies; University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9RE UK; tel. +44 273 606 261.

Training in STI
[French edition only]
Ecole nationale superièure des sciences de l'information et des bibliothèques (ENSSIB) in Villeurbanne, France organises an annual course entitled "Postgraduate course for the training of specialists in scientific information and documentation" granting the DESSID and DEA diplômes. Sponsored by UNESCO, applicants should apply to their national UNESCO Commissions by the first of May each year. Further information is available from the French National Commission for UNESCO, 42 avenue Raymond Poincaré, 75116 Paris, France; tel. +33 1 40 666 624.

Graduate programs in development
The University of Manchester (UK) runs seven Masters' degree programmes in the area of development and development management, including:
* MA in Development Economics
* MA in Development Studies
* MA in Development Administration and Management
* MA in Economics and Management of Rural Development
* MSc in Management and Implementation of Development Projects
* MSc in Human Resource Development
* MSc in Human Resource Management
In addition, there is an MA in Institutional Development for workers in development organisations who require a Masters' degree grounded in on work-based learning.
All the programmes are aimed at staff in development organisations, principally those based in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
Further details are available from: Dr Richard Heeks, Institute for Development Policy and Management, University
of Manchester, UK; Internet e-mail R.B.Heeks@open.ac.uk.

Governments and networks
An article on why the public sector in developing countries needs access to computer networks appears in African Technology Forum, vol. 7, no. 1.
The article by George Sadowsky lists potential benefits that would accrue to the following sectors: education, health, statistics, agriculture and natural resources, development and planning, telecommunications and foreign affairs. Copies are available upon request from PADIS.
Readers interested in the African Technology Forum can obtain more information from P.O. Box 397171, Cambridge MA 02139-7171 USA.

Make a Date

PADIS Calendar
New from PAddev
New Entries in PADdev
The following are some recent entries into the PADdev bibliographic
data base on social and economic aspects of development in Africa.
New entries in PADdev are printed as a current bulletin for subscribers to DEVINDEX-AFRICA. Microfiches or photocopies of the documents are available upon request from PADIS at the address on p.1.

Re: Development studies library catalogue online (fwd)
--------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------
ANNOUNCING DEVLINE - A NEW INFORMATION SERVICE ON THE INTERNET
--------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------
DEVLINE is the DEVelopment information service onLINE from the
Britsh Library for Development Studies (BLDS). DEVLINE serves
all those with an interest in economic and social development
and the relationships between rich and poor countries. DEVLINE
is a free service now available over the INTERNET.

DEVLINE is provided by the British Library for Development
Studies, a UK national and international centre for information
and documentation on the economic and social aspects of the
developing regions of the world. DEVLINE and BLDS are based at
the Institute of Development Studies (IDS), an international
centre of excellence for research, teaching, publishing and
operational assignments.


--------------------------------------------------
DEVLINE currently provides the following services:
--------------------------------------------------
* IDISDB, the online catalogue and journal articles database of
the British Library for Development Studies, with over 80,000
records

* EGUIDE, an online database of electronic information sources
on development studies

* Information about all other services of the BLDS

* Information about the services and activities of the Institute
of Development Studies

* COURSES and PEOPLE, databases of British courses and specialists
in development studies

* Information about academic development studies institutions in
Britain


-------------------------------------
DEVLINE services coming soon include:
-------------------------------------
* access to the database of the International Development
Research Centre (IDRC) Library

* specialist databases

* Information about UK library and documentation activities for
development studies


---------------------
To connect to DEVLINE
---------------------
TELNET to: LIB.IDS.SUSX.AC.UK
(soon to change to: LIB.IDS.AC.UK)

login: HELLO GUEST.MARC

then follow the instructions online.

(GreenNet users can connect by selecting "Internet" and then
"Telnet", then typing OPEN LIB.IDS.SUSX.AC.UK)

First time users of the databases are recommended to study the
help information provided on the introductory menus, as very
little help is available when searching.

Please report any problems to Debbie Beer at the address below.


----------------------------------------
The BLDS collection and online catalogue
----------------------------------------
Established in 1966, the BLDS houses a comprehensive collection
of development studies literature comprising publications of
developing countries together with those publications of
industrialised countries relevant to the developed world.
Collection policy encompasses literature relating to economic
and social development, both rural and urban, while specific
areas of subject interest include amongst others, health,
education, communication, industrial development, debt and
adjustment, population studies, development theory, women and
political development. Material is in English or the major
European languages only.

Particular strengths of the collection are in the areas of
developing country commercial, institutional and government
publications (including development plans), material from
international organisations, developing country journals and
grey literature. The BLDS is a depository library for UN
publications.

DEVLINE provides access to IDISDB, the online catalogue of the
BLDS which includes all titles acquired by the Library since
mid 1987, selected indexed articles from approximately 700
journal titles received since September 1990 and the records of
approximately 10,000 serial titles. All book and journal
article references are fully subject indexed using the 'UN
Macrothesaurus for Information Processing in the Field of
Economic and Social Development'.


----------------------------
Other services from the BLDS
----------------------------
The BLDS offers a range of other services, including: enquiries
service; interlibrary loans and document delivery; sdi and current
awareness; database searches; bibliographic compilation;
bibliographic record supply; and training.


--------------------
For more information
--------------------
About DEVLINE and the IDISDB database
Contact: Debbie Beer, Systems Librarian
email: d.beer@sussex.ac.uk

About BLDS and IDS
Contact: Library Enquiries
email: blds@central.sussex.ac.uk

British Library for Development Studies
Institute of Development Studies
Falmer, Brighton BN1 9RE, UK

Tel: +44 (0)1273 606261
Fax: +44 (0)1273 621202/691647
Telex: 877997 IDSBTN G

___________________

Re: INET'95 Preliminary Call for Papers

To All Internauts

Earlier, the INET'95 conference had been planned to
be held in Singapore. For a variety of reasons
related to the budget and scope of the conference,
the Information Communication Institute of Singapore
(ICIS), the proposed local organiser, and the Internet
Society (ISOC) have jointly decided that the INET'95
venue be changed. ISOC has since decided that the
INET'95 conference will be held in Honolulu, 28-30 June.

The ISOC and ICIS greatly appreciate the efforts of
all those who have participated in the planning of this
meeting.

ISOC looks forward to your presence at the INET 95
conference.

Larry Landweber
Vice President for Conferences

------------------------------------------------------------------------

INET'95 - Internet Society's 1995 International Networking Conference
Announcement and Preliminary Call for Papers


INET'95, the 5th Annual Conference of the Internet Society focusing
on worldwide issues of Internet networking will be held 28-30 June 1995
in Honolulu, Hawaii. The goal of this conference is to provide a
platform that will bring together those developing and implementing
Internet networks, technologies, applications, and policies worldwide
for infrastructure development. A full call for papers will be published
shortly.

Conference Topics. Possible topics for paper submissions include but
are not limited to the following:

o Network Technology
o Network Engineering and Operation
o Application Technology
o Users
o Regional Issues
o Policy Issues
o Commercial and Business Aspects
o Education

Submissions. The official language of the conference is English.
Papers will be selected based on two-page extended abstracts. The
abstracts should include name, address, affiliation, phone number,
fax number, and email address. They should also include a keyword
list, tied to the track topics listed above. Upon acceptance, full
papers will be required. Instructions for preparation of these papers
will be provided upon acceptance.

Extended abstracts in plain ASCII text should be submitted by 13 January
1995 to:

inet-submission@interop.com

The Program Committee can be contacted at

inet-program@interop.com


Developing Country Workshop. The INET'95 Conference will be preceded
by a seven day program of intensive instruction with a hands-on
emphasis on Internet set-up, operations, maintenance and management.
For information and general questions about the workshop, please send
email to:

workshop-info@isoc.org

For applying to attend the workshop please send email to:

workshop-apply@isoc.org


K12 Workshop. The INET'95 Conference will also be preceded by a
tentative two day program bringing together active K-12 (Kindergarten
thru Secondary School) Internet innovators from around the world to
share experiences and learn new advanced tools and collaboration
techniques. For information and general questions about the K-12
workshop, please send email to:

inet-k12-request@isoc.org


Information concerning the conference is available from the Internet
Society Secretariat:

URLs: http://www.isoc.org/inet95.html
gopher://gopher.isoc.org/11/isoc/inet95
ftp://ftp.isoc.org/isoc/inet95
Email: inet95@isoc.org
Tel: +1 703 648 9888
Fax: +1 703 648 9887
Address: Internet Society Secretariat
12020 Sunrise Valley Dr., Suite 270
Reston VA 22091
USA

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Editor: Dr. Ali B. Ali-Dinar, Ph.D.

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