NEWS ARCHIVE: 2005, 1999/2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006
November-December 2005
SAF at the World Summit on the Information Society, Tunis
This November, the Science and Arts Foundation was an active participant in
the second, and final, phase of the United Nation's World Summit on the
Information Society (WSIS) and parallel events as an independent accredited
civil society entity and the focal point for the Global Knowledge
Partnership's Middle East and North Africa regional cluster. Hosted by the
Government of Tunisia, over 19,000 individuals took part in the weeklong
events, with entities representing 174 states and the European Community, 92
International Organizations, 606 NGOs and civil society organizations, 226
business sector entities and 642 media organizations. WSIS has been a
groundbreaking initiative in its promotion of a multi-stakeholder process to
examine and come to agreement on concerns facing all aspects of the
information society. Held in two phases, the first hosted by the Government
of Switzerland in Geneva in December 2003, and including a preparatory
process consisting of international, regional and thematic meetings, the
Summit aimed to address issues as they relate to the information society and
information and communication technologies as used in the development
process.
The Science and Arts Foundation has been involved in the WSIS process
starting from the Geneva phase and continuing to the Tunis phase. Given the
intense focus WSIS has given to issues related to education, and ICTs for
development in general, the overall experience has not only exposed SAF to
new realms of knowledge within the field but also paved the way for fruitful
partnerships and concrete program developments. This year, six
representatives from SAF participated in both the Summit and parallel events
held in Tunis. As a member of the Global Knowledge Partnership-GKP (
www.globalknowledge.org), SAF also took part in the GKP Pavilion and Forum.
Furthermore, as the GKP focal point for the Middle East and North Africa,
SAF worked in collaboration with other regional members to organize a panel
session entitled "ICTs and Education: Case Studies from the Middle East and
North Africa" as part of the GKP Forum. SAF also organized and participated
in a number of meetings with regional members in order to increase
collaboration and joint ventures.
Other highlights from the week for SAF include:
Additionally, three of the representatives attended the Tunis phase based on a grant received from the UNESCO Cluster Office in Tehran in order to focus on events related to ICTs for the disabled. The representatives had the opportunity to both share SAF's experiences in ICTs for the disabled, particularly the visually impaired, and also discover the experiences of other similar organizations in order to expand SAF's programs in the field. Mr. Nasrollah Rezaie, head of SAF's Visually Impaired Person's network, also delivered a talk on this topic.
Overall, the team returned with a vast wealth of positive results and experiences which will be applied to the organization's work program in the near future.
September-October 2005
8th ANNUAL SCHOOLNET CONFERENCE A GREAT SUCCESS
The 8th Annual SchoolNet Conference took place in the city of Neyshabour from
the 13th to the 16th of September 2005. This conference was organized by the
Science and Arts Foundation, the ICT Department of the Ministry of Education,
the Neyshabour Mathematics House, the Isfahan Mathematics House and the
Khorasan and Neyshabour Departments of Education.
The conference consisted of:
Submitted abstracts were refereed by a scientific committee which included teachers from Neyshabour and other Iranian cities before a final number of projects were chosen by a team of professors from Ferdowsi University. Overall, 40 articles and 60 workshops were presented at the conference (abstracts of projects can be viewed here [pdf]). The projects presented were also entered into a final round of competition, along with projects undertaken by SchoolNet members throughout the year, where 6 groups received grand prizes at the closing ceremony of the conference based on an evaluation conducted by various committees. The categories were: the best student-led project at the conference, the best website by a SchoolNet member, the best international cooperation project, the best voluntary group active in SchoolNet, the best article presentation at the conference and the best website for educational content. To view a PowerPoint presentation of the awards, visit here [powerpoint].
The prizes which were given out to students were donated by Sanyo, Pars Online, Nokia, and Hydro Zagros. In addition to the above articles and projects, 60 workshops were presented by students, teachers and visiting guests.
Notable events during this four day program include:
One significant initiative directly resulting from the conference is the FinnIran Initiative. The FinnIran Initiative is an online project promoting interaction between students across the world who share common interests, regardless of geographic boundaries. Mr. Ilpo Halonen, a conference guest from Finland has published an online article at here that would promote these projects which have been implemented with the help of the Comenius 3 Network and SchoolNet Iran. The first three projects to have been initiated are: a collaboration of primary school children, a project about Linux software and LTSP, and pilot projects in science.
Overall, the 8th Annual SchoolNet conference provides an outstanding example of collaboration amongst educational experts and organizations to improve the learning process and promote innovation and creativity among students and teachers in Iran.
Further details can be found here.
To view other projects undertaken by SchoolNet students and teachers, please visit SchooNet website.
If you would like to support SAF promote education programs such as the one above, please visit our support page.
June-August 2005
SUPPORT ICT CENTER FOR CHILDREN OF BAM!
On 21st August 2005, Mr. Abteen Sai, chairman of SAF-UK's board of trustees,
will do a parachute jump to raise the funds necessary to equip an educational
center built by the Science and Arts Foundation for the people of Bam, in
particular children and youth
In both his professional achievements and philanthropic endeavors, Abteen
follows in the footsteps of his father, University of Tehran Professor Karim
Sai, after whom Tehran's beautiful Park Sai was named.
We would like to ask SAF supporters all around the world to sponsor Abteen's
jump and the Center in Bam by making a contribution to SAF's account in the UK
by visiting
here.
To learn more Abteen and his jump, please visit here.
IRANIAN TEACHERS PARTICIPATE IN 12th ANNUAL iEARN CONFERENCE IN SENEGAL
The 12th Annual International Education and Resource Network World Conference
was held in Dakar, Senegal from 17th to 23rd July 2005. A group of 14 Iranian
educators and administrators participated in this conference with the support
of the Science and Arts Foundation. The Iranian team represented schools in
Tehran, Damavand, Shar-e Ray, Tabriz and Isfahan. The team conducted
PowerPoint presentations according to their area of expertise and the iEARN
projects they have been working on with their students throughout the past
academic year. The Iranian participants were also present in numerous workshops
and presentations prepared by teachers and students from around the globe.
During the week-long event, they had the chance to interact and have
face-to-face meetings with their peers and other members of the iEARN network.
The iEARN-Iran coordinator also took the opportunity to participate in the iEARN
Assembly meetings as an observer. This is a key step in promoting the role of
Iran in iEARN by gaining the right to vote and playing a more essential role in
the future of iEARN.
For further information regarding iEARN-Iran, please visit here.
KERMANSHAH SCHOOLNET LAUNCHED
With cooperation from the Kermanshah Department of Education and support from
SAF Sweden, SAF has launched the national SchoolNet program (www.schoolnet.ir)
in the province of Kermanshah. After collaborative efforts with the Department
of Education to obtain the hardware and software necessary to connect local
schools to the virtual network, a group of SAF instructors initiated the
program with courses on web design, Linux, computer networking and robotics on
11th July 2005. These courses were intended as introductory sessions such that
attending students would learn basic skills and discover the various
opportunities available to them in the field of information and communication
technologies.
To view pictures of the events in Kermanshah, please visit here.
Further details about the Kermanshah SchoolNet program can be found
here.
SAF PROGRAMS FOR THE VISUALLY IMPARIED ACHIEVING SUCCESS
As part of its vision to provide ICT access and training for all students in
Iran, SAF places great emphasis on the inclusion of students with special
needs. As part of these efforts, SAF and the Isfahan Mathematics House
(www.mathhouse.org), a SAF partner, have organized a series of courses for
visually impaired students and teachers on topics including Windows, Internet,
Word and Kurzweil technologies using ordinary PCs and keyboards along with the
help of a voice browser.
Furthermore, SAF and the Isfahan Mathematics House have transferred to CD and
Braille a series of computer training manuals by Mr. Nasrollah Rezaie and Dr.
Mohsen Sadeghi on JAWS, Windows 98, Word and Kurzweil. Training manuals on
Windows XP, PowerPoint and programming are also being prepared. These manuals
are being sent to visually impaired students and teachers across Iran. In
addition, SAF has set up a telephone helpline to assist the visually impaired
with any queries on these manuals.
For details regarding SAF programs for the visually impaired, please visit
here.
UPDATE: SAF ACTIVITIES IN BAM
In the aftermath of the tragic December 2003 earthquake in the Iranian city of
Bam, SAF responded with a number of programs aimed at easing levels of trauma
felt by the students and teachers and assisting in the re-development process.
As part of these efforts, SAF launched an ICT training center, an art therapy
program, or paint shop, and a psychosocial rehabilitation program for
school teachers. One of the most recent events to take place was part of the
paint shop program. Kaat Vrancken from Belgium and Martijn van der Linden from
the Netherlands held a puppet workshop for the children of Bam on the 11th and
12 of June 2005. Kaat is a children's book author and Martijn is an
illustrator, both outstanding and internationally recognized artists. The
workshop, coordinated by Mojgan Momeni, director of SAF's paint shop in
Bam, was indeed fruitful for all parties involved. The children
received new information and learned how to create new designs while spending
time in a cheerful and positive atmosphere.
Currently, the permanent ICT Training and Psychosocial Rehabilitation Center in
Bam is near completion with support from international agencies and individual
donors. To see how you can provide further support for SAF's project in Bam,
please here.
UK PIANO CONCERT IN AID OF SAF
A second piano concert by Ms. Golriz Hashemi will be held in London in an effort
to raise funds for SAF programs aimed at empowering youth of the developing
world. This event will take place on Saturday, 17th September at 7:30 pm in
London, UK. For further details regarding the event program and venue, please
visit here or call 07833991879
March-May 2005
SAF LAUNCHES ONLINE COURSWARE FOR IRANIAN STUDENTS
As part of its effort to promote e-learning methods and articulate the
advantages of online educational tools among students and educators at
the high school level, the Science and Arts Foundation has designed
and implemented 3 online courses for SchoolNet members. The courses
consist of web design, primary JAVA and advanced JAVA. Initially,
students from 11 schools in Tehran participated in the training
programs. During the second phase of the program, students from
Semnan, Rafsanjan, Zanjan, Babol, Isfahan, Shiraz, Ahvaz, Shahroud and Tabriz
also took part. Registration, instruction and assignments for the courses are
all handled via the Internet in Persian.
Currently, the e-learning courseware team is organizing a new set of
courses focused on other aspects of technology, from the beginner to
advanced levels. Additional non-technology-based courses are also
being prepared for students in disciplines such as psychology.
For more information regarding SAF's online courses, please visit:
here
SAF PARTICIPATES IN THE GLOBAL KNOWLEDGE PARTNERSHIP'S
INTERNATIONAL FORUM AND ANNUAL MEETING 2005
From the 2nd through the 6th of May 2005, SAF representatives
participated in the Global Knowledge Partnership's (www.globalknowledge.org) international forum entitled "Advancing ICT
Solutions for Development through Cross-Sector Partnerships: with a
Special Focus on the Middle East and North Africa" and the
Partnership's Annual Meeting 2005. Both events were held in Cairo,
Egypt and attended by high level officials and representatives from
the public sector, private sector and civil society organizations throughout
the world. In addition to serving as the focal point for the Middle East
and North Africa (MENA) regional cluster, SAF has also joined the
Youth and Local Content thematic clusters. A GKP member since 2004,
SAF continues to be an active participant, working towards GKPs' two
main pillars of sharing knowledge and building partnerships in pursuit
of information and communication technologies for development. The GKP MENA
work program for the year will include the translation of key GKP literature
into Arabic and Persian as well as plans for a panel presentation on ICTs in
Education at the second phase of the World Summit on the Information Society-
WSIS (to learn more about the WSIS process, please visit
here).
To view the press release issued by the GKP, please visit
here
SAF LAUNCHES SCHOOLNET IN SHIRAZ
In partnership with the Ehsan Educational Center, SAF launched Shiraz
SchoolNet in an inauguration meeting on 21st April at the Ehsan Center. SAF
provided the center a server, computers, scanner, printer, video-conferencing
technology and other equipment. With the assistance of the staff at the Ehsan
Center, SchoolNet Shiraz is now operational. As members of SchoolNet,
students and educators can take part in numerous virtual activities,
including e-Clubs and online courseware. In addition, SchoolNet
members can participate in both the local and national workshops and
conferences supported by SAF across Iran. Currently, 3 other schools
in Shiraz have joined SchoolNet with other members on the way.
As part of its commitment to facilitate the use of information and
communication technologies among Iranian youth, SAF also organized a
series of workshops and training courses on various topics including
website design and the Linux operating system in Shiraz.
SCHOOLNET'S CREATIVITY WORKSHOPS FOR INTERNATIONAL CREATIVITY DAY
The Creativity e-Club hosted on the
SchoolNet portal, organized two creativity workshops to correspond
with International Creativity and Innovation Day and Iran's Creativity
Day, held on the 21st and 23rd of April 2005 respectively. Over 120
students participated in the workshops which were held at Roshd Boys'
and Roshd Girls' High Schools in Tehran. In the first segment of the
workshops, e-Club members, composed of high school students and
educators, introduced the topic of creativity and innovation, followed
by the presentation of inspirational quotes by innovative leaders and
examples of innovative works. Students were then encouraged to
collaborate and engage in initiating their own creative ideas and
proposals.
At the conclusion of the workshop, students formed teams of five
individuals in order to take part in a hands-on competition organized
to promote creative and innovative problem-solving skills and teamwork.
The Creativity and Innovation Day workshops set precedence for monthly
meetings which will take place starting summer 2005.
FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF DISCOVERY CENTERS IN TEHRAN
The Science and Arts Foundation, internationally acclaimed for its
success in the establishment of Iran's SchoolNet (www.schoolnet.ir)
and its continuous contribution to research and educational programs
in Iran, was approached for consultation by Tehran's Department of
Education in early 2004, which led to the idea of developing regional
ICT centers for school children in the educational districts of Tehran.
Working with SAF representatives in the planning process, as well as employing
graduates of SAF programs, five such centers, entitled "Discovery Centers" or
"Kavoshkadeh", were established in 5 separate educational districts of Tehran.
Within their first active year, the Discovery Centers have successfully
presented a series of comprehensive educational programs for local
school students and educators. See www.kavoshkadeh.ir
Supervised and regulated by the city's department of education, each
Discovery Center consists of modern computers and Internet access and
provides extracurricular courses for students of the district. Working
closely with district schools, each Discovery Center engages students
in research activities and offers opportunities for collaborative
ICT-based projects. The work accomplished by students at these
centers is frequently presented at local and national conferences and
seminars.
One of the most successful programs implemented at the Centers is the
development of Robotics laboratories and Robotics courses. Future
plans include the establishment of similar laboratories, namely Open Source,
data processing and computer graphics labs. At the Centers, both
students and teachers gain access to special websites which not only
serve as valuable source of information, but also encourage their
engagement in research activities. Notably, they can contribute to
electronic content through these websites.
The establishment of the Centers serves as a successful example of how
effective and positive educational programs presented by SAF are being
expanded and integrated within the future plans of the Department of
Education. Plans are currently underway to create Discovery Centers
in all of Tehran's 22 educational districts, followed by programs in
other provinces.
January-February 2005
SCIENCE AND ARTS FOUNDATION ELECTED AS GKP FOCAL POINT FOR MENA
The Global Knowledge Partnership (GKP), www.globalknowledge.org, is a
worldwide network committed to harnessing the potential of information
and communication technologies for sustainable and equitable
development. Today, the GKP consists of 91 members from 40 countries
across the world. While the GKP was established in 1997, this has
been the first year that they have adopted the regional approach.
According to the GKP, "A region-specific approach allows the
identification of common regional positions which can form the basis
for effective advocacy, knowledge sharing and thematic discussions at
the global level. In turn, issues from the global level as well as
from the other regional discussions can give interesting input into
the regional debate". SAF joined the GKP in the spring of 2004 and
was elected as focal point for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
region in January 2005.
SCHOOLNET STUDENTS/TEACHERS SUPPORT VICTIMS OF THE ASIAN TSUNAMI DISASTER
The Science and Arts Foundation, with support from the SchoolNet
council, organized a photography and video exhibition in the city of
Tehran from the 22nd to the 27th of January 2005. The exhibition
presented photos and video images of Bam by a number of well-known
Iranian artists. The message from the exhibition was one of
compassion and support from a nation that has experienced the trauma
of disaster. In addition to the exhibition, students and teachers
from the SchoolNet program have also expressed their concern and
sympathy for peers living in affected parts of Asia.
BAM PSYCHOSOCIAL REHABILITATION PILOT PROGRAM FOR TEACHERS IS NOW COMPLETE
SAF's "Psychosocial Rehabilitation Program for Bam Teachers" was
created by Dr Kamran Saedi, a consultant child and adolescent
psychiatrist based in London, in order to address the needs of the
teachers themselves and to support their efforts to help children with
their traumatisation. The project was funded by CISCO and World
Vision. Over 150 teachers participated in the pilot program, which
was based on group therapy, with successful results. When rated by
the mental health professional team on a 1 to 5 scale for individual
improvement, over 75 per cent of the participants received a score of
3 or higher (1 = no improvement; 5 = great improvement). The next
phase of the program will aim to provide continued psychological
advice and support for teachers, help teachers manage stress, both
related to the trauma of the earthquake and as a result of the demands
in the workplace, and encourage teachers to influence their work place
and promote a supportive environment that encourages the wellbeing of
its staff and pupils. SAF is now seeking funds to extend the project
to all teachers in Bam. TO VIEW A FULL REPORT OF THIS PROGRAM, PLEASE
VISIT HERE (pdf)
SAF PARTICIPATES IN COMMEMORATING ANNIVERSARY OF THE GREAT HANSHIN-AWAJI EARTHQUAKE
To commemorate the anniversary of the great Hanshin-Awaji earthquake
that took place in Japan on the 17th of January 1995, the United
Nations and iEARN Japan (jEARN) held a conference on the 18th of
January 2005 at Yume Butai Conference Center on Awaji Island. Mojgan
Momeni, a representative from the Science and Arts Foundation and
director of SAF's Paint Shop in Bam, was invited as the keynote
speaker. The title of her lecture was "Disaster Relief in the
Information Age". An exhibition of artwork by Bam children, along
with a number of her photographs of life after the earthquake in Bam,
was displayed in the conference hall. In addition, a video conference
was held between students from the Bam paint shop and students in
Japan. The students from Bam extended their greetings and gratitude
to the Japanese school children who supported them by helping to set
up the paint shop. Dr Badaoui Rouhban, Chief of the Section for
Disaster Reduction at UNESCO, opened the conference by welcoming
participants. To view SAF's activities in Bam, including the Paint
Shop, please visit: http://bam.schoolnet.ir.
THE FIRST SCHOOLINUX SEMINAR HELD IN TEHRAN
The first SchooLinux Seminar was held on the 20th of January 2005 at
Roshd 16 High School, Naziabad, Tehran. Organized by SAF's SchooLinux e-Club, over 300 students and teachers,
mostly from Tehran and Isfahan, participated in the event. The
seminar brought the idea of open source software, particularly the
Linux operating system, to the attention of the participants. Two
lectures on open source and free software as well as a workshop on the
installation of the Linux operating system were presented. In
addition, the film "Open Source Revolution" was shown and a live CD of
Linux was distributed among the participants. The seminar was
supported by the Science and Arts Foundation, the Education Department
of Tehran and Roshd 16 High School. The concept of open source
software is considered vital to the development of Information and
Communication Technologies in Iran and the seminar created a positive
impression among participating students and teachers
SAF SPONSORS WORKSHOPS AT THE ZAHEDAN IT CENTER
On the 30th and 31st of January 2005, 3 workshops were held at the
Zahedan IT Center. Workshop titles included Linux and Open Source
Software, Networking and Entrepreneurship. Each workshop was held in
two sessions for a total of four hours. The Linux and Open Source
Software Workshop was supported by the SchooLinux e-Club and a live
Linux CD, including educational material, was distributed among the
audience. The Entrepreneurship e-Club supported the Entrepreneurship
Workshop and distributed an educational CD to participating students.
The Networking workshop, supported by the Sharif University of
Technology Computing Center, brought the technical aspects of
networking to the attention of participants. Over 50 individuals
participated in the workshops and found the material presented
valuable and an opportune occasion for enhancing their knowledge of
ICTs. Currently, the Zahedan IT Center is developing at a rapid rate.
The Zahedan e- Shop is in the final phase of development and will be
launched shortly. Additionally, a talented group of individuals are
taking part in Java programming training at the Center. The group's
aim is to work on developing projects through outsourcing from cities
such as Tehran.
To view the programs of the Zahedan IT Center, please visit:
http://zitc.saf.ir.