February 2011 - change - Mailing Lists

CSE 590F: ICTD Seminar (Information and Communication Technology for Development)
by Gaetano Borriello 29 Mar '11

29 Mar '11

Yes, it is another research seminar announcement. TIME: Tuesday 1:30-2:30pm PLACE: CSE 203 WEB: http://www.cs.washington.edu/education/courses/cse590f/10au/ Please join us in CSE 590F (Readings in Information and Communication Technology for Development) next Tuesday, October 5 for our first meeting this quarter. Since we are starting late, this first meeting will not just be organizational but will already include a discussion of a paper, which I will likely lead unless I get an early volunteer. We'll then spend some time volunteering for leading the other discussions of papers this quarter. Our readings will be mostly from the upcoming ICTD conference (if the authors give us permission) and from CHI and AI-D as well. The last two weeks will be practice talks of UW presentations at the ICTD and DEV conferences in mid-December. As usual, all are most welcome to attend. Those new to the seminar who are just curious about ICTD are particularly encouraged. There is a tentative schedule for the quarter at http://www.cs.washington.edu/education/courses/cse590f/10au/. It will probably be modified after the first meeting and will soon include links to PDF files of each paper. Hope to see you there on Tuesday, Gaetano

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Fwd: Seeking applicants for Global Health Corps
by Yaw Anokwa 02 Mar '11

02 Mar '11

---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Mon, 14 Feb 2011 16:22:10 -0500 From: Emily Bearse <emily.bearse(a)ghcorps.org> Subject: [TIER] Seeking applicants for Global Health Corps | Put your tech skills to use in Africa! To: tier(a)tier.cs.berkeley.edu Global Health Corps is searching for some of the world's most promising emerging leaders. The application for the 2011-2012 fellowship year is NOW OPEN on our website at apply.ghcorps.org! This year, Village Health Works in Burundi is looking for an innovative individual to strengthen, manage, and expand their IT system to better serve impoverished Burundians. *Check out the **IT Developer* <http://www.ghcorps.org/placements/it-fellow>* placement with Village Health Works in Burundi. * Global Health Corps aims to mobilize a global community of emerging leaders to build the movement for global health equity. We do this by providing young people with year-long paid fellowships with outstanding organizations working on the frontlines of the fight for global health equity. More information and full descriptions of our 2011-2012 placements can be found on our website at www.ghcorps.org Applicants must be under 30 years old, have earned an undergraduate university degree by July 2011, and be proficient in English. *Please forward this widely to outstanding emerging leaders! Applications are open! Go to http://apply.ghcorps.org * -- Emily Bearse, MPH *Global Health Corps* www.ghcorps.org 330.351.2114 | emily.bearse(a)ghcorps.org

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FW: BitTorrent for the Developing-world
by Richard Anderson 27 Feb '11

27 Feb '11

________________________________________ From: Umar Saif [umar(a)lums.edu.pk] Sent: Sunday, February 27, 2011 6:22 AM To: Umar Saif Subject: BitTorrent for the Developing-world Dear Friends - Have you noticed that BitTorrent has disproportionately poor performance over low-bandwidth connections in countries like Pakistan? BitTorrent is a hugely popular peer-to-peer file sharing protocol, accounting for as much as 70% of the Internet traffic in countries with widespread broadband connections. In a country like Pakistan, where Internet connections typically vary between 5-20 KB/sec, BitTorrent is almost unusable. Over the past one and half year, we studied the performance and behavior of BitTorrent in the developing-world using hundreds of real-world and synthetic swarms. We found that under low-bandwidth conditions, BitTorrent's performance and fairness significantly deteriorates. Therefore, my research group has developed a modified BitTorrent client for the developing-world. Our client, called BitMate, enhances the performance of low-bandwidth nodes without cheating, circumventing the fairness policy of BitTorrent or adversely affecting the performance of other peers. BitMate outperforms vanilla BitTorrent by close to 70% in download performance, while at the same time improving upload contribution by as much as 1000%! BitMate is fully compliant with the BitTorrent protocol and compatible with existing BitTorrent clients. BitMate is implemented using Azureus (Vuze) code base. Please use our client, let us know what you think and help spread the word. More at: http://www.dritte.org/bitmate.html P.S. The current client is our first public release. Please let us know if you face any issues in installing or using the client. Best regards, -- Umar Saif | http://people.csail.mit.edu/umar

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Gates Foundation Speaks: Dr. Regina Rabinovich at the UW
by Eleanor O'Rourke 26 Feb '11

26 Feb '11

This talk might be of interest: ----------------------------------------- *Gates Foundation Speaks: Dr. Regina Rabinovich at the UW* On behalf of the Medical Student Association, it is our distinct pleasure to announce an evening lecture to be delivered on UW upper campus by the Director of Infectious Diseases in the Global Health Program at the Gates Foundation, Dr. Regina Rabinovich (http://www.gatesfoundation.org/leadership/Pages/regina-rabinovich.aspx) This is a free opportunity open to all students, faculty, and staff at the UW who are interested in hearing what the Gates Foundation has identified to be some of the most pertinent global health needs of the 21st century, and how the foundation has brought its considerable resources to bear on designing and implementing meaningful interventions in the quest to eradicate the burden of disease. This is a rare opportunity to gain a greater insight into what is going on in our own back yard at one of the most influential philanthropic organizations on the planet. It is also an invaluable opportunity to see how a career in medicine, public health, and all the other facets of health care can be successfully oriented towards addressing global health needs. Invite family, friends, and coworkers! *Who: Dr. Regina Rabinovich, MD MPH - Director of the Infectious Disease, Global Health Program, Gates Foundation What: "Emerging Patterns in Global Health" Where: UW Campus, Kane Hall Room 120 When: Thursday, March 3, 7:00pm Cost: NONE* Seating is first come, first serve, and doors will open at 6:30. Dr. Rabinovich has graciously agreed to answer questions from the audience after her talk, which she anticipates will be in the neighborhood of 40 minutes. Come ask your questions about medicine, global health, and what is being done worldwide from someone who has dedicated her career to this all-important work.

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MCDM and Four Peaks: March 5th with Eric Liu
by Scott Macklin 26 Feb '11

26 Feb '11

We had a successful, sold-out hard launch for Four Peaks this Monday, featuring inventor-physicist-rock star Nathan Myhrvold. Read all about it, and watch the Media Space interview with Nathan: http://flipthemedia.com/index.php/2011/02/light-the-beacons-nathan-myhrvold… The next salon is coming up fast: Saturday, March 5th from 12:30 to 3:00 p.m. at the Adobe Fremont campus: http://fourpeaksalon.eventbrite.com/ "Do We Need Another Space Needle? Inspiring Leadership in the Pacific Northwest for the Next 50 Years" is being integrated directly into Anita Verna Crofts' final MCDM leadership class for the quarter. And for the first time, we'll film our interview with Media Space guest Eric Liu on-location at the salon, with the salon's attendees as the live audience. We'll then proceed to a more participative salon, which we're framing in this manner: "In 1962, Seattle declared itself as a focal point of the Space Age, hosting the World Fair with the Space Needle as its landmark. As we approach Seattle Center's 50th birthday, our region faces a new set of priorities -- and challenges. In today's economy, it's less a question of physical infrastructure, and more one of social and intellectual capital that feed our region's creative energy. What role does community-building and leadership play in harnessing this energy? What do we need to do better to ensure that we don't get left behind? Eric Liu is the founder of the Guiding Lights Network, as well as Bill Clinton's former speechwriter. He'll chat with Media Space host Hanson Hosein live, on-camera about his groundbreaking efforts to spark civic engagement and social change, with a unique focus on citizenship, mentorship and technology (www.guidinglightsnetwork.com) The Media Space TV show will be immediately followed by a broader, salon conversation that follows on regional intellectual capital and leadership - whether it is crowdsourced decision-making, the arrival of the Millennial Generation as customers and colleagues, or the wider reach of personal narrative in the age of new media, the challenges and opportunities that leaders face are evolving as quickly as the technology itself. Eric talks about "Getting your Citizenship On." He posits 3 claims that need to be in place "If you want to get better at making things better —you are not alone": • There's no such thing as a self-made person • We're all better off when we're all better off • Society becomes how you behave We'll convene leaders from the technology, entrepreneurial, venture capital and academic worlds to discuss these claims and what we need to accomplish in our own region."

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ODK wins WTIA Industry Achievement Award
by Ed Lazowska 24 Feb '11

24 Feb '11

http://news.cs.washington.edu/2011/02/24/open-data-kit-wins-wtia-industry-a…

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New 1 Year Masters on ICT4D at the University of London
by Yaw Anokwa 24 Feb '11

24 Feb '11

Dorothea Kleine of RHUL has notified of a neat new opportunity. Additionally, for those of you in the Cambridge/Boston area, she's is at Berkman until April 3rd and happy to meet up. -- *NEW** 1-year Masters in Practising Sustainable Development (ICT4D specialism) at the**University** of **London* *(ICT4D = Information and Communication Technologies for Development)* The UNESCO Chair/Centre in ICT4D at Royal Holloway, University of London, is launching an exciting new specialism within its successful Practising Sustainable Development Masters, starting Sept 2011. It is designed for IT-experts, designers, students, professionals and development practitioners who want to develop their skills specifically in the area of ICT4D. The degree prepares you for work in the public, private or NGO-sector locally or internationally, or can be a stepping-stone towards a PhD. This course offers students the opportunity to gain a Masters degree which combines - cutting-edge teaching by leading experts, current debates, and practical project design in ICT4D - a well-rounded syllabus introducing key theoretical building blocks in development thinking and current challenges from different disciplines - emphasis on participatory, sustainable, culturally-sensitive, locally relevant, gender aware approaches and appropriate technologies - rigorous training in both qualitative and quantitative research methods in the Social Sciences (plus optional IT courses), preparing participants to be fully-equipped independent (action) researchers. Includes geographical information systems and grassroots participatory video training. - intellectually stimulating and friendly atmosphere; individual mentoring by faculty (personal tutors; dissertation supervisors; individual career advice) *Key Facts:* *Intake:* Sept 2011-Sept 2012 (12 months full-time, or 24 months part-time) *Class sizes:* generally 5-15 (25 max) *Teaching team includes:* Dorothea Kleine, Tim Unwin, G Harindranath, David Grimshaw, Kostas Stathis, David Simon, Katie Willis, Vandana Desai, Jay Mistry *Entry requirements:* good undergraduate degree (professional experience a plus); good English skills *Application deadline:* April 15 (exceptions possible) *Cost:* £13,510 (overseas, = $21,950); £3480 (UK/EU) (limited scholarships available for full-time) For full details, please visit * www.gg.rhul.ac.uk/psd/ict4d * (includes draft syllabus) Enquiries, by email or skype: *dorothea.kleine@rhul.ac.uk*

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VillageReach Director of Information Systems
by James Dailey 24 Feb '11

24 Feb '11

**** JOB OPENING - VILLAGEREACH DIRECTOR LEVEL **** I'm reaching out to this community to find the best candidate for this high level open position of Director of Information Systems at VillageReach. Its a leadership position to work on openLMIS.org and Information Communication Technology for Development in a dynamic Seattle based team, ideal for someone with the right skills and interest in public health, logistics, information systems design, project management, and leading a team. We're very solutions oriented and need creative thinkers with a broad skillset and a proven track record for leading teams and delivering value to client and partner organizations. Send an email to info(a)villagereach.org with a cover email and CV. -- James Dailey, CTO VillageReach.org <http://www.VillageReach.org> openLMIS.org

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Eleanor O’Rourke on Communication Systems for Peripheral Health Facilities
by Eleanor O'Rourke 22 Feb '11

22 Feb '11

This Thursday at Change, Computer Science graduate student Nell O’Rourke will giving a talk on her quals work that investigates communication systems for peripheral health facilities in developing countries. *Health systems have a broad range of communication needs and depend on accurate data collection as a means of analyzing and evaluating progress. Providing access to reliable information is vital because health metrics and statistics can influence national policies and initiatives. However, providing effective communication channels between health facilities in developing countries can be challenging, particularly at the periphery of the health system where infrastructure is poorest. This work aims to gain a better understanding of the data communication requirements of rural health facilities and investigates the possibility of supporting health systems through the development of a low-bandwidth communication system. In this talk, I will present findings from a six week field study in Nicaragua that utilized a prototype communication system called Smart Connect to gain insight into the challenges of transmitting data in rural settings. I will also provide recommendations based on these findings to guide the development of future data communication systems for peripheral health facilities.* Please join us for sandwiches, and to learn more about communication systems for peripheral health facilities. *What:* Eleanor O’Rourke on Communication Systems for Peripheral Health Facilities *When:* Thursday, February 24th at noon *Where:* Paul Allen Center, Room 203

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Fwd: Global Health and Innovation Conference at Yale
by Yaw Anokwa 22 Feb '11

22 Feb '11

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Laura Reynolds <lreynolds(a)uniteforsight.org> Date: Tue, Feb 22, 2011 at 10:13 Subject: Global Health and Innovation Conference at Yale You and your colleagues may be interested in attending or presenting at the Global Health & Innovation Conference at Yale, which is the world's leading global health conference and social entrepreneurship conference. For those interested in presenting at the conference, we are currently accepting social enterprise pitches. We would appreciate it if you could please forward this announcement to those who may be interested in attending or presenting. The registration rate increases after February 28. GH/Innovate 2011 Global Health & Innovation Conference Presented by Unite For Sight, 8th Annual Conference Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA Saturday, April 16 - Sunday, April 17, 2011 "A Meeting of Minds"--CNN *Registration & Details (Registration rate increases after February 28)*: http://www.uniteforsight.org/conference *200 speakers,* including keynote addresses by Ken Cook, Victoria Hale, Jeffrey Sachs, and Sonia Sachs. Social innovation sessions by CEOs and Directors of Save The Children, Ashoka, Endeavor, mothers2mothers, VillageReach, Water.org, and many others. The conference schedule can be seen at http://www.uniteforsight.org/conference *The conference convenes more than 2,200 professionals and students from 55 countries* who are interested in global health and international development, public health, medicine, social entrepreneurship, nonprofits, filmmaking and photography, social media, philanthropy, microfinance, human rights, anthropology, health policy, advocacy, public service, environmental health, and education. *Interested in presenting at the conference?* - *Call For Social Enterprise Pitches:* Do you have an innovative idea or a new program in development? Submit your idea for presentation. Social enterprise pitches are accepted on a *rolling application deadline*, and the first quality pitches will be accepted for oral presentation. When the social enterprise pitch spots are filled to capacity, applications will no longer be accepted. See social enterprise pitch instructions on the conference website. <http://www.uniteforsight.org/conference> Keynote Speakers *"Igniting Social Advocacy Through Social Media," Ken Cook,* President, Environmental Working Group *"Pharmaceuticals For Humanity," Victoria Hale,* PhD, Founder of Medicines360; Founder and Chair Emeritus, OneWorld Health *Jeffrey Sachs,* PhD, Director of Earth Institute at Columbia University; Quetelet Professor of Sustainable Development, Professor of Health Policy and Management, Columbia University; Special Advisor to Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon *Sonia Ehrlich Sachs,* MD, MPH, Director of Health, Millennium Village Project, Earth Institute at Columbia University The conference schedule with more than 275 presentations can be seen at http://www.uniteforsight.org/conference

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