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Case study of Nepal Research and Education Network (NREN) and its impact in ICT Education in Nepal
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ICT Infrastructure from Non-Government Sector A Case study of Nepal Research and Education Network (NREN) Bikram Acharya SummaryThis paper discusses about ICT education, research and resource sharing practices initiated by a non-government sector in Nepal. Though most of the educational institutes in urban areas are connected to the Internet, they could not get substantial benefit in education other than email and basic internet services and also practice of the resource sharing and research and development between inter- institution is very negligible. To overcome the scenario of research backwardness and supporting to transform the trend of teaching learning practices, with the support of the Government, Nepal Research and Education Network (NREN) 1 has been connected with Trans Eurasia Information Network (TEIN) 2 , a high speed research network that connects Asia with Europe and America, in the year 2009. This initiative aimed to connect with Global R&E communities as well as establish high speed dedicated research and education network nationwide by connecting leading universities, and institutions focusing on research and education. This initiative is not only limited to the large institutions of urban areas but also to the rural areas where sun rises from west in technology aspect. It supports to build technical human resources by hosting various essential and 1 Nepal Research and Education Network (NREN) is established in 2009,by ICT professional and Academician to initiate resource sharing between the internet university, research center within country and connect them to International Research and Education Network. 2 provides dedicated high-capacity Internet connectivity for research and education communities across Asia-Pacific
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Page 1: Nepal research and education network (nren)

ICT Infrastructure from Non-Government Sector

A Case study of Nepal Research and Education Network (NREN)

Bikram Acharya

「Summary」

This paper discusses about ICT education, research and resource sharing practices initiated by a non-government sector in Nepal. Though most of the educational institutes in urban areas are connected to the Internet, they could not get substantial benefit in education other than email and basic internet services and also practice of the resource sharing and research and development between inter-institution is very negligible. To overcome the scenario of research backwardness and supporting to transform the trend of teaching learning practices, with the support of the Government, Nepal Research and Education Network (NREN)1 has been connected with Trans Eurasia Information Network (TEIN)2, a high speed research network that connects Asia with Europe and America, in the year 2009. This initiative aimed to connect with Global R&E communities as well as establish high speed dedicated research and education network nationwide by connecting leading universities, and institutions focusing on research and education. This initiative is not only limited to the large institutions of urban areas but also to the rural areas where sun rises from west in technology aspect. It supports to build technical human resources by hosting various essential and advanced trainings for private and public sectors, from rural and urban people collectively working to build IT enabled nation. NREN has also given remarkable support to health by managing telemedicine network to the remote area from leading hospital of cities.

Keywords: Nepal Research and Education Network, Rural Broadband Network, Knowledge based society, Tele-Medicine, Network Workshop, Network Conference, ICT Education

1. Background

1 Nepal Research and Education Network (NREN) is established in 2009,by ICT professional and Academician to initiate resource sharing between the internet university, research center within country and connect them to International Research and Education Network.2 provides dedicated high-capacity Internet connectivity for research and education communities across Asia-Pacific

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1.1 ICT in Education sector in NepalInternet was introduced in Nepal in 1992 to exchange electronic -mails. But after the long span of time internet is still limited to the urban area of Nepal. All most all of the educational institutions have internet connectivity but limited to the basic internet activities like email, it is mainly due to the fact that internet cost in Nepal is quite high to afford the high bandwidth. High and dedicated bandwidth service is needed to access contents like Open Course Ware (OCW)3, Video Conferencing (VC), and online activities which is not accessible through the current internet bandwidth pricing in Nepal (NTC, NRs. 45000/mbps/month4 : almost equal to salary of two fulltime lecturers5 ). Though most of the education materials are available in the Internet, students are limited to text books and the lectures only. With the initiation from the NREN, students and lecturers are able to share their lecture classes within the member institutions and can have access to the world class universities and research institutions. Beside this they are also capable to share their ideas to international forums by organizing the regular conferences with the different institutions and the trainings program organized by the professors, IT professional, and the students.

ICT is helpful in creating, constructing, capturing, managing, and sharing information and knowledge (Pradhan, 2002). Provide dedicated Internet infrastructure between and among universities, research institutions and other educational and public service organizations. Such networks have been established in over 90 countries and are optimized to meet the needs of their members’ research, teaching, learning, clinical, service and outreach missions. E-Infrastructures are crucial for enabling virtual global research communities, which are drivers for social and economic well-being. Furthermore, the combination of ICT-based resources and associated tools and services allow new ways of collaborating and sharing resources independently of the researcher’s geographical location (Orionis, 2010).

A strengthened and enhanced cooperation on ICT research within institutions, nations and continents is required for international, cutting edge research to solve the challenges facing organizations (Leem & Lim, 2007). Competitiveness of Research and Educational Institutions are strengthened through strategies which emphasize economic diversification, development of new competences, and the exploitation of available economies of scale (World Bank, 2004). Information Technology has a positive impact on the socio-economic transformation of the developing countries like Nepal (Pradhan, 2002). The changes can only be achieved by making education system stronger this is possible only with introduction of ICT and collaboration with the research frontiers of advanced countries.

2. Context

3 The OpenCourseWare Consortium is a collaboration of higher education institutions and associated organizations from around the world creating a broad and deep body of open educational content using a shared model.4 http://www.ntc.net.np/tariff/int_tariff_new.php retrieved on 30 Nov, 20125 University lecture are classified as third class officer by Ministry of General Administration and their basic salary is Rs21190(Equivalent to around $300

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Developing countries like Nepal have poor infrastructure in education system, and they have not focused on the higher education though there are four universities, altogether around 400 affiliated colleges and more than 100,000 secondary level schools in the country. Most of the colleges in the urban area have their internet connection and might have access to the students which is only limited to the basic internet facility or only limited to the administrative purpose. Even though they have internet connection, the speed is not enough to stream online radio smoothly. Students from the college and universities are only focused on the text books referred by the curricula which are not sufficient to broaden their horizon of knowledge and understanding. The unemployment rate of the graduates is increasing, and to solve this problem, a group of academicians and IT professionals have started this project to boost up education by introducing ICT. To utilize the available resources and get involved with the international research activities they started to become a member of the research and education network. This network has been expanded to major cities of Nepal and where the broadband internet service infrastructure is available. The cooperation with Nepal Wireless6 made NREN to expand their network easily to the rural community schools, hospitals, and health clinics. Though they are only facilitator of the R&E network, they also provide the technical training for local ICT practitioners.

Private institutions are only focusing on the urban areas but even the teachers and educational materials are not sufficient. They are attracting students showing their quantity of pass number in final exam taken by the examination board but if we see the unemployment rate (46% in 2008) 7 then we can assume that educational institution are producing unqualified graduates. But the government is not able to take proper action on improving the education sectors through revising policy, introducing new program. This scary situation can be solved by restructuring the education system or introducing the new teaching advance methodologies by sharing resources with the leading institution to the lagging institution.

On the other hand, well facilitated hospital and doctors are only available in the urban areas but 80.72% of total populations (CBS, 2012) live in rural area. To provide some basic health services and consultation to those people NREN has started to support Telemedicine services8 with the help of Phect Nepal9 and Nepal Wireless. Phect Nepal is organizing regular health consultation by their experienced doctors on network where ANM, HA10 play the middle ware with doctor and patient. And the another important of this telemedicine network is ANM, HA are also taking training, case presentation from experienced doctors and also consulting with experienced doctors so that they can treat and advice their patient effectively.

6 Nepal Wireless is community based Wireless broadband project initiated by social activist Dr. Mahabir Pun in 2001 and now it became the de-facto internet service provider of 16 districts for the community schools and tele-centers and this network is largest community wireless broadband network in South Asian continent.7 https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/np.html accessed 30 Nov 20128 High end video conferencing equipment are installed to the hospitals of major cities and they are providing this services to nearby clinics, health centers, and also they are sharing their case discussion within hospital network, Kathmandu Model Hospital (Hospital of Phect Nepal) is main center of this network. Remote clinics participate this network with BBB conferencing application, or conferencing software.9 It is supporting by providing doctors for the consultation, and conferencing NOC10 ANM( Auxiliary Nursing and Midwifery), HA(Health Assistant)

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3. Main Points

3.1.1 Creating knowledge base network to make reachability in education and health with no boundaries Research activities and sharing its result and experiences with the university students is one of the key secrets of NREN. Most of the academic institutions are not able to purchase conferencing equipment from their regular budget, which is the key turning point to explore the open source conferencing tools to connect them and make the project successful other than giving access to R&E network. VLC 11 (High Bandwidth connection), BBB 12 (Low Bandwidth connection) like open source software are used for streaming and video conferencing with high quality video which is very suitable and cost effective application. This application is highly useful in the case of the high and low bandwidth connection. But for the incompatibility with the proprietary devices like Polycom, member institutions need to gather in same NREN conferencing room. And few institution are now able to host this kind of program regularly but for the rest NREN supported to upgrade network infrastructure of member institutions by providing basic network equipments i.e. Router, Switches received from institution like Network Startup Resource Center, USA.

Telemedicine is another exciting project by the NREN with the collaboration of the Phect Nepal 13 to provide the basic health advices, and services to the remote clinics, and health centers. This project is expanded to major hospitals of cities to share their medical cases they diagnosed in their respective hospitals. Through telemedicine, the benefits of specialist’s consultation can be provided online to patients in remote. This telemedicine service is not only being useful to the patients but also being useful to the doctors who are servicing in the remote area. They daily Prepare and presents different cases and getting necessary consultation from their seniors.

NREN is not only focused in the activities in education and telemedicine but also it is providing the opportunity for the researcher in the field of climate change in Himalayan region14 .

11 VideoLan project is a Open source project, one of the best performance video software, this video software has high quality streaming features with different protocol and audio and video codec, www.videolan.org 12 BigBlueButton (BBB) is a open source conferencing tool designed for the e-learning www.bigbluebutton.org13 Phect Nepal is a non-governmental organization committed to health development, and running hospitals and Medical colleges. www.phectnepal.org14 Imza lake, Glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) Monitoring, and climate change in Namche bazaar eastern region of Nepal. Khopra and Larke weather monitoring system in western region of Nepal.

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3.2 IT Professional and Private Sector Support

The major role for successful implementation of R&E network is due to the will of the IT professional and internet service providers. In many countries internet service provider and R&E network are like enemy with each other, but in case of NREN, both institutions have very harmonious relation. NREN has been practicing to connect its members by leasing the fiber of ISPs with special negotiations.

3.3 Expanding to the Rural AreaBy collaboration with Nepal Wireless and the local communities, NREN is successful to create the network between the secondary level schools. Digital contents have been provided by the OLE Nepal15 and collected by NREN itself. Students were practicing on wall magazine to post their creativity, after connecting with other schools they are very excited to create and post their articles and education materials on their own portal. This platform has been supposed to shape their future from the beginning. Schools are also sharing their classes with other schools to exchange their ideas, and make competitive environment among the communities by using BBB conferencing system. Due to very interactive and user friendly features of this application students and excited to take their classes in the absence of their subject teachers and leisure period from other schools.

3.4 Sustainability NetworkThis research and education network is generating their revenues from the membership fees and regular training to IT practitioner from private sectors which are negligible. As all the National Research and Education Network around the Asia gets regular financial support especially for day to day operation from their government, but in case of Nepal, NREN receiving government funds only to pay for the cost of international links. All the required operational cost of generates from own efforts.

4. Results

Though this project is not innovative and new to the world, it changed our education system dramatically. Students, teachers, and even the management committee are talking with their neighboring institution to share their content even though point to point link in rural area. According to NREN secretariat, usually more than 2 schools contact to make connection or provide the technical solution to connect their nearby school/college which is positive aspect of this network. From the perspective of private sectors and individual, they are also influenced to support educational institution to make high speed public information highway without considering instant profit.

15 Open Learning Exchange Nepal (OLE Nepal), a Non-Governmental organization dedicated to enhancing teaching-learning in schools through the integration of technology and to provide uniform access to quality educational materials across the country, OLE Nepal’s mission is to provide freely accessible high-quality interactive teaching-learning materials along with an education-centered digital library that addressed the problems of quality, access, and disparity in education, www.olenepal.org

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5. Limitation

This project has started to join the almost all academic institutions to create e-learning environment to create knowledge base society and provide aid for deficit of teachers, and teaching backwardness to the rural areas. But this project is now in major cities and within the Nepal Wireless network. And also the institutes who are connected this network are not able to share their classes upon their interest due to dependability to NREN technician. Though it has connected some academic institution, research institution in n Nepal, due to lack of handover of proper leadership and coordination to other it is meshed up with same like at the time of starting. And another major limitation is funding, NREN does not have any good revenue source other than membership fee which is hardly sufficient to manage general administrative expenses so always has to seek for the sponsor to go with new idea and continue previous project.

Limitations of this project are as follows:

Readiness to the Internet in education Government Policy on education Lack of Research oriented curricula and interest in introducing ICT in their class room by lectures High technology cost

6. Bibliography

Orionis, s. (2010). Teaming up for a strengthened and coordinated approach to foster Euro-African cooperation on e-Infrastructures. 2010 Euro-Africa e-Infrastructures Conference . Helsinki, Finland - December 9-10, 2010: Y THE EI-AFRICA PARTNERSHIP.

Osazuwa, R. The Effects of ICT, Research and Education Network in Improving the Quality of Research.

Pradhan, J. (2002). Information Technology in Nepal: What Role for the Government. EJISDC , 1-11.

World Bank. (2011). World Development Indicators & Global Debelopment Finance http://data.worldbank.org/country .

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Appendix

Indicator Nepal Republic of KoreaFixed broadband Internet subscribers 94656 17193570Fixed broadband Internet subscribers (per 100 people) 0.310492 35.68346Secure Internet servers 59 55739Secure Internet servers (per 1 million people) 1.935327 1128.091Internet users 2743722 40329660Internet users (per 100 people) 9 81.62246

World Development Indicators & Global Debelopment , Source: (World Bank, 2011)

Major events organized by NREN

Campus Network Design Workshop, 22-26 October, 2008 Network Operation Training, 20-21 August, 2009 Wireless Network Workshop, 15-24 September, 2009 Network Refreshment Training for Network Members, 16th March 2010 ISP/IXP Routing and BGP Workshop, 16-2- February, 2010 APANIC IRM/IRR and IPV6 Training, 14-15 March 2010 Radio Mobile Training for Wireless Network, 25-27 July 2010 ISP and IT Services Network Services in an IP Network, 12-15 December, 2010 Network Design and Security Workshop, 04-06 May, 2011 IPV6 Transition Workshop, 1st May, 2011 Multicast Hands on Workshop 12-14 June, 2011 Basic Routing Workshop, 11-13 June, 2012 APNIC Network Security, IRM, 27-30 August, 2012 South -South Exchange of Research and Education Network Experience (SERENE) Series video

conference : 2010 Knowledge networks and higher education, 15 November, 2010 Fiscal policies for low- carbon economic development, 15 December, 2010 Blended learning program on 'Science and policy of Climate Change', 8 April- 8 June, 2011 Restructuring the economy toward a green energy saving economy, 17 May, 2011 Building a Green Society, 25th November 2011 Environment Assessment of Commercial Banks, 25 October, 2011 ICT in Anticorruption Efforts, 3rd April, 2012 Disaster Nursing Training, 7-8 May, 2012

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Transport Infrastructure Development and Financing, 14 June, 2012

E-Village in Kavrepalanchowk District, a typical example of rural broadband network

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Training Program (Source: NREN)

Telemedicine: doctor with his remote patient (Source: NREN)

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Current Network and Plan(Source: NREN)

Imja lake monitoring (Source: NREN)


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