<<Feburuary 17, 2008>>
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<http://preview.tinyurl.com/35zedj>
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Dr Jacek Gajewski <gajewski@ceenet.org>
Ksenia Avetisova <k_avetisova@bk.ru>
Lisa Coll <LColl@eurasia.org>
Dear Jacek:
(1) Many thanks for your msg (ATTACHMENT I) in response to my following list distribution;
- (02/16/08) Procedures to get the Japanese ODA for ICT development in developing countries
http://preview.tinyurl.com/3bmozd
(2) My sincere congratulations to your inaugurating the Black Sea Interconnection Initiative (BSII) with a fund from the European Commission to extend fiber connectivity at 34 Mbps to Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia in Caucasian region.
(3) In order to promote the use of this Internet lines, you wish to encourage the people of those countries to proliferate in e-learning, e-healthcare/telemedicine, ecology, seismology monitoring, etc., and you inquire me if there may be Japanese funding sources for those activities.
Your desire is apt, since the usages of Internet in peripheral countries of the Black Sea are still very low compared with others in Europe;
<http://preview.tinyurl.com/25slbo>
(4) The Japan Social Development Fund of the World Bank may be the one you may try — Ukrainian once received a Japanese fund of US$750,000 for their reformation of educational system from the World Bank, though it might not be specifically out from the Japan Social Development Fund. I think that the fund provides US$2 to 5 million/project.
(5) The Japanese ODA is usually bilateral, i.e., the government of each country has to request such a grant to the Japanese government individually as following the procedures mentioned in the list distribution mentioned in the Item (1) above.
However, submitting ODA grant request from each countries around the Black Sea to the Japanese government may become fragmental, so that you may consider to follow the approach of the Association of African Universities (AAU).
- The AAU is a coalition of the National Research and Education Network (NREN), a consortium of higher educational and healthcare institutions in each of African countries.
- Some of them want to access EASSy high speed submarine cable along the eastern coast of Africa, but its cost is very expensive. Canadian and Swedish governments so far pledged US$ 1 million each to donate to the AAU — as mentioned in my previous list distribution, I was also requested to raise US$ 1 million from the Japanese government -- so that the AAU can have an equity in the EASSy venture. Subsequently, the AAUÕs NREN members can have discount to access the EASSy.
<http://preview.tinyurl.com/2bb9xy>
<http://preview.tinyurl.com/2r6vyv>
In your case, this consortium may be your BSII, if you ask its members to expand their activities as including e-learning, e-healthcare/telemedicine, ecology, seismology monitoring, etc., assuming that each of BSII members already a consortium of higher educational and healthcare institutions in their countries — as similar to GUS or NREN consortium in each country.
(6) As looking for the near future with vigorous activities in those fields, your 34 Mbps optical fiber linkages to those countries may soon become not enough in the very short period of the future. You may then need to start thinking for the next stage of ultra-high speed Internet trunk line. Here comes to my idea of the Black Sea Fiber Ring project mentioned before;
<http://preview.tinyurl.com/2stu23>
My idea was to utilize a cable boat of KDDI of Japan (which is the overseas telecom vendor) with the Japanese ODA, which boat is now laying 1.3 (640 Gbps x 2) tera bps submarine cable between Japan and Siberia, which project should be finished by this summer.
(7) However, there seems such a submarine cable provider in the Black Sea already reaching to Georgia, Rostov-on-Don, Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria, etc.;
<http://preview.tinyurl.com/23wl7q>
<http://preview.tinyurl.com/2dutkt>
You may then ask those vendors to upgrade their submarine cables in cooperation with your consortium.
(8) The Black Sea Fiber Ring would be very important as to be located in between of GLORIAD and GEANT2 as shown in the above diagram;
<http://preview.tinyurl.com/33yl57>
<http://preview.tinyurl.com/2vs9o6>
(9) The location of the Black Sea Fiber Ring would also be strategically very important in the future as to be between the GEANT2 and the ultra-high speed optical fiber Internet network along with the Modern Silk Road which was recently proposed by the Asian Development Bank — as mentioned in my previous list distribution (*), we plan to propose them to deploy this ultra-high speed optical fiber Internet network.
- (*) ATTACHMENT I of
(02/11/08) Preliminary inquiry for a fund to Eurasia Foundation
http://preview.tinyurl.com/2xkkkt
and
$18 Billion Plan to Build New 'Silk Roads' through Central Asia
<http://www.adb.org/Media/Articles/2007/12241-central-asian-roads-transports/default.asp>.
As usual, the most of this money might have come from the Japanese government.
<http://preview.tinyurl.com/2btdw4>
As following diagram shows, Central Asian region with the so-called ÒstanÓ countries and African continent are left behind for deploying broadband Internet — for the latter, see;
- (02/14/08) Idea for Trans-Africa Ultra High Speed Optical Fiber Network
http://preview.tinyurl.com/3x4roy
<http://preview.tinyurl.com/3dqvnr>
As shown in the following diagram, most of information highway from Japan, Korea, and China to Europe goes through southern route, which is often vulnerable as the earthquake south of Taiwan in 2006 which required several months for repairing, and recent damages of submarine cables around Cairo and Dubai made by shipÕs anchors which cost several weeks for repairing.
<http://preview.tinyurl.com/2wb5zn>
On the other hand, the route through the proposed ultra high speed optical fiber network along the proposed Modern Silk Road through the central Asian countries would be much shorter in distance between the two regions of East and Europe and hence quicker, and also would be easier for repairing if necessary because of its land-based.
(10) Subsequently, you may hold a workshop to discuss those issues with your BSII members, i.e.,
- (a) To form GUS in the countries of BSII members around the Black Sea for promoting e-learning, e-healthcare/telemedicine, ecology, seismology monitoring, etc., with possible Japanese and other funds,
(b) To look forward for possible deployments of;- (i) Black Sea Fiber Ring,
(ii) Ultra Higher Speed Optical Fiber Network along the Modern Silk Road.
The venue of this workshop may be at the Taganrog State University of Radio Engineering (which is now a part of the Southern Federal University), which is located nearby Rostov-on-Don, Russia, and which is a renowned university for telecom technology. Pls see the following list distribution;
- (02/02/08) Creation of GUS/South Russia/Taganrog with Southern Federal University
http://preview.tinyurl.com/2782bd
Pls feel free to discuss this matter with Ksenia — she is now preparing her grant application for a workshop at her university.
(11) You may need a fund for this workshop (and subsequent activities) separate from your current BSII project with the fund from the European Commission.
You may then consider to get some fund for the workshop from one of Eurasia Foundations (*) — see ATTACHMENT II below. The outcome of the workshop is to be a plan how to proceed those issues and to get necessary subsequent funds from various sources of the Japanese government, European Commission, etc., etc. (**);
- (*) As said elsewhere before, we received a generous grant from the US Agency for International Development (USAID) through the Eurasia Foundation for our fact-finding and assessment trip to create GUS/Siberia in the fall of 2006 — which is, in a sense, similar to the Japanese governmentÕs ODA, albeit the amount is much smaller.
(**) Pls see Section IX ÒAction PlanÓ of the following paper,
Al-Azab, M. and T. Utsumi, (2007), "Creation of Global University System in Egypt (GUS/Egypt)," Paper for "ICT-Learn 2007" conference in Cairo, Egypt, September 2 to 4, 200
http://preview.tinyurl.com/ypkaqo
If you decide to get a grant from the Eurasia Foundation, pls let me know. We can work on it together.
- BTW, the Japanese government brought about 150 industrial delegates to Kazakhstan to secure the availability of uranium about a year ago. Japan is quite interested in oil and gas and natural resources available in central Asian countries. Thus, those countries may have some edge to get the Japanese government’s ODA fund.
Dear Lisa:
(12) Many thanks for your msg (ATTACHMENT II).
We would greatly appreciate it if you can kindly inform me which of Eurasia Foundations would be appropriate for JacekÕs grant application, if he decided to do so. This is because his activities are not country-based but regional one. Thanks in advance.
Best, Tak
ATTACHMENT I
From: Jacek Gajewski <jacek.ceenet@gmail.com>
Reply-To: <gajewski@ceenet.org>
Date: Sat, 16 Feb 2008 18:10:42 +0100
To: <utsumi@columbia.edu>, BSI <bsi-partners@blacksea-net.org>,
"Bernhard.Fabianek@ec.europa.eu" <Bernhard.Fabianek@ec.europa.eu>
Cc: johnanne winchester <johnannewin@gmail.com>, Jack Piers Ballentyne
<deppenschmidt@gmail.com>, gu-new <gu-new@friends-partners.org>
Subject: Re: [gu-new] (02/16/08) Procedures to get the Japanese ODA for ICT development in developing countries
Dear Tak, in two weeks we are starting an EC-funded project, called Black Sea Interconnection Initiative (with 20% countries contribution) to provide fibre connectivity (at least 34 Mbps) to three Caucasian developing countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. Do you think that it makes feasible our application to ODA for funding of other ICT projects in this region. We are especially interested in distance education, telemedicine, ecology and seismology monitoring projects. With kindest regards,
Dr Jacek Gajewski
CEENet Secretary General
Dear BSI collegues,
see below interesting mail from Prof. Takeshi Utsumi.
With best regards,
Jacek Gajewski
ATTACHMENT II
From: Lisa Coll <LColl@eurasia.org>
Date: Thu, 14 Feb 2008 10:04:00 -0500
To: "Takeshi Utsumi, Ph.D." <utsumi@columbia.edu>
Cc: Kortunov Andrey <AKORTUNOV@neweurasia.ru>, Gayane Mekhakyan <gmekhakyan@eurasia.org>
Conversation: (02/11/08) Preliminary inquiry for a fund to Eurasia Foundation
Subject: RE: (02/11/08) Preliminary inquiry for a fund to Eurasia Foundation
Dr. Utsumi,
Over the past several years, the Eurasia Foundation has been transforming its local offices into indigenous foundations. We have a foundation in Russia (New Eurasia Foundation), Central Asia (Eurasia Foundation of Central Asia), South Caucasus (Eurasia Partnership Foundation) and Ukraine (East Europe Foundation). The majority of our programming is now conducted through these new institutions. I do not anticipate that Eurasia Foundation will have its own funds to support unsolicited initiatives at any time in the near future. We instead are referring grant seekers to these indigenous foundations.
Please let me know if you have any further questions.
Best regards,
Lisa
List of Distribution
Dr Jacek Gajewski
Secretary General
CEENet Secretariat
Central and Eastern European Networking (CEENet) Association
Member of the "Internet Society"
ul. Pasteura 7
02-093 Warsaw, POLAND
Tel/Fax: +48 22 - 6685807
fax. +48 22 - 8239956
gajewski@ceenet.org
gajewski@lsc.net.tw
jacek.ceenet@gmail.com
JACEKC@ch.pw.edu.pl
www.ceenet.org
Ksenia Avetisova
Media Lab: New Media Project Management
University of Art and Design Helsinki
Kilpolantie 16 C 36
00940 Helsinki
+358468114913
k_avetisova@bk.ru
Lisa Coll
Director of Grant Programs
The Eurasia Foundation
1350 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 1000
Washington, DC 20036
202-234-7370 X115
202-234-7377
LColl@eurasia.org
*******************************************************************************
* Takeshi Utsumi, Ph.D., P.E., Chairman, GLOSAS/USA *
* (GLObal Systems Analysis and Simulation Association in the U.S.A.) *
* Laureate of Lord Perry Award for Excellence in Distance Education *
* Founder and V.P. for Technology and Coordination of *
* Global University System (GUS) *
* 43-23 Colden Street, Flushing, NY 11355-5913, U.S.A. *
* Tel: 718-939-0928; Email: utsumi@columbia.edu *
* http://www.itu.int/wsis/goldenbook/search/display.asp?Quest=8032562&lang=en *
* http://www.friends-partners.org/GLOSAS/ *
* Tax Exempt ID: 11-2999676 *
*******************************************************************************