E-Learning main topic of discussion at ANKABUT Users' Meeting

E-Learning main topic of discussion at ANKABUT Users' Meeting
WAM Abu Dhabi, 20th April 2010 (WAM): As part of its commitment to the research and education community in the UAE, the UAE's Advanced Network for Research and Education "ANKABUT" held the ANKABUT Users' Meeting hosted at Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research (KUSTAR). ANKABUT management welcomed technology professionals from four UAE universities to discuss their work on e-learning, where the importance of communication technology as an underlying framework for e-learning was evident. The meeting also focused on developing ways to promote innovation and collaboration in the UAE through these activities. Experts from IBM, Microsoft and Polycom were also invited to this ANKABUT Users' Meeting to provide insight from an industrial point of view. The attendees comprised of several local and international universities and technology companies operating within the UAE.

The ANKABUT network is a dedicated advanced network which acts as a Wide Area Network (WAN) connecting numerous public and private universities, colleges, schools and other learning and research institutions in the UAE, as well as their international counterparts. The ANKABUT project is funded jointly by KUSTAR and ICT Fund, an initiative by the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA), and is managed by the University. The infrastructure of the ANKABUT network is established through the five-year contract signed between Khalifa University and Emirates Telecommunication Corporation "Etisalat".

The ANKABUT network aims at promoting research culture and the exchange of information through empowering researchers, academic and scientists in the UAE to work with their counterparts in the country, as well as different parts of the world. This will facilitate research collaboration and connected institutions will be provided with access to databases, electronic libraries and applications on supercomputers. ANKABUT will also be used for teaching rich multimedia content and offering high-definition video conferencing. ANKABUT enables effective collaboration and communication between students, researchers in addition to management as well.

During this Users' meeting, technology professionals from private and public UAE universities spoke of ways to develop ANKABUT's technical capabilities, to support activities such as e-learning, e-library services, and other forms of communication that could further cultivate innovation within the field. Experts from IBM, Microsoft and Polycom were also present to provide insight from an industrial point of view, with a focus on communication and cloud computing technologies. Cloud computing is internet-based computing, whereby shared resources, software and information are provided to computers and other devices on-demand, like a public utility.

ANKABUT plays a role in the research and scientific development of the UAE, and contributes to the international knowledge-based economy currently being pursued by the government as part of its recently announced "Vision 2021".

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