AFRICAN WOMEN GLOBAL NETWORK (AWOGNet)
Presents
THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
ON
WOMEN IN TECHNOLOGY & DEVELOPMENT
The first International and Annual Conference of The African Women Global
Network (AWOGNet) is scheduled for April 10-11, 1998 at 3110 Olentangy Road,
Columbus, OH 43202. Columbus, Ohio. There will be two pre-conference
workshops on April 9, 1998
Conference Goals: 1. To promote and build a network of knowledge
sources 1. Technology especially as they affect women in development; 2.
To share and exchange information and understanding on on-going efforts;
3. To explore barriers for unmet technology needs (in theory and
practice) for women in different communities; and 4. To educate
Institutions, NGOs (Non Governmental Organizations) and others regarding
these issues.
We expect hundreds of scholars from the United States and Africa, as well as
from Europe, and Asia to attend and make formal presentations. Sessions will
focus on a wide range of subjects that relate to Women in Development and
Technology.
The Conference hotel is the Ramada University Hotel and Conference Center in
Columbus Ohio. The address is 3110 Olentangy Road, Columbus, OH 43202. Tel:
(614) 267-7461, fax: (614) 263-5299. The room rates are $69.00/night for any
of the rooms (plus tax of 15.75%). The hotel will guarantee these convention
rates only until March 30, 1998.
Mail your registration today! Preregistration forms must be received by
February 4 , 1998. Registration materials received after February 28
will not be processed. Participants whose materials do not arrive by that
date will be required to register and pay on-site fees in Columbus.
We urge the International Travellers especially to make their your
travel and hotel reservations early to avoid unexpected delays with the
US. Embassy. Travellers must comply with the Immigration requirements of
the area.
CALL FOR PAPERS! CALL FOR PAPERS! CALL FOR PAPERS!
AFRICAN WOMEN GLOBAL NETWORK (AWOGNet)
Presents
THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON
"WOMEN IN TECHNOLOGY & DEVELOPMENT"
When: April 9-11 1998
Where: Ohio State University - The Ramada University Hotel and Conference
Center
Sponsors: AWOGNet - The Center For African Studies
University Technology Services
Co-Sponsors: Office of Minority Affairs; Office of International Education;
Midwest Universities for International Activities - MUCIA Global
Conference Focus: Information/Communication Technologies
Papers submitted for this conference will focus on the Social, Political,
Economic, and Cultural influences of Information and Communication
Technologies especially as they relate to the Education of Women and Children
in Africa, and Capacity Building in African Nations.
Tracks:* Please see the AWOGNet Web Page: http://www.osu.edu/org/awognet/
for details. The three major tracts are summarized below
1. Learning at a Distance
The three "As" - Affordability, Availability, Access
2. Socio/Cultural Implications of the New Media
New ways of communicating, Drivers and Barriers
3. The Influence Scope and Limits of The Internet/Web
Internet/Web - For Whom? Globalization or Balkanization, Africa's
special case
Dead Line for Papers: December 19, 1997; Responses: by January 19, 19
Papers should be sent to: AWOGNet, Center for African Studies, The Ohio
State University, 314 Oxley Hall, 1712 Neil Avenue, Columbus, Ohio
43210-1219, USA. Phone: (614) 292-5901; Fax: (614) 292-4273; email:
onyejekwe.2@osu.edu
African Women Global Network (AWOGNet)
First International Conference on Women in Technology and Development
Track Descriptions
The AWOGNet Program Committee invites you to submit a presentation proposal
for the first International Conference on "Women in Technology and
Development"
We seek presenters from Institutions of Higher Learning, NGOs (Non
Governmental Organizations) and Professionals. We are particularly
interested in technology issues that relate to women of African decent.
While the following descriptions suggest ideas for topics, they are not
all-inclusive. So you can choose a topic, as well as choose your own
format of presentation, whether it is the traditional lecture mode, a
non-traditional mode, a panel discussion, or another format for sharing
your ideas or experiences. If you choose a panel mode, we would like to
have names of your panelists, their topics, and their papers.
Proposal Deadline December 19, 1997
Track 1 Learning at a Distance
In this increasingly complex world, what are the most important issues we can
address with new forms of learning, especially when the learning occurs
at a distance? The emphasis here is on how developing countries can afford
Distance Education. More at risk are women and children, but do they need
it, how will it be made available and what mode of access is best for
them? How will these new technologies and the changing learning
paradigms, change institutions in the Developing countries? What National
and or institutional policy changes need to take place in the Developing
countries in order to ensure that new learning paradigms can be adopted?
Are there business and funding models that can be used to create
sustainable, scaleable, and affordable access strategies
to these new instructional technologies?
This track will seek papers that address such questions as: If Developing
countries are to create Communities of Learners and are expected to meet
the surging demand for education, can they device appropriate technology
transfer and in what mode? Can we apply our ability to adapt, innovate,
and collaborate in new and challenging ways? How should we re-engineer or
redesigned our institutions of learning to better serve today's students?
Is this a sure way to bridge the widening gap between the Developed and
the Developing Countries? Since implementing new technologies can strain
existing and shallow resources of Developing countries, will this
further the imbalance between the Developing Countries' expectations and
ability to deliver?
What are the effective support models for faculty who want to apply Distance
Learning technology to curriculum development? Are there necessary
organizational forms that have been developed to promote technology in the
teaching and learning environment for the Developing Countries?
How can we meet the ever increasing demand for technology support? What
resources should Developing countries put into development, training, and
retraining? What models of partnership and leverage have succeeded in
increasing the quality of Distance Education. What values are added to
learning? What changes are expected in years to come?
Track 2 Socio/Cultural Implication of the New Media
It is almost imperative that strategic partnerships and alliances are now
more of a necessity in Developing countries than in Developed countries
especially in the areas of information and communication technologies. In
the advanced countries, economic pressures, new opportunities,
interdependent relationships, and resource leveraging are some of the
driving forces that create unique partnership opportunities. But can
Developing countries capitalize on their current positions
(socio/economic barriers, cultural preferences and enormous debt to
International agencies, poor infrastructural developments etc.) by
forming new partnerships and devising ingenious ways to overcome being
trapped in poverty and underdevelopment? If so, with whom can they associate?
Who is in a position to form new alliances with Developing Countries?
This track will seek papers addressing questions such as: What are the key
cultural and socio/economic barriers towards the creation and application of
the new Information and Communication Media? What are the obstacles to
technological innovation and how can they be overcome? How have the developed
countries overcome similar or different barriers and harnessed technological
applications that have solved similar problems? Can these applications be
transferred appropriately to Developing nations ? Can the application of new
technologies, or the use of established technologies be effected in
Developing countries. Are there innovative ways, to enable our Nations to
operate more efficiently, help women and children to learn more
effectively, enhance communications across the globe, and improve many
fundamental services such as health, Environmental, etc. How do
Developing Countries form and maintain partnerships? What makes a
partnership successful? What can help make a partnership work as a true
alliance, not merely as a merger or hostile takeover? Can partners also
compete? Can the Developing countries really be equal partners?
Track 3 The Influence Scope and Limits of the Internet/Web
The Internet and the World Wide Web have shrunk the world by enabling
electronic communication and other forms of virtual associations. Network
communications has become a cornerstone technology for shrinking the map and
creating Global Units for Education, Communication, Commerce and so forth.
Furthermore, the potential of networked information for supporting
institutional teaching, learning, scholarship, and research needs is
enormous. In the developed Countries, Networked information has become
the focal point for different types of interdisciplinary activities, from
intellectual collaborations, service synergy, and organizational
alliances to corporate and industrial alliances. Yet, the Developing
countries seem to remain on the periphery. Full participation of
Developing Countries in this Global economy remains a critical piece of
the puzzle for really arriving at the ultimate Global Communities.
This track will seek papers that address such questions as: For whom is the
highly publicized Information Super Highway? Have the Internet and the World
Wide Web widened the gap between the technology haves and Technology
Have-Nots, the technology rich and the technology poor? Where and how do
Developing countries begin to build the necessary Information and
Communication network infrastructure? How can they take advantage of
these new capabilities and services? How can Developing countries effect
the application of these new technologies, or established technologies
to the benefit of women and Children? How can Developing countries best
address issues that are organizational, technological, and information
dimensions of networked information? In the Developing countries, how
will policy decisions, and issues of information creation, organization,
discovery, retrieval, and ownership, the networked information
environment; access and fair use issues be addressed?
REGISTRATION Information
Pre- Registration
AWOGNet Members $55.00
AWOGNet Non-members $100.00
Students $20.00
AWOGNet Workshops:
$30.00 each (The two Workshops cost a total of $50.00). Workshops are on a
first come, first served basis
AWOGNet Banquet $25.00, members; and $35.00, non members; $10.00 for Stude
On-Site Registration
AWOGNet Members $60.00; AWOGNet Non-members $110; Students $25.00
Please send checks to The Ohio State University/AWOGNet at AWOGNet,
Center for African Studies, The Ohio State University, 314 Oxley Hall,
1712 Neil Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43210-1219, USA
Registration Form
Name _______________________________________
Address ______________________________________
City _________________________________________
State _________ Zip _______________ ________
Country ______________________________
E-Mail ________________________________________
Affiliation _____________________________________
Office Telephone ________________________________
Discipline _____________________________________
Region/Country of Interest _________________________
WORKSHOPS
The Participants:
Anyone with interest in any of the above themes is welcomed to
participate in this workshop, after registration and paying nominal fees.
Fees & Registration:
-------------------
Registration fee/s for AWOGNet Workshop/s $30.00 each (The two Workshops
cost a total of $50.00)
If you are registering within the United States, for the Workshops, please
contact Ms. Lois Ann McAdoo, at the University Technology Services, Ohio
State University, phone (614) 292-5901. Otherwise, please send your
checks to The Ohio State University/AWOGNet, AWOGNet, Center for African
Studies, The Ohio State University, 314 Oxley Hall, 1712 Neil Avenue,
Columbus, Ohio 43210-1219, USA
Morning Workshop: AWOGShop1
Introduction to Internet Services
How do you surf the Internet? What kinds of software do you need? How
do you get on-line and up-to-date? Your will discover the answers
to these essential questions and more during morning, hands-on
workshop. Don't miss this fabulous opportunity to be on the
cutting-edge of technology.
Dates & Times:
Thursday April 9, 1998
9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Place:
The Ohio State University
345 Central Classrooms
2009 Millikin Road
Columbus, Ohio 43210
Instructors:
Dr. Egondu Onyejekwe, UTS Director, Emerging Technologies
Michael Fulmer, Customer Support, UTS
Richard Wofford, Macintosh Technical Support, UTS
Topics:
An introduction to Internet services covering:
Macintosh Fundamentals
Sending Electronic Mail
Reading Newsgroups
Using Electronic Reference Works
Using Web Browsers
Designing Web Pages
Admission:
Class is limited to 30 students. No prior experience
needed.
Afternoon Workshop: AWOGShop2
Enriching the Classroom with Distance Learning Resources
Those who teach in Africa and about Africa, as well as those who have
interest in Africa's Development efforts will find this workshop very
informative. It should engage researchers, teachers, NGOs and the general
public on what resources can be used to reach students at a distance,
especially in rural communities. It is also a very informative workshop
on what is available on the Internet, and the World Wide Web, especially
those related to Africa. It illustrates how to locate such materials,
and how they could be used for acquiring accurate and up-to-date
information about Africa.
Dates & Times:
Thursday April 9, 1998
1:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Place:
The Ohio State University
120 Baker Systems
1971 Neil Avenue
Columbus, Ohio 43210
Instructors:
Dr. Bob Dixon, Senior Engineer, University Technology Services
Dr. Egondu Onyejekwe, UTS Director, Emerging Technologies
Topics:
An introduction to different Distance Education Delivery
Media
I/P Video
Compressed Digital Video
Electronic Messaging
The World Wide Web
Accessing Educational Resources for Teaching about Africa
Admission:
Class is limited to 50 students. No prior experience
needed.
Egondu (Ego) Rosemary Onyejekwe Ph.D. Phone: (614) 292-5901
Director, Emerging Technologies
University Technology Services Fax: (614) 292-7081
445 Baker Systems Engineering
The Ohio State University
1971 Neil Ave, Columbus, OH 43210 E-mail: onyejekwe.2@osu.edu
Web Addresses: http://www.osu.edu/org/awognet/
http://www.acs.ohio-state.edu/units/disted
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