Date: 2 Mar 2002 - 16 Mar 2002
Place: Malaysia
Recognizing the importance of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in economic development, from 2 to 16 March 2002, the UNCRD Africa Office, in collaboration with the Malaysian Technical Cooperation Programme, organized the Malaysia-UNCRD Joint Training Course in ICT to strengthen the national capacity of African planners and administrators. The training course, which was hosted by the National Institute of Public Administration (INTAN), accommodated thirteen mid- and senior-level African planners and administrators from Botswana, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Tanzania, and Uganda as well as five Malaysian participants. The training course was organized on a cost-sharing basis between UNCRD and the Government of Malaysia.
By focusing on the case of Malaysia, with particular emphasis on the experience of Kuala Lumpur, the course aimed at assisting African planners and administrators to acquire the skills and competence they require to design and implement effective development policies and strategies for ICTs. It was also designed to enable the participants to draw relevant and important lessons from the development policies on ICTs in Malaysia.
Participants were also given an opportunity to examine at close range the key aspects of information technology (IT) development in Malaysia.
Together with resource persons, participants indicated that the development of ICTs in Africa is still at a rudimentary stage when compared to Malaysia. It was recognized as crucial that African countries therefore take appropriate steps to create conducive environments for the development of ICTs in order to achieve meaningful economic development.
(Office: UNCRD Africa Office)