DEAFT

Official Letterhead of The Uganda National Council for Science and Technology (UNCST)

GUS/UG

26^th June 2003

The Country Manager

World Bank

Rwenzori House

P. O. Box 4463

Kampala

UGANDA

Dear Sir,

THE ESTABLISHMENT OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT) FOR E-LEARNING, TELEMEDICINE, INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE PROMOTION AND ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION IN RURAL COMMUNITIES OF UGANDA

The Uganda National Council for Science and Technology (UNCST) in collaboration with the Global University System (GUS) USA has prepared the attached concept paper on ≥The Establishment of ICT for e-Learning, Telemedicine, Indigenous Knowledge Promotion and Economic Transformation in Rural Communities of Uganda.≤ This proposal is being sent to you for consideration and support under the Japan Social Development Fund (JSDF)/Seed Fund.

The goals of the project are to establish:

(i) broadband internet network (UgaNet) of universities, research centers and institutions of learning that will enhance interaction among these institutions and, at the same time, link them with their communities for enabling their life-long learning to increase their productivity for poverty eradication, and

(ii) Local Community Development Network (LCDN), which is to link diverse rural communities for knowledge sharing through exchange of experiences.

As you are already aware, the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology is a public corporate institution created in 1990 by an act of Parliament to promote and develop science and technology and carry out activities that ensure sustainable integration of science and technology in the national development process. Its functions include the creation of appropriate establishments that will support basic value added services for rural community development. The Council has over the years established cooperative linkages and networked with institutions whose objective is to enhance the economic and social levels of rural communities. The Council, for example, established rural multipurpose community telecentres to promote the development and improvement of communications infrastructure in selected rural settings to facilitate and improve the well-being of rural communities. The Council has established rural indigenous knowledge resource centres and developed important projects in sustainable use of indigenous knowledge and practices to improve the economic and social value of the rural communities. Unfortunately, due to problems of rural communication and information delivery systems, knowledge and information accruing from these efforts and information generated from research and development initiatives of many of the new young universities, rural-based institutions of higher learning and non-governmental research institutions, cannot adequately find their way into local community development framework. The Council in collaboration with the Global University System would like to promote development of communities through information sharing, economic development and wealth creation for poverty reduction by applying high-speed wireless Internet connections.

In this regard, the Council wishes to apply for the Japanese Social Development Fund (JSDF)/Seed Fund worth US$54,000 for the following activities:

(1) Fact Finding and Assessment Trip by Dr.Takeshi Utsumi, Founder and Vice President for Technology and Coordination, Global University Systems

(2) Mini-Workshop (3 days) three months after step 1

(3) Executive meeting to finalise full proposal of JSDF

The deliverable of the above activities will be the full proposal for the JSDF, which will be prepared through participatory discussions of a project committee which will consist of multi-sectoral members and participants from institutions affiliated to the Council and outside consultations for maximum input, effectiveness and sustainability. The outside consultants are necessary because of the high-tech nature of (a) the broadband Internet networking with local Community Development Network and (b) e-learning and telemedicine, both of which experiences are not extensive in Uganda at present. The well-developed JSDF grant proposal will be submitted within 12 months after this seed fund application is approved and granted.

We look forward to your support.

Yours sincerely

Dr. Zerubabel M. Nyiira

Executive Secretary

Uganda National Council for Science and Technology

c.c. Permanent Secretary and Secretary to the Treasury

Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development

Chairman, Uganda National Council for Science and Technology