Draft 2 Conference on Regional Follow-up to the Outcome of WSIS Damascus, 16-18 June 2009 BIONOTES OF SPEAKERS, CHAIRS, AND PANELLISTS Listing is based on the order of appearance in the Conference Agenda Opening Keynote Speakers in Plenary Sessions Thematic Sessions and Panel Discussions 1. Strategies 2. Applications 3. Development
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Draft 2
Conference on Regional Follow-up to the Outcome of WSIS Damascus, 16-18 June 2009
BIONOTES OF SPEAKERS, CHAIRS, AND PANELLISTS
Listing is based on the order of appearance in the Conference Agenda
Opening
Keynote Speakers in Plenary Sessions
Thematic Sessions and Panel Discussions
1. Strategies
2. Applications
3. Development
Draft 2
Opening
Keynote Speakers in the Conference Opening, in order of appearance:
Imad Sabouni, Minister of Communications and Technology, Syrian Arab
Republic
Born in Damascus, Syria, Mr. Imad Sabouni obtained an Engineering degree in
1987 from the École Nationale Supérieure des Télécommunications de Bretagne
(ENST-Br), France, and a PhD in 1992 from the Institut National Polytechnique
de Grenoble (INP-G), France. From 1993 to 2003, he worked as researcher and
professor at the Higher Institute for Applied Science and Technology (HIAST),
Damascus, Syria, and became HIAST Deputy Dean in 2001. In 2003, he moved to the Syrian
Telecommunications Establishment (STE) as General Manager where he started an ambitious
restructuring program. From 2002 to 2004, he was an active member of the Syrian ICT Strategy
Taskforce and participated in the formulation of the National ICT Strategy, in collaboration with the
UNDP and the European Commission. Mr. Sabouni is also a member of the Syrian Computer Society
(SCS) where he became Deputy Chairman in 2003. His major domains of interest include ICT
policies and Strategies, multilinguism, and Arabic content creation. In 2008, he was appointed
Minister of Communications and Technology, Syria.
Bader Omar Al-Dafa, Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary,
United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UN-
ESCWA)
Mr. Bader Al-Dafa of Qatar is the Under-Secretary-General and Executive
Secretary of UN-ESCWA since 1 August 2007. Before joining UN-ESCWA,
Mr. Al-Dafa served as Ambassador of Qatar to the United States and Permanent
Observer to the Organization of American States-OAS. In this capacity, he
played a special role in promoting access to education and the arts in the Arab-
American community and among other minority populations in the United States. Mr. Al-Dafa has
enjoyed a long and distinguished career in foreign affairs and non-governmental services, which has
included representing Qatar as Ambassador to the Russian Federation, France, Egypt, and Spain. He
has also served as the non-resident Ambassador to Finland, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia,
Switzerland, and Mexico. Mr. Al Dafa has also served as Director of the European and American
Affairs Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Mr. Al-Dafa received his Masters in
International Public Policy from Johns Hopkins University and his Bachelors Degree in Political
Science and Economics from Western Michigan University in the United States. He has been awarded
the Order Du Mérite from the Republic of France.
Draft 2
Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, Chairman and CEO, TAGI, and Vice-Chairman, Global
Alliance for ICT and Development (UNGAID)
Mr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh is the Chairman and Founder of Talal Abu-Ghazaleh
Organization (TAGorg). Founded in 1972, TAGorg is an international
professional services group, employing over 2000 professionals, and operates
out of its 71 offices in the Middle East, North Africa, Pakistan, India, Cyprus,
Russia, and China. It currently offers a composite range of professional services
covering accounting, external and internal audit, corporate governance, taxation, educational
consultancy, economic and strategic studies, management advisory services, professional and
technical training, technology transfer project management, real estate management, investors and
business advisory services, human resources and recruitment services, e-government, e-commerce, e-
education, IT and security audit, Web mastering and Web design, professional interpretation and
translation, Web site Arabization: domain names registration, ICT strategic planning, ERP consulting
services, IT and internet skills training and examinations, intellectual property news agency, IP
business and asset valuation and branding services; IP registration and protection; intellectual
property renewals, IPR protection and management, legal services (solicitors and attorneys), and
public offering. Source: Talal Abu-Ghazaleh personal Web site http://www.talalabughazaleh.com/HTML/site_content/page_biography_en.html
Sami Al Basheer Al Mourshid, Director, Telecommunication Development
Bureau, International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
Mr Sami Al Basheer Al Morshid is the Director of the ITU Telecommunication
Development Bureau since January 2007, and has more than twenty-three years
experience in telecommunications in Saudi Arabia and abroad, including two
years at the ITU Regional Office in Cairo. He was responsible in the Saudi Arabian Government for
the development of economic and financial policy and regulatory aspects of telecommunications as
well as international coordination and cooperation. He has extensive experience in
telecommunications management and development as well as in negotiating and formulating
international agreements on commercial, operational, maintenance and investment issues. As adviser
to the Minister of Communications and Information Technology (IT) in Saudi Arabia, he was
responsible for international relations and regulatory issues, and was also Board Member of the Saudi
Communications and IT Commission. As Director, Middle East & North Africa Affairs, at ICO
Teledesic GL, Seattle, USA, he coordinated the introduction of the interests of ICO in Middle Eastern
and North African countries. During his tenure as Chief of the Regional Office for the Arab States of
the ITU in Cairo, Egypt, he was responsible for planning, organizing, and directing the work of the
Regional Office and contributed to the development of telecommunications in the countries of the
region in both public and private sectors. (source: http://www.itu.int/net/ITU-SG/directors/al-
basheer.aspx)
Tarek Shawki, Director, UNESCO Cairo Office
Draft 2
Keynote Speakers in Plenary Sessions Keynote Speakers in the Plenary Sessions, in order of appearance:
Abdel Rahman Sabry, Telecom and IT Development Manager, League of Arab States, Egypt
Nazem Bahsas, Director General, Syrian Telecom Establishment (STE), Syrian Arab Republic
Abdulrasool Alhayani, Consultant, Arab Administrative Development
Organization (ARADO), League of Arab States, Egypt
Dr. Alhayani holds a PhD in Industrial Engineering from the University of
Toledo, Ohio, USA. Prior to his work as a Consultant with ARADO, he worked
in the academic sector, in teaching and administration, namely at the University
of Toledo, USA; University of Technology, Iraq; Garyounis University, Libya;
and Yarmouk University, Jordan. He worked in the management and
implementation of development projects in Iraq.
Sherif Seddik, Regional Director, Microsoft - North Africa, East Mediterranean
and Pakistan
Mr. Sherif Seddik is a Regional General Manager in Microsoft - North Africa,
East Mediterranean and Pakistan. He is an IT industry veteran with a 20 year
international sales, marketing, and management career. He joined Microsoft in
2002 as Regional Director of the Enterprise and Partner Group for Middle East and
Africa, and has held a number of regional roles. Since July 2007, Mr. Seddik was promoted to his
current role responsible for Microsoft's end to end business and operations across 12 countries
covering the territory of North Africa, East Mediterranean and Pakistan. Prior to joining Microsoft,
Mr. Seddil had 14 years of very successful career at NCR Corporation in the Gulf, Europe and Middle
East and Africa. He holds a B.Sc. in Communications and Electronics Engineering from Ein Shams
University in Cairo.
Hani Raad, Regional Sales Manager, Levant Area, CISCO, Lebanon
Mr. Hani Raad leads the Cisco sales growth plan in the Levant region with an
execution strategy that revolves around the concept of ICT as a major economic
growth stimulator, a concept that is proving itself across the world. With 15
years of experience in the ICT sector, coupled with cross industries exposure
and sales management roles across the area, Mr. Raad gained comprehensive
understanding of the ICT industry, its evolution and dynamics. He has worked on different ICT
transformational projects in different industries using the approach of linking Technology solutions to
Business objectives. Before ioining Cisco, Mr. Raad held various management positions at Hewlett-
Packard (HP), National Technology Company and LCC International. An amateur Radio operator for
29 years, Hani is an Executive Committee member of the International Amateur Radio Union Region
1 and the President of the Radio Amateurs of Lebanon. Mr. Raad holds a Bachelor of Science in
Electrical Engineering from the George Washington University, Washington DC, USA.
Draft 2
Rakan Razouk, President, Syrian Computer Society (SCS), Syrian Arab
Republic
[email protected], [email protected]
Dr. Rakan Razouk holds a PhD in Computer Science from the University Paul-
Sabatier, Toulouse III, France (1990) and a Diploma of Computer Engineering,
HIAST, Syria (1984). Dr. Razouk is currently the Chairman and board member
of the Syrian Computer Society (SCS) (since 2007), the Vice President of
Damascus University for Scientific Research and Higher Education (since
2008), and a Professor of Computer Sciences in its Faculty of IT. Previously, he was the Dean of the
Faculty of IT (2003-2005), head of IT department of the Scientific Studies and Research Center
(1999-2002), Researcher and Lecturer of Computer Sciences at HIAST and Damascus University
(1990-1999).
Khaled Z. Khawaja, Chief Expert, Arab Institute for Training and Research in
Statistics (AITRS), Jordan
[email protected] , [email protected]
Dr. Khalid Khawaja is currently Chief Expert at the Arab Institute for Training
and Research in Statistics (AITRS), Jordan. He was the Director General of
AITRS from 1997 to 2006. Dr. Khawaja was an Assistant Professor at the Oran
University in Algeria, and holds a PhD in Demographic Statistics (1979) and a
higher diploma in planning (1977) from the Higher School of Statistics and Planning, Warsaw,
Poland. He has published a number of researches, and supervised several PhD and Masters thesis,
and is a member of International Union for Scientific Study in Population - IUSSP.
Yousef Nusseir, Chief, Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
Division, UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA)
[email protected], [email protected]
Dr. Nusseir is Jordanian and graduated from England. He worked with the
Royal Scientific Society in Jordan 1977-1993, and was the Director of the
Information Technology (IT) and Training Centre, and the Dean of Princess
Sumaya College for Informatics. During 1990-1991, he worked with the
UNESCO as Chief Technical Advisor on Informatics in Education. He established the National IT
Centre in 1993 and became its President until 2006. He chaired and participated in several national
and international committees on ICT, and has designed and implemented several national ICT
systems. He has been the Internet Top Level Domain Administrator for ".jo" domain since 1995, and
has many publications in the field of ICT. In 2006, he joined the UN-ESCWA as the Chief of ICT
Division.
Thematic Sessions and Panel Discussions
Thematic sessions run in three parallel tracks, covering the areas of Strategies, Applications, and
Development. Each contains six thematic sessions and two panel discussions. The two panel
discussions are held on the second day of the Conference, the first panel in each of the three tracks
addresses the subjects of Investments, Research Capacity, and the Arab GAID Network. The second
panel in the three tracks discusses new regional projects for the Regional Plan of Action (RPoA) for
Building the Information Society. The bionotes of speakers, chairs, and panellists in the three tracks are
listed below according to the order of appearance in the Conference Agenda:
Draft 2
1. Strategies
1.1 Regional ICT Strategies (Chair: Bachir Mounajed)
Bashir Mounajed, Damascus University, Syrian Arab Republic
Khaled Foda, League of Arab States, Egypt
Mohamed Abdel Wahab, Executive Director, Arab Business Forum for ICT -
ABFICT, Egypt
[email protected], [email protected]
Mr. Mohamed Abdel Wahab is an Architect with a Master Degree from the
American University of Cairo, Egypt. Mr. Abdel Wahab is currently the
Executive Director of Cairo Contact Centers Park that is being developed in
Maadi by the Egyptian Ministries of Communication Technology and Investment,
to accommodate Offshore Outsourcing Industries. He is also the Executive
Director of the Arab Business Forum for ICT - ABFICT, a regional non-governmental organization that
represents Arab ICT Business Sector and channels between Arab ICT Governments and Business
Sector. He has a wide experience in sales and marketing of ICT services, and has acted as Sales and
Marketing Director regional and Egyptian service providers, especially in Satellite and Internet
Solutions. He has also been a consultant to several reputable firms, such as the ITU, ARWP, ARNET,
ESCWA, UNDP and MCIT (Egypt). Mr. Abdel Wahab has initiated and was an Executive Committee
member of the first National e-Content Award of Egypt and was appointed as a Juror in the second
National e-Content Award.
Mansour Farah, Chief, ICT Policies Section, ICT Division, ESCWA
Holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science (1977) from the University of Waterloo in
Canada. Between 1977 and 1997, worked as researcher/professor at Bell-
Northern Research (Canada), University of Moncton (Canada), Scientific Studies
and Research Center (Syria), University of Grenoble (France), and Higher
Institute of Applied Sciences and Technology – HIAST – (Syria). Headed the
Computer Engineering Department at HIAST (1983-1997). Between 1997 and
2000 worked as Consultant on Information Technology for various national and international
organizations and companies. Joined UN-ESCWA in June 2000 and participated in studies on
economic development of the region, focusing on capacity-building in new technologies, particularly
information and communications technologies, as well as enhancing competitiveness and productivity of
enterprises through technological innovation and new institutional forms. In 2002, held the position of
Team Leader for the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) focusing on the regional
preparatory activities for WSIS in Geneva (2003) and in Tunis (2005), including studies, expert group
meetings, regional conferences and workshops. Starting in 2005, as Team Leader on ICT Policies,
carried out number of studies and meetings promoting national and regional ICT policies and strategies,
provided advisory services to ESCWA member countries and implemented field projects related to ICT
and socio-economic development.
Racha Mourtada, Researcher, ICT Division, ESCWA
Draft 2
Racha Mourtada is currently a researcher in the ICT Division of ESCWA, and
has been working intermittently with ESCWA since 2002. Her primary area of
interest is the utilization of media and ICTs for development, and within the
scope of her work at ESCWA she has been involved in global and regional
projects related to community telecenters, during which she has developed and
conducted training sessions in EMCs. Outside of ESCWA, her media and ICT
experience includes being an account manager for a media consultancy, and
acting as project officer for an NGO that focuses on using ICTs to empower
isolated communities. Ms. Mourtada holds a BSc. in Biomedical Engineering, Boston University and
MA. in Communication Policy Studies, City University in London.
Mohamed Timoulali, Regional Advisor on ICT Policy, UNECA Office for
North Africa, Morocco
Mr. Timoulali is an Engineer in Computer Science (1981), Université Claude
Bernard Lyon I and INSA, Lyon France. His employment included : Consulting
engineer in Morocco (1991-2003); Director of Information and Documentation
Division, African Regional Centre for Technology (ARCT), Senegal (1983-1991)
; Technical Expert on Information and Documentation, ARCT, Senegal (1982- July 1983); Researcher,
Centre National de Coordination et Planification de la Recherche Scientifique et Technique
(CNCPRST), Morocco (1981-1982); and Computer Analyste, Direction de la Conservation foncière et
des travaux topographiques, Morocco (1974-1977).
1.2 ICT Sector (Chair: Gabriel Deek)
Gabriel Deek, Secretary General, Professional Computer Association (PCA),
Lebanon
As founder and CEO of Digital Media Solutions Companies and Manager of
eBusiness Solutions Activities for the past 25 years, Mr. Gabriel Deek was
involved in multiple projects related to eBusiness Infrastructure, Multimedia,
Advanced Collaboration, Video Production and Post-Production, and News-
Room Automation Systems. He is the General Manager of OmniSystems sal, an affiliate company to
OmniTech Holdings and MDS Holdings. While keeping a close relationship with the Academia, he
joined the PCA (Professional Computer Association) in 1996 and was elected Secretary General in
March 2003 and President in March 2007, he acts on community initiatives aiming to bridge the
Digital Divide. He also chairs the Organizing Committee of the Golden Chip Awards since its
creation in 1999, a competition intended to discover and support young talents and promote their
work in the business community all over the Arab World. He was recently appointed as Special
Ambassador in the Arab Region for the World Summit Award a UN GAID supported initiative.
Jawad J. Abbassi, Founder and General Manager, Arab Advisors Group, and
member of the Arab Jordan Investment Bank Group
Mr. Jawad J. Abbassi founded the Arab Advisors Group (AAG) in 2001, and has
15 years of experience in the telecommunications, Internet and data
communications fields. As General Manager, Mr. Abbassi directs the research
and consulting activities of the AAG in addition to steering its marketing
Draft 2
operations. In 2005, the Arab Jordan Investment Bank (AJIB) and the AAG concluded an agreement of
joint ownership that enabled strategic synergies to enhance the quality and scope of services provided.
Prior to founding the AAG, Mr. Abbassi worked as a senior telecommunications and technology
consultant with the Yankee Group in Boston, USA. Between 1998 and 2000, he was a Senior Analyst
with the communications research arm of the Economist Intelligence Unit in Boston. Mr. Abbassi holds
a BSc in Engineering from the American University in Cairo (Egypt, 1993), and have received an
academic scholarship to complete his MSc in Information Systems from the London School of
Economics (United Kingdom, 1998).
Salam Yamout, Cisco/Partnership for Lebanon, Lebanon
Ms. Salam Yamout is a Program Manager for Corporate Social Responsibility at
Cisco since 2005. She is currently leading the Partnership for Lebanon
initiative. Her 20 years experience includes the development of ICT systems for
both private and public sectors in the USA and Lebanon. She also performed
various consultancies for the Lebanese Government and international
organizations such as the UNDP, ESCWA, and EU. Ms. Yamout obtained a BS in Electrical and
Computer Engineering in 1985 from Valparaiso University, Indiana, USA, a MS in Electrical and
Computer Engineering in 1987 from the University of Arizona, Tucson, USA, and an MBA in 2005
from the Ecole Supérieure des Affaires (ESA), Beirut, Lebanon. She is a founding member and
president of Women in Information Technology (IT) organization and Secretary General of the MIT
Enterprise Forum for the Pan Arab Region. She is active in other non-governmental organizations,
including the Lebanese Transparency Association and the MEPI Alumni Association.
Nicholas Rouhana, Berytech, Lebanon
Dr. Nicolas Rouhana is a Telecommunications engineer from Université Saint-
Joseph, Beirut, with a PhD in Networking Systems from Université Pierre et
Marie Curie, France. He is a graduate from the INSEAD School of management
(France), and a certified Business Counselor from UNIDO Entrepreneurship
Development Center in Bahrain. He is also an Accredited Business Advisor and
Assessor by the OCR Oxford Cambridge body in UK, and an Accredited Resource
Trainer by the Micro-Enterprise Acceleration Institute, Switzerland. Since 2002, he has been the
Business Incubation Director of Berytech Technological Pole, Lebanon, and is also a lecturer at the
Faculty of Engineering of University Saint-Joseph, Beirut.
Maroulla Haddad, Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA), Lebanon
Ms. Maroulla Haddad joined the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority
(TRA) of Lebanon since its establishment in March 2007, as senior policy
analysis expert. Her principal accountabilities include drafting policies and
guidelines covering different regulatory areas; reviewing established policies periodically for
improvement in light of acquired experience; and recommending regulatory measures to assist in the
realization of the universal service policy. Before joining the TRA, Ms. Haddad was a consultant with
Connexus Consulting, a consultancy firm specializing in telecom policy, regulation, and strategy. Ms.
Haddad has a degree of Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical Engineering, minor in Business and IT,
from the American University of Beirut.
Draft 2
1.3 ICT Infrastructure (Chair: Sami Al-Basheer Al-Mourshid)
Jaroslaw Ponder, ITU
Mohammed Mohsen, Cisco, Lebanon
Robert Madi, Regional IT Director, Mindshare Mena, Lebanon
Mr. Robert Madi is currently the Regional IT Director of MindShare Mena, a
Media Agency with regional activities in the MENA region. After spending 6
years as a CIO at LBCI, where he managed ICT tools and systems and worked in a
very dynamic environment in one of the top-five TV stations in the region. He
progressed throughout the different IT positions, from a programming to technical
and systems work, to managerial positions in several companies. Mr. Madi is certified in various
security domains. He got the CISM certification in 2003 (Certified Information Security Manager) and
an ISMS Lead Auditor in 2006. He is results oriented, and has structured his capabilities to be a
certified Project Manager, in Prince2 foundation. He has worked in various international companies,
such as Unilever, UNDP, and a number of local Lebanese companies.
Marwan Hanna, Syrian Telecommunication Establishment (STE), Syrian Arab Republic
[email protected] Mr. Marwan Hanna holds an Electrical Engineering degree from the University of Damascus (1981).
Since 2008, he manages the telecommunication network of the Syrian Telecommunication
Establishment (STE). He is also a consultant to the STE Director General, and assists the Engineers
Syndicate on the subject of digital communications. Before joining the STE, he directed
telecommunications in Damascus rural areas (2004-2006), and have worked in various capacities within
the activities of national telecommunications services.
Mahmood AlShaikhli, Director General, Directorate of Information
Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology, Iraq
Dr. Mahmood Al-Shaikhli holds a PhD in Computer Engineering from the Iraqi
University of Technology (Baghdad, 2003), and an MSc in Control and Computer
Engineering (1985) and a BSc in Electronic Engineering (1979) from the same
university. He was appointed in 2003 as the Director General of the IT
Department in the Iraqi Ministry of Science and Technology, and in 2004 as a National Chief
Information Officer by dissolved Governing Council. Dr. AlShaikhli's mission include: incubate the
National Chief Information Officer; head the national e-Government committee; conduct IT research;
provide ICT consultation and capacity building, coordinate the national effort to establish the e-
Government, and operate and maintain the Govnet Project – an Intranet between few Iraqi Ministries,
within an agreement with the Italian Government.
Draft 2
1.4 Internet Governance/ADNS (Chair: Ahmed El-Sherbini)
Marco Obiso, ICT Applications and Cybersecurity Advisor,
Telecommunication Development Bureau (TDB), International
Telecommunication Union (ITU)
[email protected] Mr. Marco Obiso graduated in Computer Science from the University of Rome.
He went on to complete further studies at the IBM Networking Laboratories. He
joined Unisys Corporation as Technology Consultant developing solutions and
implementing system integration projects. He subsequently worked for Ernst &
Young consulting, coordinating IT strategy projects. In 2000 Mr. Obiso moved to Geneva to start
working at the ITU as an associate expert in the area of Network Engineering. Within the Information
Systems Department, he participated in several areas including: network infrastructure, system
integration and application cooperation, becoming IT Service Management coordinator. He then
moved to the ITU Corporate Strategy Division as Programme Manager, providing advice concerning
technical developments and trends in the ICT sector, Internet and Cybersecurity related issues and
emerging ICT technologies. Mr. Obisio is currently an ICT applications and Cybersecurity Advisor
for the ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT), in charge of the ITU-D work
Programme dealing with E-Strategies, Internet and Cybersecurity.
Baher Esmat, Manager, Regional Relations – Middle East, ICANN, Egypt
[email protected] Mr. Baher Esmat is part of ICANN Global Partnerships. He joined ICANN in
February 2006 from the Egyptian Ministry of Communications and Information
Technology (MCIT), where he had served since 2002, most recently as Telecom
Planning Manager, where his responsibilities included projects relating to
communications infrastructure and service development within the framework
of building Egypt’s Information Society. Mr. Esmat is a former member of the WSIS Working Group
on Internet Governance (WGIG), and served as Chair of the Egyptian IPv6 Task Force until he joined
ICANN. H received a Bachelors degree in Electronics and Communications Engineering from Cairo
University in June 1993, and a Masters degree in Computer Science from the American University in
Cairo in June 1999.
Ibaa Oueichek, Ministry of Communications and Technology (MOCT), Syria
Mr. Ibaa Oueichek is currently an advisor to the Syrian Minister of
Communications and Technology, and leading the Arab Working Group on
domain names and Internet issues of the Council of Arab Ministers of
Communications. He holds a PhD in Computer Science from the National
Institute of Polytechniqe Grenoble (1996), and an engineering degree in
information technology from the School of Informatics and Applied Mathematics, France (1990). He
was the Director of the exchange of data in the Public Institution for Telecommunication (2006-2007)
and a researcher and teacher at the HIAST in Syria (1996-2006).
Charles Sha'ban, Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Organization (TAG-ORG), Jordan
Charles Sha'ban is the Executive Director of Abu-Ghazaleh Intellectual Property (AGIP) and a
member of the Multi-stakeholder Advisory Group (MAG) of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF).
He is experienced in Information Technology (IT) policies development and implementation
Draft 2
strategies with extensive technical, management and training experience in IT including E-Commerce
and Internet. In addition to rich exposure to Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), generic and country
code Domain Names, and Multilingual/Internationalized Domain Name issues. Charles holds a
Bachelor Degree in Computer Science, from the University of Jordan, and his international
professional memberships currently include: International Trademarks Association (INTA),
Intellectual Property Constituency (IPC) of ICANN, International Federation of Intellectual Property
Attorneys (FICPI), International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) – Business Action to support the
information Society (BASIS) besides others.
George Salama, Senior Program Officer, Internet Policy Unit, National
Telecom Regulatory Authority, Egypt
Mr. George Victor Salama holds a Bachelor of Science Computer Science –
minor Electronics, from the American University in Cairo, and a Masters of
Science in Business IT from Middlesex University UK. He is currently working
in PhD research on Internet Governance with Tamper University in Finland. Mr.
Salama is a Senior Program Officer at National Telecom Regulatory Authority
(NTRA) in the International Technical Coordination Department. He is also a member of the Arab
team for Domain Names and Internet Issues under the umbrella of the League of Arab States and the
Arabic Script IDN Working Group.
1.5 Panel: Investment and ICT Financing (Chair: Samir Aita)
Samir Aita, General Manager, A Concept and Le Monde Diplomatique
Editions Arabes, France
Mr. Samir Aita graduated from the Ecole Polytechnique, Ecole Nationale des
Ponts et Chaussees, Ecole des Hautes en Sciences Sociales and Centre de
perfectionnement des Affaires (HEC). He worked for 15 years in the industry:
at the French Atomic Energy Commission for the design of energy producing
nuclear power plants, at Engineering Systems International on computer
generated virtual prototyping (automobiles, trains, etc.), and as Chairman CEO of Framasoft. In
1993, he moved to work on the development of industrial projects in the Arab countries: oil and gas,
irrigation, tourism. In 2000, he founded A Concept (mafhoum), a consulting firm in economy,
finance, and information technologies. He performed consultancy works in these fields for Arab
countries governments and international organizations. In addition, he is since 2005 the General
Manager and Editor in Chief of Le Monde diplomatique editions arabes.
Nabil Sukkar, Managing Director, Syrian Consulting Bureau For Development
and Investment (SCBDI), Syria
Dr. Nabil Sukkar is the founder of the Syrian Consulting Bureau for
Development and Investment. He holds a PhD in Economics from Indiana
University, USA. He worked at the World Bank in Washington D.C., first, as a
Macro-Economist in the West Africa Region, then, as a Financial Analyst in the
South Asia Region and last as a Senior Projects Economist in the Middle East Region. In the period
between 1987 and 1990, he conducted a major six-volume study on the Syrian economy which
contained proposals for the stabilization, restructuring and marketization of the economy and its
Draft 2
sectors. In 1991 he settled in Damascus to set up SCB. Since then he has been conducting his
consultancy business and writing on Syrian economic reform, the impact of globalization, enhancing
competitiveness, promoting technological upgrading and other related subjects.
Muwaffaq Abu Aqola, Member of Board of Commissioners,
Telecommunication Regulatory Commission, Jordan
Mr. Muwaffaq Abu Aqola has been working for the Telecommunication
Regulatory Commission (TRC) in Jordan since 1995 as a member of the Board
of Commissioners, and until then he was the director of the Regulatory and the
Economics Departments at the TRC. He worked also as the director of the
Investment Promotion department at Jordan Investment Board, and as head of
the Economics division at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources. He has around 24 years of
experience in the field of Telecommunications, Energy, Economics, Investment and competition,
during which he participated in many local and international seminars and conferences and
represented Jordan's in several official missions. Mr. Abu Aqola holds a Masters degree in
Economics from the University of Tsukuba in Japan.
Nicholas Rouhana, Berytech – Lebanon
[email protected] Appears in session on ICT Sector
1.6 Panel: New Regional Projects for the RPoA - Subjects
Related to Strategies
Ibaa Oueichek, Ministry of Communications and Technology (MOCT), Syria
[email protected] Appears in session on Internet Governance/ADNS
Mansour Farah, Chief, ICT Policies Section, ICT Division, ESCWA
[email protected] Appears in session on Regional ICT Strategies
Rami Zaatari, IT Officer, ICT Applications Section, ICT Division, ESCWA
Rami joined ESCWA in 2006 as a first officer at the ICT division; he was later
assigned as the team leader of the Information Society Measurements team. He
contributed to the publication of several studies, managed a number of meetings
and workshops, and represented ESCWA in various regional and international
ICT forums.
Rami holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Computer and Communications from the American
University of Beirut and a Master's of Science degree in Software Engineering from Boston
University. He gained extensive experience in the telecom industry as a GSM specialist for Oger
Telecom in Saudi Arabia, and as a senior software design engineer for Nortel Networks in the USA.
He also gained teaching and research experience as a faculty member at the Computer Science
department of Digipen Institute of Technology in Redmond, Washington.
Draft 2
Hania Sabbidin Dimassi, Researcher, ICT Applications Section, ICT Division,
ESCWA
Ms. Hania Sabbidin Dimassi obtained a Computer and Communications
Engineering degree in 2002 and a Master of Engineering Management in 2006,
both from the American University of Beirut, Lebanon. She is a member of the
Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). Ms. Dimassi is
currently a researcher at the ICT Division of ESCWA, and has contributed to
the writing of several studies and the organization of many meetings and conferences. She has also
been involved in the design and implementation of a field projects on subjects such as the digital
Arabic content, Arabic domain names, and technology-based rural development.
1.7 National ICT Strategies (Chair: Amr Armanazi)
Ahmed El-Sherbini, Deputy Minister, Ministry of CIT/NTI, Egypt
[email protected], [email protected]
Dr. Ahmed El-Sherbini holds a PhD in Electrical and Communication
Engineering, Case Western University, USA (1983), an MSc in Communication
Engineering, Cairo University, Egypt (1980), and his BSc degree in Electrical
Engineering was in Distinction with Honor from Cairo University, Egypt
(1977). Dr. El-Sherbini is currently Deputy to the Minister of Communications
and Information Technology (CIT) for International Cooperation, and Director
of the National Telecommunication Institute (NTI), Ministry of CIT, Egypt. He is a Professor in
Electrical and Communication Engineering at the Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University, Egypt;
Board Member of the National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, Egypt; Former Cultural
Counselor and Director of the Educational Bureau, Egyptian Embassy in CANADA; Vice-Chairman
of the TDAG (Telecommunication Development Advisory Group), International Telecommunication
Union (ITU); and Vice-Chairman of the Arab Organization for Information and Communication
Technology (Arab league). He has received the First Degree Medal of Excellence awarded from the
President of Egypt 1995, and the Egyptian State Award in Engineering Science 1987. His scientific
activities include supervising PhD and MSc thesis in the field of Communications, Networks and IT,
publishing more than 80 research papers in periodicals and conferences, and editing and co-authoring
of 13 books in Communications and IT fields.
Tania Zaroubi, Senior ICT Project Manager, OMSAR, Lebanon
Ms Tania Zaroubi is a Senior ICT Project Manager with the UNDP Project at
the Lebanese "Office of the Minister of State for Administrative Reform
(OMSAR)". She joined OMSAR in 1996 for managing a number of major
public ICT projects. In 2003, she was the lead-author of two national documents
for WSIS and was part of the official delegation headed by the President of the
Republic. Ms. Zaroubi advises and attends meetings of the Ministerial ICT Committee in Lebanon,
chaired by the Prime Minister, and is leading on the National e-Government Strategy of Lebanon.
She is also a board member of several NGOs in Lebanon and is the president of the Information
Systems and Audit Control Association (ISACA) in Lebanon. Tania holds an Honors degree in
Computer Science from the University of Essex in England, and is a Certified Information Security
Auditor, a Certified Prince II Practitioner (Project Management Methodology) and is an active
member of the Project Management Institute (PMI).
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Wael Obeid, Ministry of Communication and Technolgoy, Syria
[email protected], [email protected]
Yahya Al-Rewi, Aden University, Yemen
Mr. Yahya Mohamed Al-Rewi holds a PhD in Computer and Information
Systems (1999), and is an Associated Professor at Aden University and director
of Aden ICT Incubator. In 1989, he worked as General Director of the first
National Training Center in using and programming of Personal Computers
(Aden). He is a member of the National Team assigned to prepare the National
Strategy of Information in the Republic of Yemen (2002). Mr. Al-Rewi is a national consultant in the
field of ICT, and has prepared the National Profile of Information Society in Yemen (ESCWA, 2005).
Akram Mohammed Ahmed, Ministry of Science and Technology, Sudan
Mr. Akram Ahmed holds an MBA and a degree in Computer Science, and is
CISCO computer certificate. He is an IT consultant with the Ministry of
Science and Technology, and assists in the preparation of the national profile of
the information society in Sudan. He is also content manager in the Sudan IT
Organization.
1.8 Measurements/Indicators (Chair: Bassel Khechi)
Rami Zaatari, IT Officer, ICT Applications Section, ICT Division, ESCWA
[email protected] Appears in the Panel: New Regional Projects for the RPoA - Subjects Related to Strategies
Abdul Kader Kamli, President/Research Director, MADAR Research Group,
UAE
Mr. Abdul Kader Kamli is an authority on ICT in the Arab world who is often
quoted by regional and international media organizations on the digital
migration of the region. In his current capacity as President and Research
Director of Madar Research Group, which he founded in 2002, Mr. Kamli has
pioneered regional research and consultancy in the various fields of the emerging knowledge
economy, from ICT adoption by governments, industry sectors and individuals to e-learning, e-
banking and other applications of technology. Prior to founding Madar Research Group, he served as
General Manager of Ajeeb.com Web portal -Sakhr Software, where he founded the Ajeeb Research
Unit, which specialized in researching the knowledge economy. Mr. Kamli is also co-founder of the
Middle East edition of PC Magazine and founder of Internet Arab World magazine, published by the
Dabbagh Information Technology (IT) Group, and he served a long tenure as Editor-in-Chief for both
publications. Mr. Kamli holds an engineering degree, and has an experience of about 30 years in the
ICT, media and research industries.
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Salma Abbasi, Chairperson and Founder, e Worldwide Group, Dubai
[email protected], [email protected]
Ms. Salma Abbasi is a technologist and philanthropist, a visionary leader who
motivates both professionals and civil society. Ms. Abbasi has around 30 years
of experience in the field of technology and business process reengineering.
She started her career in 1981 in Silicon Valley as a design engineer for AMD
and rapidly progressed holding a series of diverse executive management
positions in fortune 500 companies; engineering, manufacturing, quality assurance and reliability,
international business development and customer satisfaction. She developed unique capabilities,
knowledge, and understanding in multiple cultures, and formed the e-Worldwide Group in 2001, a
consortium of 37 companies, universities and organizations focused on providing multiple services
and solutions in 4 key areas: Sustainable development and empowerment; Alternative energy,
recycling and environment; Security and resilience; and Management consultancy. Ms. Abbasi has
recently joined the High Level Adviser’s Panel of the U.N. Global Alliance for ICTs and
Development (UN GAID). She is a graduate from Westminster University London, BSc Civil
Engineering, holds an MSc in Electrical Engineering, and currently pursuing a doctorate programme
at the University of London, Royal Holloway College on "Understanding challenges and barriers for
women's engagement with ICTs and their impact on social economic development in Muslim
societies".
Eman Yassin, Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics
(CAPMAS), Egypt
Ms. Eman Yassin is Director of Research and Development and Technical
Manager of the e-indicators project at CAPMAS. Ms. Yassin has around 25
years experience in programming and designing databases for national statistical
surveys. Her project on measuring the impact of ICT use on building the
information society has led to CAPMAS receiving in 2008 the best statistical
project award. The project enables measuring the progress made towards the
information society in the different economic sectors.
Sukaina Al-Nasrawi, Associate IT Officer/ Researcher, ICT Applications
Section, ICT Division, ESCWA
Ms. Al-Nasrawi joined ESCWA in 2003 as a researcher and is currently
working as an Associate IT Officer in the ICT Division of ESCWA. She
contributes to ESCWA's publications, meetings and regional projects covering
issues related to the Information and Knowledge Societies. In addition, Ms. Al-
Nasrawi provides technical training on the ESCWA Statistical Information System to member
countries in the context of ICT capacity building in measuring the information society and on the
Information Society Portal for the ESCWA region. She is currently a member of ESCWA’s working
group on knowledge management and ICT committee. She also worked as a researcher at the
American University of Beirut and wrote research papers published by renowned societies such as the
IEEE Computer Society. Ms. Al-Nasrawi holds a BSc and MSc in Computer Science from the
American University of Beirut.
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2. Applications
2.1 Security & Trust (Chair: Marco Obiso)
Marco Obiso, ICT Applications and Cybersecurity Advisor, TDB, ITU
Appears in session on Internet Governance/ADNS
Mohammed Fathy, Empowerment Program Manager - Cyber Peace Initiative
http://smwipm.cyberpeaceinitiative.org
Mr. Mohammed Fathy is the Empowerment Program Manager and member of
Cyber Peace Initiative, part of the Suzanne Mubarak Women's International
Peace Movement, launched in 2007 at the International Youth Forum in
cooperation with the Egyptian Ministry of CIT, and in partnership with the ITU,
UN GAID, Microsoft and CISCO. Mr. Fathy is also an active member in the
UN GAID Youth eLeaders Committee since November 2008. His previous
experience in the business development field extends over 8 years at the Egyptian Ministry of CIT,
and he was also heading a unit for foreign direct investment in the Information Technology Industry
Development Agency (ITIDA). He received an award for promoting the Egyptian ICT industry from
the HE Dr. Ahmed Nazif, former Minister of CIT and current Prime Minister of Egypt. Mr. Fathy
holds a licence in English Literature from Ain Shams University, Cairo, and is currently finishing his
MBA at the Arab Academy for Science and Technology.
Belhassen Zouari, CEO, National Agency for Computer Security (ANSI),
Tunisia
Belhassen Zouari is a Professor in Computer Science at the University of
Carthage-Tunisia and the head of the National Agency in Computer Science
(NACS). His activities include research works in the field of verification of
automated systems and security aspects. He is author or co-author of many
research paper presented in scientific journals or conferences. He has been also invited as a Security
Expert in many events organized by ITU and others. He was at the origin of the Tunisian national plan
in computer security from 1999 that led to the setting up of NACS in 2004. NACS hosts the Tunisian
CERT (Computer Emergency Response Team) which is the only internationally recognized CERT in
Africa. Belhassen Zouari is an Engineer in computer Science, has a Doctorate (French PhD) from the
University of Paris6 (1993) in Computer Science, and a "Habilitation Universitaire" from the
University of Tunis (2005).
Nibal Idlebi, Chief, ICT Applications Section, ICT Division, ESCWA
Dr. Nibal Idlebi is currently the Chief of the ICT Applications Section at
ESCWA. Since joining ESCWA in 2004, she has been working on issues
related to ICT policies and strategies, enabling environment for the information
society, development of digital Arabic content. From 2002 to 2004, she was
Deputy Minister at the Ministry of Communications and Technology (MOCT)
in Syria. And during the period 1994-2002, she worked at the Higher Institute of
Applied Science & Technology (HIAST) as a lecturer in computer architecture and parallel and
distributed processing. Ms. Idlebi has an Engineering Degree from "Ecole Supérieure d’Electricité
(Supelec)" in France; and a PhD in Computer Science from Nancy 1 University in France.
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Saleem Zoughbi, Regional Advisor on ICT, ESCWA
[email protected], [email protected]
Dr. Saleem Zoughbi has been involved in ICT development for long years.
With his technical background in engineering, signal analysis and systems, he
served in academic life in several institutions such as College D'Informatique
Du Canada Concordia University, Montreal, College of Science & Technology,
Alquds University, Jerusalem and in Bethlehem University, Bethlehem. Headed
different computer s centers since 1980. He was involved in several missions for the Palestinian
Authority, such as Palestinian Bureau of Statistics, to establish and create the Department of
Information Management and Automation. In 1995-1998 he acted as senior advisor to the Ministry of
Planning and International Co-operation in the Palestinian National Authority. He also participated as
a visiting scholar at the University of Washington, Seattle, working on large network design,
implementation and management, including Internet, Intranet as well as public policies and strategies.
He also headed short missions for UNDEP, EU and other international agencies. His expertise covers
a wide area of topics such as Systems Analysis & Design, technical development, large networking,
Systems monitoring and evaluation, feasibility studies, Project Planning and Management, Systems
Modeling, and short-term and Long-term Planning.
2.2 ICT in Education (Chair: Nashat Mansour)
Nashaat Mansour, Professor of Computer Science, Lebanese American
University (LAU), Lebanon
[email protected], http://www.csm.lau.edu.lb/nmansour
Dr. Nashat Mansour is a Professor of Computer Science at the Lebanese
American University. He received BE and M. Eng. Sc degrees in Electrical
Engineering from the University of New South Wales, and MS in Computer
Engineering and PhD in Computer Science from Syracuse University. Dr.
Mansour is a member of the International Steering Committee of the Arab Computer Society and is
interested in national and regional IT research networking and strategies. His research interests
include software testing, application of evolutionary algorithms to real-world problems, and protein
structure prediction.
Fairouz Farah Sarkis, Director, Arab Open University, Lebanon
[email protected], [email protected]
Ms. Fairouz Farah Sarkis holds a PhD in Mathematics Education and is
currently the Director of the Arab Open University-Lebanon. She is the National
focal point of the European Union FP7 for research, and an evaluator of the EU
research projects. Previous work includes: General Secretary of the Scientific
council of the Lebanese University, and Director of the Office of External
Projects. She is head of the Educational services unit at AUB and was a team
leader for several international and European projects among which the TEVT in Syria, funded by the
EU, and the Scientific Schools Project for the Ministry of Education in Qatar. She has published
several research papers and is the author of a series of mathematics school textbooks.
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Najib Abdel Wahed, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Higher Education, Syria
[email protected], [email protected], mohamed.a-
Dr. Najib Abdul Wahed is the Deputy Minister of Higher Education for
Scientific Research and Academic Affaires, since 2002. He is also a Professor
of Applied Mechanics in the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of
Aleppo, Syria. He holds a BA in Mechanical Engineering from the University
of Aleppo (1970), an MSc in Applied Mathematics (1973), and a "Doctorat d'Etat" in tribology from
the "Institut National des Sciences Appliquees", France (1982). Prior to his current position, he
served in several academic and research positions, as Dean of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering,
and as Vice President of the University of Aleppo for Academic Affaires. Dr. Abdel Wahed is a
member of the Regional Committee for the Arab World of the UNESCO Forum on Higher Education,
Knowledge and Research, and of the Supreme Council for Scientific Research. His fields of interest
and research activities covered the areas of applied mechanics, materials, smart materials, tribology,
aeronautics, science, technology and innovation policies, national innovation systems.
Mohammed Helal, Microsoft - North Africa, East Mediterranean and Paskitan
Pierre Gedeon, Dean, Faculty of Engineering, Antonine University, Lebanon [email protected], [email protected], www.pierregedeon.net
Dr. Pierre Gedeon, PhD in Software Engineering and Expert in new
technologies transfer is Dean of the Antonine University Faculty of Engineering
and Founder of the Antonine ICT institutions. Author and co-author of 14
books in computing and educational technologies sector; European Union
Tempus Expert (Lifelong Learning seminar, March, 2008, Vienna; European
Qualifications Frameworks and Learning Outcomes, June-July, 2008, Madrid;
and the seminar for Higher Education Reform Experts, March, 2009, Rome); Lebanese Higher
Education Reform Expert (HERE) acting in Quality Assurance; UNESCO ICTE Expert; and
Lebanese University and Lebanese Islamic University Lecturer in ICTE.
Youssef Monsef, Professor, Faculty of Engineering, Lebanese University (LU),
Lebanon
Dr. Youssef Monsef is a Civil Engineer from École Supérieure d’Ingénieurs de
Beyrouth (ESIB), an Electrical Engineer from École Supérieure d’Electricité
(ESE) (Paris), Docteur d’Etat ès Sciences from Université de Paris-Orsay. His
interests are in Research and Development in Information Technology and in
Modeling and Simulation of Complex Systems. Dr. Monsef has actively
contributed to many European and International R and D research projects in ICT. He is currently a
full professor at the Faculty of Engineering of the Lebanese University.
Adel Rizk, General Manager, GamaLearn,GamaCast,GamaTV, UAE
[email protected] Mr. Adel Risk is General Manager of Gama Learning Group, consultant to the
Arab network for distant and open learning, and member of the Arab union of e-
publishing. He is a graduate of the Faculty of Trade in Alexandria University
(1980), and member on the U.K. Associations of Computer Professionals and
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Business Executives. Mr. Rizk worked as a programmer and system analyst on different learning
applications, established GamaLearn in 1990 in UAE, and GamaLearn encyclopaedia for producing
digital educational content in Arabic. He participated in many projects and conferences related to
academic administration systems.
2.3 Capacity Building (Chair: Ghassan Assi)
Tarek Shawki, Director, UNESCO Cairo Office
[email protected], [email protected]
Hyeun-Suk Rhee, UN-ESCAP
Marwan Tarazi, Director of Center for Continuing Education, Birzeit
University, Palestine
Mr. Marwan Tarazi is the director of the Birzeit University Center for
Continuing Education (CCE), Palestine – an outreach and interface arm for the
University into the community. Marwan is specialized in strategy formulation
focusing on institutional capacity building that links human resource
development with institutional structures, market and employment dynamics and overall socio-
economic development. His approach to development is to seek “outside-the-box” solutions,
innovation, and affordable and effective modern tools and technology to achieve scalable and
sustainable outcomes. Marwan is the architect of CAPABILITY (Capacity Building for Educational
institutions through innovation and technology), The Regional Learning Innovation Teams program,
the Knowledge-Based Industry – Job creation program, the IT Center of Excellence, the Unit for
Learning Innovation, the Birzeit Univ. Knowledge Consortium, the Public Administration and Civil
Service Capacity Building program, and the Knowledge Center.
Walid Karam, Balamand University, Lebanon
Refiq Daas, Executive Manager, Jordan Computer Society, Jordan [email protected], [email protected]
Mr. Rafiq Daas assumed his current responsibility as Executive Manager of the
Jordan Computer Society in May 2008. His last position was Acting General
Manager with IBM in Jordan. Mr. Daas worked from 1968 to 1978 in the IT
department of an oil company in Saudi Arabia, after which he joined IBM from
1978 to 2004.
Hanna Kreitem, Birzeit University, Palestine
Mr. Hanna Kreitem, Information and Procedures Officer at Birzeit University,
Palestine. His job includes identifying information sources and information
flow within the university, and document procedures, in addition to
implementing IT policy at the university; however, his actual work is in creating
synergies and relationships, not only within the university community, but within the community at
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large. He pays attention to: Open Source, Open Standards, Digital Media, tux, new trends in
computing, Entrepreurship, Creative Commons and Copy Left.
2.4 ICT Applications (Chair: Sarbuland Khan)
Abdelaziz Abid, UNESCO, France
Fadi A. Abdulhamid, Executive Director, Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Organization
(TAGorg), Syria
Dr. Fadi Abdulhamid joined Talal Abu Ghazaleh IT International (TAGITI), member of
TAGorg in 2002 as IT consultant, participating in projects related to eGovernment,
eCommerce, eBanking, ICT Strategies and Micro-Finance Information Systems. In
2004, he joined UNDP as IT expert in Technical and Policy Support to the Central Bank
of Syria. In 2006, he was selected as Manager for TAGITI in Amman, where he
managed, and supervised projects related to ICT for Development, Data warehousing, IT Audit and IT
Governance. He holds a PhD in Management information system, MSc in Information System, and is certified
as eCommerce consultant form the institute of eCommerce consultants in USA. He is also a Member of ISACA
(Information Systems Associate Control Audit), Project Management Institute (PMI) and Arab Knowledge and
Management Society. Dr. Abdulhamid is a researcher and practitioner in the area of Knowledge management,
eCommerce, eGovernment and Information System Strategic management.
Tomasz Janowski, United Nations University
Mr. Tomasz Janowski is the founder and head of the Center for Electronic
Governance at United Nations University IIST in Macao -
http://egov.iist.unu.edu. He is a researcher and practitioner in Electronic
Governance with keen interest in ICT for development, and has led a number of
research, development and capacity-building projects funded by Macao
Foundation, Microsoft, UNDP, and World Bank. Mr. Janowski has organized
many capacity-building events in developing countries, and served as PC member and chair at
numerous international conferences; in particular, he founded a series of international conferences on
theory and practice of electronic governance (www.icegov.org). He has written on the topics of
foundations and frameworks for Electronic Governance, tools and applications of formal techniques,
and rigorous development of enterprise systems, particularly systems for the public sector. He holds a
PhD in Computer Science from the University of Warwick,
England, and an MSc in Mathematics from the University of Gdansk, Poland.
Ahmed Kamal, Senior Project Manager, Government Services Development
Program, Ministry of State for Administrative Development, Egypt [email protected]
Mr. Ahmed Kamal is a Senior Project Manager at the Ministry of State for
Administrative Development (MSAD) in Egypt, managing a team that
coordinates all aspects of e-Government projects. He has managed projects on
backend automation, e-payment solutions, service delivery channels and front
office automation, covering different sectors, including investment, transportation, sports and justice.
He is currently in charge of the National Judicial Procedures Development project, and is responsible
for automating and integrating both front and back ends of over 50 courts in Egypt, as well all other
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relevant bodies. Before joining MSAD in 2005, Mr. Kamal worked for 20 years for a diverse range of
organizations, including small business startups, large corporations, and multi-nationals. He holds a
BSc in Electronic Engineering (1986) from Cairo University, Egypt, and has been exposed to many
training and development programmes, including professional training in project management.
Shimah Ayed AlEnezi, Ministry of Electricity and Water, Kuwait
Ms. Shimah AlEnezi is a senior legal expert and director of personnel at the
Ministry of Electricity and Water, Kuwait. She holds a degree in law from the
University of Kuwait and pursued higher studies in administration and special
laws. Ms. AlEnezi also has a Masters in law from Tanta University, Egypt, and
a researcher for PhD in commercial law, Department of Law, University of Cairo, Egypt. She is
certified from a number of official bodies in Kuwait, and is a researcher in e-commerce and e-
contracting and e-governance.
2.5 Panel: Building Research Capacity in ICT4D in MENA
Region (Chair: Anas Tawileh)
Anas Tawileh, International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Canada
Mr. Anas Tawileh is a researcher and consultant in Information and Communication Technology for
Development (ICT4D). He worked for many projects to bring technology to developing countries and
deliver training and capacity building programmes. Mr. Tawileh currently works as a consultant for
the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) of Canada, and as Vice President of
Engineering for Meedan.net. A firm believer in Free and Open Source Software (F/OSS), he
established the GNU/Linux Syria User Group in Damascus in 2002 and started the Arab Commons
Initiative. Anas has a Masters degree in Information Systems Engineering and a PhD in Information
Assurance from Cardiff University, UK. He authored several books including: Open Source –
Unlimited Opportunities, Wireless Networking in the Developing World – Arabic Edition, and VoIP
for Development: A Primer.
Marwan Tarazi, Director of Center for Continuing Education, Birzeit University, Palestine
[email protected] Appears in Capacity Building session
Raed Sharifi, Syracuse University, USA
Sabri Saidam, Birzeit University, Palestine
Driss Kettani, Associate Professor, School of Science and Engineering, Al-Akhawayne University,
Morocco
[email protected], www.aui.ma/~D.Kettani Appears in session on Networking for Development
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2.6 Panel: New Regional Projects for the RPoA - Subjects
Related to Applications (Chair: To be announced)
2.7 Legal Framework (Chair: Fawzi Khamis)
Fawzi Khamis, Association for the Development of IT and law (ADIL)
Younis Arab, Arab L@w Group, Jordan
Tony Issa, La Sagesse University, Lebanon
[email protected], [email protected]
Yousef Nusseir, Chief, ICTD, UN-ESCWA
[email protected] Appears in Plenary sessions
Sami El-Sharaf, Department of Legal Advice, Council of Ministers, Kuwait
Mona Al-Achkar Jabbour, Professor-Researcher, Legal Informatics, Faculty of Law and Political
Sciences, Lebanese University, Lebanon
[email protected], [email protected]
2.8 Intellectual Property Rights (Chair: Talal Abu Ghazaleh)
Mohamad Khaled Darwicheh, Abu-Ghazaleh Intllectual Property, Syria
Mr. Mohamad Darwicheh is a Legal Counsel with the Talal Abu Ghazaleh
Legal (TAG-LEGAL) - Syria Office, a member of TAGorg. He has a Law
degree from Damascus University (2003), and has been practicing law since
2004. Mr. Darwicheh is a legal advisor for the UNDP- Syria (2007), and a
registered agent at the Syrian Ministry of Trade and Commerce. He is member
in the Arab lawyers union (ALU), Cairo, since 2007, and a board member at the Syrian Intellectual
property since 2007.
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Farid Jabbour, Faculty of Law, Lebanese University, Lebanon
Dr. Farid Jabbour holds a PhD in Law and is a professor of law since 30 years,
covering the e-commerce and cybercrime. He supervises PhD and Masters
thesis in law and participates in relevant scientific committees. Dr. Jabbour has
published several articles on general law and IT laws, the most recent of which
is on protecting consumers online and combating cybercrime.
Aly Harakeh, Microsoft Intellectual Property Manager, Lebanon
Before Joining Microsoft - Eastern Mediterranean, as Intellectual Property Manager in 2001, Mr.
Harakeh had an extensive experience in media and research. He worked at the Daily Star, Lebanon's
English language daily, and developed a regular weekly section on the local ICT industry. Following
a long stint at the Daily Star, he moved to Cyberia the Internet Service Provider (ISP) in Lebanon, to
assume the editor-in-chief responsibilities for the first online newspaper in Lebanon and the region.
With the help of an editorial team, the online newspaper was able to compete against traditional print
media and the wire services. In addition to his responsibilities in fighting piracy, promoting IPR
awareness and the value of "Genuine" software, he helped develop the Association Reach Program,
the System Builder Academy Program, and various programs including the Microsoft Mobile
Electronic Library – Smart Bus. He also worked with NGOs - PC Skills for People with Special
Needs, Protecting Children Online and Teaching Computer Skills to Senior Citizen - and educational
institutions.
Jean Akl, Legal Expert and Lecturer
3. Development
3.1 ICT for Development (Chair: Ibrahim Badran)
Ibrahim Badran, Advisor to the President, Philadelphia University, Jordan
Dr. Ibrahim Badran is currently the Advisor to the President for International Relations and Scientific
Centers, Philadelphia University, Jordan, Director of Futuristic Studies and Scientific Consultancy
Centers, and member of the Royal Advisory Committee for Education. He has held the post of Dean of
the Faculty of Engineering at Philadelphia University (2000-2007), and advisor to the Prime Ministry
and Secretary General of Ministry of Industry and Trade, and Secretary General of Ministry of Energy
and Natural Resources in Jordan. He was a member of the Board of Governors of IAEA, Vienna. Dr.
Badran received the State Appreciation Award in Social and Humanitarian Sciences - Arab Thought
2002, the King Hussein Medal for Excellence of first order 2001, and the State Medal of Independence
of the first Order 1990. He holds a PhD in High Voltage Technology, University of London, England
(1970), and a BSc in Electrical Engineering, Cairo University, Egypt (1963). His research and writings
cover a wide range of topics, including Economics , Development , Energy, Technology, Social
Sciences, Politics, Philosophy and Strategic Studies. His publications include more than 20 books, the
most recent of which include: Engineering and Engineers, Amman , 2007; Renaissance and Survival,
Beirut, 2005; National Strategy for Societal Culture, Amman, 2004; Natural Resources, Energy and
Water in Jordan, Amman 1994; Nuclear Energy and the Chernobyl Incident, Amman ,1988; and
Problems of Development in the Arab World, Amman, 1988.
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Nadia Hegazi, Senior Expert for Strategic Planning, Ministry of CIT, Egypt
[email protected], [email protected]
Professor Nadia Hegazi holds a PhD in Computer from Cairo University and
Edinburgh, UK. She is a senior expert for Strategic Planning, since 2007, and a
senior expert for international relations at the Ministry of Telecommunications
and Information Technology, since 2002. She is a Professor of Computer
Engineering, since 1986, at the Electronics Research Institute. She worked as a
consultant to the Minister of Education, since 1988, the Head of the Parliament,
since 1991, and her consultancies were also extended to the EU and Federal Bank of Egypt. She worked
on various national and international projects, including: Automatic Translation for Medical Field -
ARAMED for the EU 1997; Multilingual Dictionary Corpus Based for the EU 1998; Discover the
Mediterranean Project – DISCOMED; Formulation of documents - "Towards an Arab Information
Society: Platform for Action", and "Towards an African Information Society: Platform for Action".
Jamil Zagharneh, Ministry of Telecommunications, Palestine
Mr. Jamil Zagharneh holds a Master of Science in Computer Engineering, with
22 years experience in the field of communications and information technology.
He is currently the General Director of e-government Directorate, since 2007,
and was the Director of Government Computer Center (2003-2007).
Krikor Ajamyan, Amman Chamber of Commerce, Jordan
[email protected], [email protected]
Mr. Krikor Ajemian holds BSc in Computer Science (1986), Yarmouk
University, Jordan, and an MSc in Information Technology Management
(2009), University of Sunderland, England. Since 2007, he is the Head of the
Computer and Information Update Department, Amman Chamber of Commerce
(ACC), Jordan. His previous assignments include: Head of the Computer Unit
(1993-2006), and Programmer (1992-1993) at ACC; and system analyst and
programmer (1987-1991), Hanny Kayyaly and Co software house.
3.2 Digital Arabic Content (Chair: Nadia Hegazi)
Nabil Ali Abdul Aziz, Pico Advanced Multilingual Systems
Mirna Barbar, IT Officer, ICT Applications Section, ICT Division, ESCWA
Dr. Mirna El-Hajj Barbar joined ESCWA in October 2007, as Information
Technology Officer in the ICT Division, where she is undertaking research,
carrying out analytical studies and performing regional analysis in the area of
ICT. Dr. Barbar is also involved in ESCWA regional expert group meetings and
conferences. She has more than 10 years of working experience in ICT and
holds a PhD in Computer Science and a Masters degree in Business Administration. She had taught
at the Lebanese University, and conducted research on e-learning, software engineering, system
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analysis and design, and project management. Furthermore, she worked as an ICT expert and Project
Manager at the Lebanese Ministry of Social Affairs, where she was in charge of developing and
implementing an ICT master plan that included automation projects for a number of administrative
and social departments. She received her PhD with distinction from the University of Paris-8, and has
published more than 8 research articles and presented in the field of ICT in many international
conferences and workshops.
Mohamed El-Sharkawi, Manager, Memory of the Arab World project, Center of Cultural and
Natural Heritage Documentation (CULTNAT), Egypt
Dr. Mohamed El-Sharkawi holds a BSc in Computer Engineering from Al-Azhar University, Egypt,
and an MSc and PhD from Kyushu University, Japan. He is currently an associate professor at the
Faculty of Computers and Information, Cairo University, Egypt, with research interests covering
database systems, data mining, and IT for cultural and natural heritage. Dr. El-Sharkawi is also
affiliated with the Center of Cultural and Natural Heritage Documentation (CULTNAT) in Egypt,
managing the Memory of the Arab World project.
Oumayma Al-Dakkak, Higher Institute for Applied Sciences and Technology (HIAST), Syria
[email protected], [email protected]
Ammar Kheir Beik, Board Member Syrian Computer Society, Syria
[email protected], [email protected]
Since 2007, Mr. Ammar Kheir Beik is the Vice Dean of Academic Affairs, Faculty
of IT, Damascus University, Syria, and was the Head of Software Engineering and
Information Systems Department in the same faculty from 2000-2007. He is board
member of the Syrian Computer Society (SCS) since 2005, and is the founder and
director of the Multimedia Information Systems' Professional Unit at the Faculty of
IT at Damascus University. He works since 2004 as a Consultant on Education and ICT, the Japan
International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Office in Damascus. During 2003-2006, Mr. Kheir Beik was
Vice President for Academic Affaires, and then Consultant for Academic Affairs and Content
Development at the Syrian Virtual University (SVU). He also worked as a researcher and lecturer of
Computer Sciences, at HIAST, Syria (1998-2000). He holds a PhD in Information Retrieval and
Hypermedia Systems, University of Joseph Fourier, France (1995); a Diploma of Depth Studies (DEA),
Institut National Polytechnique de Grenoble (INPG), France (1991); Diploma of Higher Studies (DES),
HIAST, Damascus, Syria (1990); and Engineering Diploma of Informatics, HIAST, Syria (1989).
3.3 Community Telecentres (Chair: Hoda Baraka)
Hoda Baraka, Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Egypt
Nasser Khalaf, National IT Center, Jordan
Draft 2
Paulette Assaf, Cisco/Partnership for Lebanon, Lebanon [email protected]
Paulette has solid experience in areas of Program and Project Management,
Sales Management, and IT skills. She has held different posts in her 20 years
Career, in Lebanon and France, starting as a programmer to finally lead large
scale program deployment and business process re-engineering deliveries for
clients in different places in the world. Member of the Partnership For Lebanon - Cisco team, she is
currently working on various corporate social responsibility initiatives in ICT development and
communities welfare. Ms. Assaf holds a BSc in Computer Sciences and a Masters in Money and
Banking from the American University of Beirut and is a certified project manager (PMP). She is a
founding and board member of Women in IT non-governmental organizationin Lebanon.
Noureldin Cheikh Obeid, UNDP, Syria
[email protected], [email protected]
Mr. Noureldin Cheikh Obeid is Manager of the ICT Program for Socio-
Economic Development in Syria since July 2004. He holds a PhD in Automatic
Control and Computer Science, a PhD in Nonlinear mechanics and
chronometry, and a BSc Mathematics and Physics. He worked as a Professor at
the Higher Institute of Applied Sciences and Technology – HIAST, from 1988 to 2002, an invited
professor at Damascus University from 1998 to 2001; Head of Automatic Control Department at
HIAST from 1988 to 2000; Research Director at Scientific Studies and Research Centre, Syria. He is
an author and co-author of 5 textbooks in Arabic, and more than 100 papers and studies in automatic
control and computer science.
Georges Younes, First IT Officer, ICT Policies Section, ICT Division, ESCWA
Mr. Georges Younes joined ESCWA in 2006 and is currently works as First
ICT Officer in the ICT Policies Section of the ICT Division. He is involved in a
variety of projects covering knowledge networks, digital Arabic content, cyber
legislation and the formulation of ICT policies and strategies. Before joining
ESCWA, Mr. Younes worked as an ICT Project Manager with the UNDP and
OMSAR program, conceiving and implementing ICT projects in more than
sixty public entities. Projects were mostly carried out with the private sector and with support from
the World Bank, Arab Fund and European Union, and included the first iterations of e-government in
Lebanon and a wide range of software, hardware and network implementations. In his spare time, he
conceives and teaches graduate courses that are based on project management experience, at the
"Institut de gestion des enterprises", St. Joseph University, Lebanon. He started his career in 1987 at
the UN in New York where he worked as a "systems integrator" for the UN Joint Staff Pension Fund.
Ahmed Eisa, Gedaref Digital City Organization, Sudan
Mr. Ahmed Eisa is currently the Chairman of Gedaref digital City Organization
(GDCO) and was in 1988 the Minster of Agriculture in Sudan. He holds an
MSc in Agriculture from Manhattan Kansas, USA (1985), and was a member in
the Parliament from 1986 to 1989. He is council member in the Gedaref
University, and founder of first national Telecentre academy in Africa and
middle east. He was a world-winner of information for development awards i4d
2007 and i4d 2008.
Draft 2
Karim Kasim, Egypt ICT Trust Fund, MCIT, Egypt
3.4 Empowering Youth (Chair: Tarek Shawki)
Ziad Haddara, Regional Project Manager, ICTDAR - UNDP, Egypt [email protected]
Mr. Ziad Haddara is the Regional Project Manager of ICTDAR (Information
and Communication Technology for Development in the Arab Region), a
regional program of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
based in Cairo, and covering the Arab Region. He has several years experience
managing large scale projects both within the UNDP and in the private sector.
Prior to joining ICTDAR, he was the UNDP Coordinator for the National e-
Strategy in Lebanon, where he supervised the development of a multi-sector national plan. Preceding
that, he worked in the United States as Director of Client Relations and General Project Manager at a
consulting firm focusing on digital business strategy and knowledge management projects for global
clients. Mr. Haddara holds a Bachelor of Architecture from the American University in Beirut and a
Masters in Business Administration from Babson College in Boston.
Safa Rawaih, Youth Leadership Development Foundation, Yemen
Ms. Safa Rawiah joint the Youth Leadership Development Foundation in
September 2007 as an Executive Manager for one of its two centers "Youth
Economic Development Center", after six years of voluntary work with the
foundation. She has also worked with the World Bank for three years as a
program assistant on Portfolio and Financial Management. Ms. Rawiah has a
degree in English from the Faculty of Languages, and has started her Master of
Science in Project Management -Distance Education, at the University of Wisconsin, USA. She has
initiated the network "Youth Voluntary Network" that aims to mobilize highly qualified young people
to positively utilize their qualifications for community services as volunteers.
Dana Derani, Manager of Massar Projec, Syria Trust for Development, Syria
Ms. Dana Derani is Manager of Massar-e Project, a national project of the Syria Trust for
Development. Previously, she worked for 4 years on leading a project entitled "World Links" in
cooperation with the Ministry of Education, that aims at integrating technology in the Syrian
education and the professional training of teachers using ICTs. She joined the Fund for Integrated
Rural Development of Syria (FIRDOS) in 2005 as a coordinator for a project concerned with Syrian
Rural women in Cooperation with the International Fund for Agricultural Development. She also has
an experience working with AMIDEAST for 6 years as the manager of a number of projects focused
on education, scholarships and Teachers' Professional Development.
Draft 2
Elie Mekhael, Higher Council for Children, Ministry of Social Affairs,
Lebanon
Mr. Elie Mekhael holds a PhD in public health from Paris VI University, and is
general secretary of the Higher Council of Children, Lebanon. He is a Professor
at the Faculty of Education in the Lebanese University. He also works as a
Consultant on child protection and youth participation.
Joyce Kawkabani, Himaya, Lebanon
3.5 Panel: GAID Regional Arab Network (Chair: Yousef Nusseir)
Georges Younes, First IT Officer, ICTD, ESCWA
[email protected] Appears in session on Community Telecentres
Sarbuland Khan, GAID
Yousef Nusseir, Chief, ICTD, UN-ESCWA
[email protected] Appears in the Opening session
3.6 Panel: New Regional Projects for the RPoA - Subjects
Related to Development
Nabil Eid, Team Leader, Salamieh Community Centre, Syria
Mr. Nabil Eid is Team Leader at Salamieh Community Telecentre, Chairman of
Studies Centre for Handicapped Research, ICT4D Persons with Disabilities
http://www.caihand.org; Member of Telecentre.org - TC-MENA
http://www.telecentre.org; and Reefnet Project - http://www.reefnet.gov.sy.
3.7 Women in the IS (Chair: Salma Abbasi)
Salma Abbasi, Chairperson and Founder, e Worldwide Group, Dubai
[email protected] Appears in session on Measurements/Indicators
Fatima Abdel Mahmoud, UNESCO Chair for Women, Science and Technology, Sudan University
for Science and Technology
Draft 2
Nada Hamzeh, Country Program Manager, Women in Technology, Lebanon
Ms. Nada Hamzeh received her BA in Public Relations from Saint Joseph
University in Beirut, Lebanon. She worked as a Public Relations Manager on
programmes such as Civic Centers, Micro Credit, Health Care,
Agriculture/Environment, and Awareness. She worked for 10 years with the
Makhzoumi Foundation, a non-profit organization in Lebanon. She also worked
as Media Consultant for several Lebanese Politicians. Currently she is the
Country Program Manager of Women in IT Program, managed by the Institute of International
Education in USA in Partnership with Microsoft and funded by Mepi and operating in 9 countries of
the MENA region.
Reem Obeidat, Registered Senior Consultant/Trainer, UNESCO and other International and Regional
Organizations
Ms. Reem Obeidat has held for many years the UNESCO Chair of Communication Technology and
Journalism for Women for the GCC. She is considered to be the first and youngest Arab woman to
hold the UNESCO Chair that is the only Chair devoted to Women and Media through out the world.
Ms. Obeidat works as a Consultant/ Trainer for many UN agencies and other international and
regional organizations. She is a senior registered Consultant/ Trainer, in Leadership, Communication,
Health and Environment, Media, Public Relations and Gender Issues, and have worked non-
governmental and media organizations at the capacity building and networking levels. Her work
experience covered many projects aiming at human development in the region.
3.8 Networking for Development (Chair: Najat Rochdi)
Najat Rochdi, Deputy Director, UNDP Office, Geneva
Driss Kettani, Associate Professor, School of Science and Engineering, Al-
Akhawayne University, Morocco
[email protected], www.aui.ma/~D.Kettani
Mr. Driss Kettani holds a PhD degree from Laval University, Canada and is
currently an Associate Professor of Computer Science at the School of Science
and Engineering of Al Akhawayn University, Morocco. He specializes in
ICT4D with a focus on eGovernment for good governance. He received a number of distinctions and
awards including the eMtiaz'2006 Prize by the Moroccan Prime Minister, the TIGA'2007 Prize by the
UN Economic Commission of Africa, and the UNDP'2007 Prize of the best ICT project with impact
on the society. Mr. Kettani supervised a number of Master and PhD Projects/Thesis both in Laval and
Al Akhawayn Universities, and has published many papers in prestigious journals and conferences.
Draft 2
Fadi Sabbagha, Founder and CEO, Born Interactive, Lebanon
Mr. Sabbagha is an entrepreneur with more than 13 years experience in Internet
industry and interactive communication. He is the founder and CEO of Born
Interactive, in 1996, which became one of the leading regional New Media
agencies. He holds an MBA from CERAM Business School, one of France's
major business schools where he refined his entrepreneurial ambitions and
materialized his vision to start up Born Interactive. Mr. Sabbagha managed and
consulted on projects for clients and target audiences from Asia, MENA, Arabian Gulf, Africa,
Europe, and the USA. He also lectures on Web Marketing and Information Design at the Balamand
University, Lebanese Academy of Fine Arts.
Nour Mounajed, ICT4Dev programme, Syria
Ms. Nour Mounajed is the Community Portal Team Leader in the Strategic ICT
Programme for Social and Economic Development in Syria, supported by the
UNDP and executed by the Ministry of Communications and Technology
(MOCT) in Syria. She graduated from the University of Damascus in 1994. In
2000, she obtained a Diploma in Programming and Operating Systems from the
Electronic Engineering Department in the University of Damascus, and received
a Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the Computer Engineering and Automation
Department in University of Damascus in August 2006.
Jessica Dheere, Social Media Exchange, Lebanon
Ms. Jessica Dheere is the founder and director of Social Media Exchange – http://www.smex.org, a
web-based initiative that provides training in the theory and practice of social media for social change
in Lebanon. She has more than 15 years' experience in print and online communications and holds a
masters degree in media studies from the New School in New York.
Bassam Chit, Lebanon Support, Lebanon [email protected]
Mr. Bassem Chit is the Technical Director at Lebanon Support since 2007, and
is one of the founding members of the organization; he has developed and
designed the Nahr el Bared Emergency and Recovery Information System to be
the main data provider for the UN, Civil Society, International organizations and
others. He got his degree in Computer Science/Information Architecture in 2002; has developed the
recovery information system for South Lebanon covering 100 villages, and has worked for 3 years at
the Arab Resource Collective, managing digital Arabization projects, and designing Arabic-based
content management systems. Moreover he has developed and written several essays and papers on
Information Management and Architecture, ICTs and their practices, impact and outreach.
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