|
The Industry and Technology Focus Group aims to offer a central point of access for Zimbabwean industries to the Diaspora knowledge base. We aim to provide the facility to address the need for Zimbabwean businesses wanting to engage with Zimbabwean expatriates for knowledge and expertise. It is our belief that the key is to identify technology needs of Zimbabwean industries through research, consultations and collaborations. This information would then be used to foster innovation and facilitate the development and implementation of new technologies. The aims of the group include but are not limited to the following:
- To provide an interface between Industries and the knowledge and expertise base in the Diaspora.
- To facilitate collaborations between Zimbabwean industries and industries in the Diaspora for knowledge sharing.
- To help Zimbabwean industries promote an environment and conditions conducive to industrial investment and development.
- To help facilitate the implementation and access of technology in Zimbabwe especially with regards to ICT.
- To promote technological developments in Zimbabwe geared towards improving security, democracy, freedom and accountability.
- Seek out innovative solutions tailor made for Zimbabwean industries
- To focus on adding value through a partnership interaction with Zimbabwean industries to understand their business driven technology needs and to adopt a systematic process to seek out technology solutions and innovations to meet the industries business-driven technology needs.
- To focus on ways to prevent the brain/labour drain affecting Zimbabwe industries
- Organise placements/exchange programmes to help integrate expats back into Zimbabwe
- Facilitate project ideas from Zimbabwean industry into the Diaspora academic base for post graduate level research.
- To provide support and act as point of contact for industry and technology-related faculties in Universities and Colleges in Zimbabwe, for mobilising resources and funds for development.
- To facilitate the access of technology development funds for industries and educational institutions.
- To identify the shared technology needs of Zimbabwean companies and provide a focal point for accessing knowledge and expertise to tackle these from the Diaspora.
"Knowledge has long been synonymous with power, but with the advent of the Internet, access to knowledge is quickly becoming a requirement for power whether social, political or economic. In our increasingly interconnected world, we must work together to see that all people have access to the knowledge the Internet has to offer ... let us make our efforts a bridge that spans the digital divide."
- Kofi Annan, 2004
Group Facilitators
Dr Samuel Chindaro
Dr Samuel Chindaro was born in the Chinhoyi. He attended Chinhoyi Primary School and Chinhoyi High School before going to the National University of Science and Technology where he obtained B. Engineering Hons degree in Electronic Engineering. He worked briefly for CADTEK Engineering before studying for an MSc in Electronics and Information Technology at the University of Birmingham. He went on to obtain a PhD in Electronic Engineering at the University of Kent, specialising in Computer Vision and Image Processing. Samuel has worked on a number of projects as a research associate at the University of Kent. He has recently been involved in a 3-year EU multi-national/multi-disciplinary project on Biometrics as the team leader of the University of Kent travelling extensively in Europe, working with companies such as Sagem, Phillips, L1, Cognitec, Berlin Airport, Salzburg Airport, The German Police etc, among others. He has published more than 20 papers in various conferences and journals. He is interested in promoting the use of ICT in schools and ways of making it available to the general public. He also takes great interest in the use of Biometrics to improve access and security, use of Biometrics and related technology to improve the electoral process and the use of Biometrics as a forensics tool, among other interests. He is a firm believer that technological developments are firmly linked with the promotion of democracy and freedom.
Blessing Dumbura
Blessing Dumbura is a software development consultant based in the UK. He has worked for several organisations including Old Mutual, SIRDC, Travelers Insurance. Blessing holds a Computer Science (Hons) degree and is a Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer (MCSD) on the .Net platform. Among other interests, Blessing is interested in how Zimbabwe can take advantage of the technology advances to move ahead with the Zimbabwean and Pan African agenda.
Contact Us
You can contact us on
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
|
