Program :: Jacek Gajewski and Oliver Popov /Thematic Session III
NGO Roundtable

Role of the Civil Society in the Creation of
the National ICT Policy and Strategy

Abstract

CEENET
CEE Network for Education and Training
For the Information Society

Jacek Gajewski
CEENet and Warsaw University
Oliver Popov
CEENet, MARNet, Saints Cyril and Methodius University and
Mid Sweden University

Communication and Information Technology, profound and extensive, yet with gratifying implications and far reaching consequences, brings us to the very threshold of the third millennium. There is no a single segment of the society, which is not either, transformed or influenced by the information technology. Computer networking, the symbiosis of computing and communication, with the ability to compress time and space has undeniably demonstrated its merits and benefits, and is expected to make even greater impact in shaping up our future.

The annals of Communication and Information technology as embodied by the National Research and Education networking are pool of constraints mainly financial, but also political and regulatory. Slowly, these constraints are overcome by the important mission performed by NRENs, which have been able to offer almost a universal service for the education and research communities, with prophetic infiltration of their activities in libraries, elementary and secondary schools, museums, small municipal centers of community life and civic society.

The existence of NREN has become one of the parameters that signify the progress of the contemporary post-industrial society and the initiation of the information society. Central and Eastern European Networking Association (CEENet is an association of national organizations whose primary mission is the international co-ordination of the establishment and operation of academic, research and education networks in CEE region and in adjacent countries. The current membership of the organization includes twenty six national research and education networks from the following countries: Albania, Armenia, Austria, Bulgaria, Belarus, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Georgia, Hungary, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldavia, Mongolia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Turkey and Uzbekistan.

One of the first activities of CEENet was to embark on the road of education, since it is apparent that the widespread usage and acceptance of the Internet and networking technology in general, dependents on well-trained and educated individuals that would be involved in building the infrastructure, the services, the administration and the education on the network in the respective member countries. Throughout the years, the institute of workshop has proved to be a powerful vehicle to introduce and promote new paradigms related to both in the areas of network technology, network management and policies and hence to build the human foundations of the Information Society.