 September
28, 2004 - Kingston, Jamaica
The University of Technology,
Jamaica (UTech) today became the first institution
in the Anglophone Caribbean to formally join the Global
Development Learning Network (GDLN). Over 50 countries
are already connected, using state-of-the art information
and communications technology to foster better understanding
and learning of development issues around the world. Technology
not only reduces the constraints of distance, but also
provides an extremely cost-effective alternative to traditional
face-to-face workshops and seminars. In Jamaica, interactions
can now take place without time-consuming air travel and
"off-island" time.
UTech's participation in the GDLN is possible because
of the facilities installed in the Technology Innovation
Centre (TIC), a specialized division of the University
that promotes and supports entrepreneurship and business
development. The TIC also houses an incubator for start-up
technology-based businesses and provides training, business
consultancy and information services to local and regional
enterprises and institutional clients.
Within its mandate, UTech has assumed responsibility
for developing technologies appropriate to the Jamaican
resource base using its own strengths to assist faculty,
students and outside entrepreneurs in using these research
results. The TIC, therefore, acts as the catalyst in
the process of transferring knowledge to the marketplace
as well as attracting technology from external sources
and feeding it back to university researchers. As part
of GDLN, the TIC will also be able to play an enhanced
role in supporting and developing the public sector
and facilitating interactions between the various stakeholders
in society.
In addition to the provision of videoconference facilities
for broader community use, the partnership between the
GDLN and UTech will support the development of distance
learning within the University. “The GDLN will
facilitate important discussions between curriculum
developers in various institutions, support UTech’s
collaborative offering of programs with overseas universities,
and jump-start the offering of multimedia–assisted
courses within the University”, said Dr. Nancy
George, AVP Academic Management at UTech. “GDLN
will provide an important facility for UTech
and Jamaica as a whole to be part of a global educational
and developmental dialogue.”
On occasion of the launch ceremony, David
Gray, the World Bank's GDLN Coordinator for Latin
America and the Caribbean said that "Information
and communications technology can play an important
role in bringing the people of the world closer together
to seek common solutions to common problems. We're delighted
to welcome Jamaica and UTech into this growing community."
For additional information regarding GDLN activities
in the Caribbean, please contact David Gray (dgray1@worldbank.org).
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