• Automatic Plant Disease Detection, Classification and Management

Project Info

Home / Project Info

Project Info

1. General Information

  • Project Title: Survey on Asi@connect capacity development and NREN uses analysis with future planning and recommendation.
  • Work Package: WP2 (Capacity Development of least Developing Country NRENs)
  • Asi@Connect Project Grand: 3rd Call for Proposal (TEIN*CC Ref: Asi@Connect-19-048)
  • Budget: 37,435 EUR
  • Duration: October 2019 to March 2020
  • Implementing Organization: Electrical and Electronics Engineering (EEE) Department, Patuakhali Science and Technology University (PSTU), Dumki-8602, Patuakhali, Bangladesh (“Department of EEE, PSTU”).
  • Participating NRENs: Afghanistan (AF), Australia (AU), Bangladesh (BD), Bhutan (BT), Cambodia (KH), Japan (JP), Laos (LA), Myanmar (MMR), Nepal (NP) and Singapore (SG).
  • Activities:
    • Baseline survey on the Asi@connect programs and NREN activities in seven least developing countries of Asia: Afghanistan, Bhutan, Cambodia, Laos, Nepal, Myanmar and Bangladesh.
    • NREN infrastructure and services visit in one least developing country-Laos/Cambodia and one developed country-Japan/Australia.
    • Organize a conference in Singapore with the presence of 7 listed NRENs, TEIN*CC and Asi@Connect representative, Officials from APAN and GEANT and the SingAREN representatives.
    • Publish the NREN Baseline Survey Report with recommendation of future plan for the Asi@connect Capacity development program and NREN networks of least developed countries of Asia.

2. Information of the Principal Investigators (PI)/Leader

Principal Investigator (PI)/Leader:

  • Prof. Dr. S.M. Taohidul Islam
    Chairman
    Department of EEE
    Patuakhali Science and Technology University
    Dumki-8602, Patuakhali, Bangladesh.
    Email: staohidul@gmail.com
    website:  www.pstu.ac.bd/departments/EEE

Co-Principal Investigator:

  • Md. Jahidul Islam
    [former Manager Innovation, BdREN]
    Email: shamimcse02@gmail.com

3. LIST OF COLLABORATING PARTICIPANTS:

No.NameOrganizationsCountryEmail
1Professor S. M. Monirul HassanDepartment of Sociology, University of Chittagong Bangladeshmonirul.hassan@cu.ac.bd
2Mohammed Shafiul Alam KhanInstitute of Information Technology, University of DhakaBangladeshshafiulalam@gmail.com

 

4. BACKGROUNDS

The NRENs provides high internet speed, unique facilities on academic and research as telecommunication network in each country.  Asi@connect ensures easy, reliable, efficient and cost-effective services for academic and researchers through national research and education network. Asi@connect objective is to promote the capacity development of developing countries through capacity building trainings, workshops, and seminars for engineers as well as non- technical administrators. NREN also performs for collaboration and scientific development of the countries through rural network, Distance learning facilities and human resource development for R&E.

The goals will be interrupted due to the lack of harmonization of demand   and capacity development program for beneficiary organizations in a country depending on the impacts and development issues of NREN. It is important to find which level of training is important for network professional to maintain the networking system with the benefits of TEIN communities. Training/ workshop should emphasize on problem based learning issues to ensure the expertise on network design, routing, security and management in developing countries of Asi@connect. The management policy is another important factor to consider for the sustainable development of NREN.

It is needed to assess the diversity and importance of capacity development program to ensure the benefit of TEIN.  Baseline survey is needed to find out the gap of network infrastructure and services between developing country and developed countries of Asia.  The qualitative and quantitative information will be helpful to identify the main challenges of NREN uses and services.  Future planning is important for sustainable development of NREN system   with long term maintenance approach in developing countries in Asia.

Pragmatic strategies should be obtained with the analysis and implementation of network technology in survey reports.  Some attempts and suggestions should be added/corrected through the open discussion with the chief executive body of NREN of developing countries of Asia in the conference.  The survey report would include the urgent need of Asi@connect and NREN so that their program and services become more effective for developing countries TEIN network.

 

5. OBJECTIVES

  1. To conduct the baseline survey on Asi@connect capacity development program and NREN uses in seven least developed countries including Afghanistan (AF), Bhutan (BT), Cambodia (KH), Laos (LA), Nepal (NP), Myanmar (MMR) and Bangladesh (BD) of Asia.
  2. To visit the NREN infrastructure and services of Laos/Cambodia as developing country and Japan/Australia as developed country for evaluation the gap of NREN infrastructures.
  3. To develop a web-based survey system for the assessment of the Asi@connect capacity development program and NREN uses in developing countries.
  4. To conduct Multiple Indicators Cluster Survey of NREN infrastructure with evaluation of Asi@connect programs and NREN activities, impacts and context.
  5. To assess the appropriateness of the use of different technology and platform in NREN interventions with the discussion of potential and limitations of the existing system.
  6. To evaluate the emerging and strategic issues of Asi@connect program and NREN uses in the baseline survey report and to present the improvement planning in the conference for idea sharing with NREN facilitator.
  7. To recommend the future capacity development program on network design, security and management for contributing as the problem based learning on network infrastructure and services.
  8. To recommend the future improvement planning of NREN system with strong Communities of Interest considering level of technical expertise and capacity of TEIN.

 

6. DETAILS OF ACTIVITIES/PROGRAMS

The program will conduct baseline survey in seven least developed countries of Asia, Afghanistan (AF), Bhutan (BT), Cambodia (KH), Laos (LA), Nepal (NP), Myanmar (MMR) and Bangladesh (BD) of Asia. A website will be developed to collect the qualitative information on training, workshop and other capacity development program of Asi@connect. The questionnaire will be designed to reflect the Asi@connect program and NREN infrastructure, interventions, services and collaborations in developing countries of Asia. Set of questionnaires will be developed by discussing with participants to explore the qualitative and quantitative information on Asi@connect capacity development program and NREN facilities.  It also includes the observation of one developing country, Laos/Cambodia and one developed country, Japan/Australia in TEIN communities to observe the gap of networking system involving Network Performance, Management, Monitoring and Security. The survey outcomes will be presented in the conference for the open discussion with the top-level executive from these seven least developed countries of TEIN communities.  Finally, project report will be submitted integrating the qualitative and quantitative information collected from the baseline survey.

The observation of two countries network infrastructure would also include the visiting of advanced REN services and interviews of the network professionals about the maintenance of the system.  The schedule and activities of REN visits are shown as

 CountryProgramActivities
1Laos/ CambodiaVisit of Network infrastructure, connected institutes and REN services-Observation of network system
-Interview of Administrative officers and network engineers of REN
– Interview of 3~5 service getting Universities/Institutes Faculty and IT Engineers
2Japan/ AustraliaVisit of Network infrastructure, connected institutes and REN services-Observation of network system
-Interview of Administrative officers and network engineers of REN
– Interview of 3~5 service getting Universities/Institutes Faculty and IT Engineers

LIST OF FACILITIES VISITED

  • NREN Office
  • Network PoPs
  • Data centre/Cloud System
  • Network infrastructure to connect universities/institutes
  • NREN Services and Internet facilities through NREN
  • Network security system
  • Facilities of NFV or SDN
  • Facilities of EduRoam/EduGain/ IPv6/
  • Research centre/ office
  • Distance collaboration / Conference Center
  • Research Involvement through NRENs

After completing the survey, a conference will be arranged where the existing NREN services, the gap of network facilities and improvement plan will be presented for least developed countries under Asi@connect. Based on the opinion in open discuss and suggestions in conferences, the future improvement plan will be proposed in the submitted report. 

Schedule for the conference at Singapore on Asi@connect capacity development

Place and DateParticipantsActivities Area CoverageVenue

Singapore,

March, 2020

1. Governor/ CEO/CTO of 7 NRENs

2. Officials from TEIN*CC and Asi@Connect Project,

3. Officials from APAN and GEANT

4. PI, CO-PI and Collaborating Participants of the project

1. Presentation of impacts, importance of Asi@connect program and NREN facilities in developing countries

2. Summary of discussion, observation, Process Management & Continuous Improvement

3. Recommendation for future NREN development plan under Asi@Connect Project

To be decided with the concern of TEIN*CC and SingAREN
Grand dinner (25 participants including guests and conference participants)

Singapore

next day of the Conference

Site visit with conference participants at SingAREN Infrastructure and Services

Finally, submitting the survey report based on the qualitative and quantitative information of NREN to TEIN*CC.

 

7. EXPECTED OUTCOME

  1. Assessment of Asi@connect programs, NREN infrastructure and services in 7 least developing countries.
  2. A website for survey and evaluating the programs and activities of Asi@connect / TEIN*CC.
  3. Assessment of the impacts of NREN contribution and status of Asi@connect Project goal.
  4. Physical survey at two NREN countris (LDC: Laos/Cambodia and DC: Japan/Australia).
  5. A conference with representatives of developing and developed countries of TEIN for presenting the survey report and future planning with open discussion.
  6. A comprehensive report of integrating the qualitative and quantitative information collected from the baseline survey and recommendations for future planning.

 

8. EXPECTED IMPACTS

The program would contribute to the future improvement planning of R&E, especially TEIN/Asi@Connect.

  1. TEIN will be benefitted with the evaluation of importance, impacts of training, workshop and other capacity development program of Asi@connect.
  2. It will find out the gap of NREN networking services between developing countries and developed countries in Asia.
  3. It will explore the limitations of existing policy for proper utilizations of NREN networking system to benefit the R&E/TEIN communities.
  4. It provides encouragement to the researchers and inventors to conduct the research incorporating with network infrastructure of NREN.
  5. It will help in social and financial development of seven least developed countries in TEIN through proper Asi@connect program and the utilizations of NREN system.
  6. It will ensure the network convenience for TEIN society including solutions, monitoring and logging of network activities with reliable access in NREN system.
  7. It will help Asi@connect to offer the training, workshop and other capacity development program on network design, security and management for R&E/TEIN society.

 

9. BENEFITS TO TEIN AND ITS COMMUNITY

  1. Baseline Survey report of seven least developed countries of Asia, Afghanistan (AF), Bhutan (BT), Cambodia (KH), Laos (LA), Nepal (NP), Myanmar (MMR) and Bangladesh (BD) and two developed countries of Asia, Australia (AU) and Japan (JP).

NREN Infrastructure and Facility visit in least developing country (Laos/Cambodia)

  1. NREN Infrastructure and Facility visit in developed country (Japan/Australia)

Conference with 25 participants form 7 NRENs Governors, 3 TEIN/Asi@Connect Officials, 2 APAN/GEANT Officials, 4 project Stuffs (PI, CO-PI, Collaborating Partners) and local participants.

 

10. SUSTAINABILITY OF THE ACTIVITY/PROGRAM

  • Baseline survey will recommend how to reduce the gap between developing country and developed country’s NREN in Asia.
  • The developed website will be used to obtain the participant opinion after any capacity development program by Asi@connect for program assessment.
  • The website also would be the platform to share the network related problem and solution in Asi@connect.
  • Academician and Researcher concerned with the NREN system would be facilitated more through the sharing of knowledge and experiences in TEIN communities.
  • Teachers, students, researchers, stuffs everybody connects with the network can increase the utilization of Asi@Connect network uses.
  • Future improvement plan will be implemented to overcome the challenges of existing NREN system.