[afnog] Open Access 2009 Conference, Accra, Ghana 1-3 November 2009

[Benjamin Eshun]

Dear all,

We would like to invite you to contribute to the 7th International
Conference on Open Access

www.wideopenaccess.net

The conference is expected to make a difference by raising awareness about
- The role that African universities will have in the development of
their countries into knowledge societies, if and only if they can join
the global research and higher education community on equal terms as
their peers on other continents.
- The prerequisites that will have to be fulfilled in terms of policy,
regulation and transformation of the communication market.
- The potential socio-economic outcome if the prerequisites are fulfilled
- Possible ways forward to make it all happen in West and Central Africa

The first day (Sunday) is reserved for the launch of the West and
Central African Research Education Network (WACREN) expected to
connect the emerging  national broadband networks dedicated to
research and higher education in W&C Africa to eachother and to global
research and education resources via direct academic peering with
networks like UbuntuNet Alliance in South and Eastern Africa,
EUMedConnect in North Africa, Géant in Europe, Internet2 and CANARIE
in North America, RedClara, in Latin America TEIN in South, East and
South East Asia, etc.

The second and third day will focus on the socio-economic development
that the universities can be expected to boost, experiences from how
this has been accomplished in other subregions and the potential in
West and Central Africa.

We know that you all have relevant experiences worth being disseminated.
Important dates are
Submissions are due on: 15th September, 2009
Notification on Papers: 30th September, 2009
Final Submission of Papers: 15th October, 2009

More information at www.wideopenaccess.net

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask.

Best wishes
Boubakar Barry, Chairman (barry at aau.org)
Mumuni Dakubu,  Organizing Committee Chairman (mdakubu at ug.edu.gh)
Björn Pehrson, Programme Committee Chairman (bpehrson at kth.se)
Benjamin Eshun,  Head of Conference Secretariat (beshun at garnet.edu.gh)