[gu-l] (10/07/01)(1)CampusNet and Community Development Network in Amazon, (2) GUS/UNESCO/UNITWIN Networking Program

Tak Utsumi utsumi@columbia.edu
Mon, 8 Oct 2001 00:57:18 +0000 (GMT)


<<October 7, 2001>>
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Alexandre Rivas, Ph.D. <alex_mau@argo.com.br>

Prof. Dr. Roberto Andrea Mueller <rmueller@mail.ufv.br>

Steve McCarty <steve@kagawa-jc.ac.jp>

Maggie McVay Lynch, Ed.D. <mmlynch@odin.pdx.edu>

John M. Eger <jeger@mail.sdsu.edu>

Mr. Barry McLarnon, P. Eng. <bm@hydra.carleton.ca>

Marco Antonio R. Dias, T.C.D. <mardias@club-internet.fr>

Dr. Fernando Antonio Menezes <fernando_menezes@hotmail.com>

Professor Dr. Miguel Nenev <neneve@unir.br>

Antonio De Lisio <adelisio@LatinMail.com>

P. Tapio Varis, Ph.D, Professor <tapio.varis@uta.fi>

Yamasawa, Kiyohito, Dr.Eng. <yamasaw@gipwc.shinshu-u.ac.jp>



Dear Alex:
==========

I.   CampusNet:
++++++++++++++++

(1)  Pls visit the English version of ANNEX-I in "Community Development
     with E-Learning and E-Healthcare in Amazon, Brazil" -- Grant
     application to the InfoDev of the World Bank at

          http://www.friends-
partners.org/GLOSAS/Manaus%20Workshop/InfoDev_Application/infoDev_Proposa_%20v_4.html

     This is your proposal for the CampusNet project which is to establish
     Multimedia Resource Centers (MRC) at the main campuses of 6 Federal
     Public Universities and at their branch campuses in the localities of
     their states in Amazon areas.

     I have marked some portions of it with red for your comments.  Pls
     download the file into a plain text, and send me your replies to them
     as marking with blue or green in Miscosoft Word format.  (When you
     download it into a plain text file, all of table formats will be lost. 
     Don't worry about this, since I can figure them out later.)  Pls also
     make your final check of the English version -- you may do this as
     having two windows of the original Portuguese version (ANNEX-I) in
     your Internet browser and of the downloaded version in Microsoft WORD
     version side-by-side.

          Dear Roberto:
          =============

          Many, many thanks for your kind effort of translating its
          Portuguese version into English.  (I also consolidated your
          second version into the one mentioned above.  Thanks again.)

               BTW, when we will have the workshop in Manaus with the
               InfoDev funds, I would certainly like to meet with you and
               discuss our further cooperation.

          Dear Steve:
          ===========

          Many, many thanks for your kind effort of refining the English
          version made by Roberto.

          Dear Maggie:
          ============

          I would greatly appreciate it if you can kindly polish our
          English version further with your capability of grant proposal
          writing.  (If so, pls also take care of the main part of the
          application and ANNEX-III.  Thank you.)

(2)  This is an excellent proposal with detail list of necessary equipment
     and their costs -- the total estimated cots at about US$ 10 million.

     When I showed this proposal to the people of the Japanese government
     in Tokyo last August, I received their favorable response saying that
     this amount would fall into their "Grant Aid" category.

     They also said to me that this proposal can be considered for funding
     if it will be processed through appropriate channels of Brazilian
     governmental agencies.

(3)  However, the necessary telecommunication configurations for
     interconnecting main and branch campuses were not included in the
     proposal because the authors of the proposal were not experts on the
     telecom issues, as mentioned in the proposal.

          This will add several more million dollars for dish antenna,
          transceivers and satellite segments, etc., but the total can
          still fall into the "Grant Aid" category, according to the list
          of recipients of the grant in the last year, which I received
          from the Japanese government last August.

     Therefore, the main purpose of our workshop in Manaus next year with
     the InfoDev funds will then have to be the planning of this
     configurations and the construction of their cost estimates.  I have
     several schemes for this configurations and would like to discuss with
     you in the coming months.

(4)  Although I was happy to find some passages on the community
     development with the New Information and Communication Technologies
     (N-ICT) in this proposal, this could have been much more stressed
     with, say, teacher training of K-12 schools, promotion of digital
     literacy at public library, hospitals and healthcare facilities, local
     governmental offices, etc., etc.  These teacher-training and technical
     support can be the on-the-job training of the graduate students of the
     main universities.

          As mentioned elsewhere before, the beauty of digital, packet
          -switching technology (*), -- compared with exclusive analog,
          circuit-switching technology (**) -- is to share valuable
          telecom media by many users.  This sharing principle brought
          drastic cost reduction of telecommunications.  Namely, the more
          users will make the cost to end-users down further.

                    (*) which is the backbone of Internet and which was
                    invented by Paul Baran, one of our list members and
                    a strong supporter of our project,
                    (**) which is the backbone of POTS (Pain Old
                    Telephone Service) and which was invented by Graham
                    Bell.

               BTW, our Global University System (GUS) project extends
               this sharing principle further to sharing of knowledge in
               e-learning and e-healthcare fields.

          Since we plan to use the grant aid from the Japanese government
          (i.e., the Japanese taxpayers's money), I would strongly suggest
          that you solicit the participation of those non-profit
          organizations (***) in the localities of each university as many
          as possible in the first phase of this project so that the
          expensive satellite segment can be shared with them.

                    (***) including Japanese schools in Manaus for
                    children of Japanese workers at Japanese companies
                    in Manaus.

               This means that each of those 6 universities have to
               provide not only to their faculty members (as mentioned in
               the proposal) but also to the staffs of those non-profit
               organizations with training courses/seminars on promoting
               digital literacy.

          However, you have to keep in you mind that those government
          funds usually do not last long, particularly to cover recurring
          costs of, say, expensive satellite segment.

               In order to cover this cost and to make your CampusNet
               economically sustainable for the coming future, you will
               need to have the participation of commercial enterprises
               in the localities of those universities for them to
               subsidize the major portion of the recurring costs --
               preferably from the second phase of this project.  This is
               a similar way as the E-Rate of the US Federal
               Communications Commission (FCC) which subsidizes the costs
               of T1 (1.5 Mbps) lines at K-12 schools in the U.S..  The
               precedence of this approach is at the St. Thomas Island in
               the Caribbean.

               To have their participation, those universities have to
               also provide training courses to the staffs of those
               commercial enterprises in their localities.

               This means that each of those universities will become the
               focal point of community development with the New
               Information and Communication Technologies (N-ICT) -- a
               term coined by your proposal.  As the proposal also
               mentioned, this way will create new jobs for the graduates
               of the universities.

     For this community development approach, I would suggest to read John
     Eger's paper "Athens in the information age: How will 'smart
     communities' change the way we live?" which was appeared in July issue
     of InterMedia -- which can be retrieved at

          http://www.iicom.org/intermedia/july2001/eger.htm

     and also visit his web sites on the smart communities which URL are
     listed with his address below.

          Dear John:
          ==========

          Many thanks for your msg of 7/25/01, as informing me of this
          URL.  I read your article with great interest.

II.  Community Development Network:
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

(5)  However, in order for the community development to be effective, you
     have to concern the so-called "last-mile" problem to reach individual
     users of information via Internet.

     For this purpose, you have configured the Manaus Community Development
     Network with broadband wireless Internet units which will connect
     several non-profit organizations (including K-12 schools for Japanese
     children), as shown in ANNEX-IV.

          Barry and I have been talking how to work this out with a
          combined use of new technologies.

     Anyway, we have to construct the list of necessary equipment and their
     cost estimations for this Manaus Community Development Network.

          BTW, such community development networks may also be applicable
          to other cities of the CampusNet participating universities.

          If so, you may ask each of those university members to come up
          similar topology diagrams for the cities of their main campuses
          so that we can work out the list of equipment and their cost
          estimations as well -- see my contention why we need their
          participation mentioned above.

(6)  I think that this project of establishing the CampusNet and the
     community development networks in the local cities can be a model
     which can be replicable to other regions in Amazonian and Latin
     American countries, particularly for the members of UNAMAZ.

     I would then suggest that you should get endorsement letters for this
     InfoDev grant application from the rectors of CampusNet participating
     universities and the heads of participating organizations of the
     community development networks.

          Dear Marco:
          ===========

          Pls help Alex to get as many letters as possible from your
          acquaintances in Brazil and many other Latin American countries.

          Dear Fernando:
          ==============

          Your university is one of the CampusNet members.  Pls send your
          endorsement letter to Alex.  Thanks.  Hope to see you again at
          our workshop in Manaus next year.  I also would like to talk
          with you about your project of creating a new university campus.

          Dear Miguel:
          ============

          Pls ask Rector, Prof. Ene Glória of Silveira of your university
          to send his endorsement letter to Alex.  (I think I met him when
          I visited your university in 1998.)  The CampusNet was initiated
          at your university last May.  BTW, I was sorry I could not see
          you at the workshop in Manaus last year.

          Dear Antonio De Lisio:
          ======================

          Pls send your letter of endorsement to Alex.  Thanks.

III. UNESCO/UNITWIN Networking Program:
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

(7)  During the board mtg of our GUS in Madrid, Spain last June, we made a
     consensus that we would cordially invite you to become a counterpart
     GUS/UNESCO/UNITWIN Chair -- you are well deserved for this, since you
     brought the CampusNet project up to this stage after having conducted
     highly successful workshops in Manaus in 1998 and 2000.

(8)  Pls visit following web site for Tapio's Chair application to this
     UNITWIN Networking program
     <http://www.unesco.org/education/educprog/unitwin/index.html>,

          http://www.friends-
partners.org/GLOSAS/Global_University/Global%20University%20System/UNESCO_NGO/Appl_frm_Univ_of_Tampere/Appl_frm_Univ_of_Tampere.html

(9)  The procedures to get the chairmanship is as follows;

     (a)  Obtain endorsement letters from rectors of the universities of
          CampusNet,

     (b)  Submit your application to the Brazilian UNESCO National
          Committee,

     (c)  Have them send their endorsement letter with your application.

(10) I would strongly suggest that you contact Marco at your earliest
     convenience, since this program was initiated by him.

          I recall that Marco's previous msg said that the committee's
          next mtg will be in the next month, so that you better get hurry
          to do this.  I would like to attach the copies of the document
          to our InfoDev grant application.

          BTW, Mr. Koichiro Matsuura, new Director General of UNESCO, was
          the Director of Economic Affairs Bureau of the Japanese Ministry
          of Foreign Affairs -- to which our application of funding
          CampusNet will be submitted in the near future.

Dear Prof. Yamasawa:
====================

(11) You met Alex at our Tampere event in August of 1999.

     I strongly suggest that you read this proposal of CampusNet.  I hope
     this will be a good reference for your vision setting of the new
     status of your university, as the independent non-profit educational
     organization (NPO) from the year 2004.  The vision of your university
     has to be unique and excellent among others.

(12) I am looking forward to receiving the outline of your workshop in the
     fall of next year.


Best, Tak
         ****************************************
                     Distribution List

Alexandre Rivas, Ph.D.
Adjunct Professor
Director of the Center for Environmental Sciences
University of Amazonas - Brazil
C.P. 4208, Manaus 69053-140
BRAZIL
+55-92-644 23 22
Fax: +55-92-644 23 84
alex_mau@argo.com.br
http://www.argo.com.br/~alex_mau/alex.htm
http://lab-tiama.pop-am.rnp.br/cca/workshop/English/wksp_E.htm

Prof. Dr. Roberto Andrea Mueller
Full time Chemistry Professor
University Counsellor
Departamento de Quimica
Universidade Federal de Vicosa
CEP 36571-000 - Vicosa
Minas Gerais - Brasil
Tel: (031)899-3057
FAX: (031)899-3065
rmueller@mail.ufv.br
http://www.lehigh.edu/~jlma/poly/poly.html -- for rotation of Bucky ball.
http://www.tele.ed.nom.br/teleeduci.html
http://www.ufv.br/deq/teleduc/labori.html

Steve McCarty
Professor, Kagawa Junior College
President, World Association for Online Education: http://waoe.org/
Residence: 3717-33 Nii, Kokubunji, Kagawa 769-0101 JAPAN
Tel: +81-877-49-8041 (office, direct); Fax: +81-877-49-5252
E-mail: steve@kagawa-jc.ac.jp, mccarty@mail.goo.ne.jp
Website Map: http://www.kagawa-jc.ac.jp/~steve/
In Japanese: http://www.kagawa-jc.ac.jp/~steve_mc/

Maggie McVay Lynch, Ed.D.
Portland State University
Instruction and Research Services
P.O. Box 751
Portland, OR  97207-0751
Phone: 503-725-9116
Fax: 503-725-3476
mmlynch@odin.pdx.edu
http://web.pdx.edu/~mmlynch/

John M. Eger
Executive Director
International Center for Communications
College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts
San Diego State University
San Diego, CA 92182-4522
619-594-6933
619-594-6910
Fax: 619-594-4488
jeger@mail.sdsu.edu
http://www.smartcommunities.org/
http://www.smartcommunities.org/guidebook.html
http://www.iicom.org/intermedia/july2001/eger.htm -- His paper on Smart
Communities in InterMedia.

Mr. Barry McLarnon, P. Eng.
2696 Regina Street
Ottawa, ON, Canada  K2B 6Y1
Home: 613-820-3207
Fax: 613-820-3207 (call first)
Email: bm@hydra.carleton.ca
WWW: http://hydra.carleton.ca/info/wlan.html

Marco Antonio R. Dias, T.C.D. (Third Cycle Diploma)
Vice President, Global University System
Consultant of United Nations University
Former Director, Division of Higher Education of UNESCO
36, Rue Ernest Renan
92.190 Meudon
FRANCE
Tel: +33-1-45 34 3509
     +33-1-45-68-3009 (UNU office in Paris)
Fax: +33-1-45 34 3509
mardias@club-internet.fr
marcoantoniodias@yahoo.com
m.dias@unesco.org

Dr. Fernando Antonio Menezes
President
University of Roraima
Universidade Federal de Roraima
Campus do Paricarana/BR 174 S/N
Boa Vista, RORAIMA
Tel: +55-95-623-9067, 9065
Fax: +55-95-623-9063
fernando_menezes@hotmail.com
www.ufrr.br
www.germinal.ufrr.br

Professor Dr. Miguel Nenev
Vice Dean
Professor of Literature
University of Rondonia
Porto Velho, Rondonia
Brazil
Tel: 069-227-2862
neneve@unir.br

Antonio De Lisio
Executive secretary of the Unamaz-Venezuela
Associaç o das Universidades da Amazônia (UNAMAZ)
adelisio@LatinMail.com

P. Tapio Varis, Ph.D, Professor
Acting President, Global University System
Chairman, GLOSAS/Finland
Professor and Chair
Media Culture and Communication Education
Hypermedia laboratory
University of Tampere
P.O.Box 607
FIN-33101 Tampere
FINLAND
Tel: +358-3-215 6111
Tel: +358-3-614-5247--office in Hameenlinna
Tel: +358-3-215 6243--mass media lab in Tampere
GSM: +358-50-567-9833
Fax: +358-3-215 7503
tapio.varis@uta.fi
tapio.varis@helsinki.fi
http://www.uta.fi/~titava

Yamasawa, Kiyohito, Dr.Eng.
Professor
Dept. of Electrical & Electronic Engineering
Shinshu University
4-17-1 Wakasato, Nagano 380-8553
JAPAN
Tel: +81-26-269 51 96
Fax: +81-26-223 77 54
ISDN:+81-26-223-0228
yamasaw@gipwc.shinshu-u.ac.jp
http://yslab.shinshu-u.ac.jp
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