Penang, Malaysia, June 5, 2009 – No one argues about the impact of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) on Asia. India leveraged ICTs to drive its economy and lift millions out of dire poverty. Scratch the surface, however, and it is easy to see that ICTs have also deepened development disparities.
Rural Asians, for example, remain among this planet’s poorest and the most underserved by health, education, and economic programs.
Researchers, experts and policymakers will gather at the Wawasan Open University in Penang from June 11-14, to discuss how ICTs have helped solve some of Asia’s development problems. These participants have been engaged in a variety of research for more than a decade, and have produced some interesting results. For example:
• To meet the pressing education needs of Asia’s populations, research in distance learning technologies undertaken in 11 countries has helped develop a more effective, accessible and inclusive systems of education.
• In the Philippines, an online approach to diagnosing tuberculosis promises to speed up treatment of the disease in rural areas and make more efficient use of scarce medical resources.
• Across the region, the OpenNet Initiative has shone a spotlight on online censorship in Asia by showing, for example, how internet-based applications such as Skype are monitored.
The conference is sponsored by Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC), in partnership with Wawasan Open University (WOU). Participants comprise mainly researchers and resource persons linked to IDRC’s Pan Asia Networking (PAN) Program, hence the conference’s title, “PAN All 2009 Conference”.
Laurent Elder, leader of the PAN Program, says that conference participants will also define the next steps in research and priorities that will shape the future of Asia’s information society. “Some important questions that come to mind are: can technology play a role in lifting Asia’s economies out of the recession? In a digital Asia, how can people’s privacy be protected, especially from state actors?” says Elder.
Wawasan Open University's Vice Chancellor Tan Sri Emeritus Professor Gajaraj Dhanarajan says, “As we strive to build equitable societies in Asia and keep pace with the global advancement of information and communications technologies, we should consider the people's ability to accept and embrace ICTs into their lives. If these new technologies are to be relevant, we must acknowledge the complexities involved when introducing them to those not yet culturally or economically prepared.”
IDRC and WOU will brief the press at 6.00PM on June 11th at the Evergreen Laurel Hotel, Langkawi and Tioman Rooms. IDRC partners from across Asia will be available for interviews before and during the conference. For a complete schedule of IDRC events and activities at the PAN All 2009 Conference, visit: http://panall.crowdvine.com.
For information:
Vivien Chiam
International Development Research Centre
Regional Office for Southeast and East Asia
Singapore
Tel: +65-97606821; [email protected]
www.idrc.org.sg
Agnes James
Wawasan Open University
Penang, Malaysia
Tel: +604-2289323/+6019-4735980; [email protected]
http://www.wou.edu.my/default.aspx
Isabelle Bourgeault-Tassé
Senior Media Advisor
International Development Research Centre (IDRC)
Ottawa, Canada
Tel: (+1-613) 696-2343; [email protected]
www.crdi.ca /www.idrc.ca
About IDRC
Canada's International Development Research Centre (IDRC) is one of the world’s leading institutions in the generation and application of new knowledge to meet the challenges of international development. For nearly 40 years, IDRC has worked in close collaboration with researchers from the developing world to build healthier, more equitable, and more prosperous societies.
About Wawasan Open University (WOU)
Wawasan Open University (WOU) is a not-for-profit open distance learning institution with a unique and socially responsible objective to provide working adults access to quality, post secondary education, regardless of their previous educational, ethnic or socio-economic background. The University strives to introduce Learning technologies into its learning space to ensure flexibility and accessibility to Education For All.
