The CODATA member organisation for Kenya is the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) which has established an ICT Centre of Excellence and Open Data, to promote a culture of excellence and good practice in Open Data.
Mission of the ICT Centre of Excellence and Open Data and CODATA Kenya
In recent years, the world has witnessed a immense growth in electronic data resulting from advancement in computing technologies. Making sense out of this data has evolved from decision support, to executive support, to online analytical processing, to business intelligence, to analytics and now to Big Data. The emergence of ‘Big Data’ has brought with it huge opportunities that can be seized if a new era of ‘Open Data’ is developed. Therefore, there is also a need to create a new discipline called Data Science.
The mission of iCEOD, the ICT Centre of Excellence and Open Data is to emerge as the premier research and development centre for technology transfer and open data for economic and human advancement. iCEOD will serve as a regional Data Sharing Centre that will accelerate the generation, analysis, management and archiving of scientific data for the advancement of research and for development. iCEOD and CODATA Kenya will promote a culture of excellence and good practice in Open Data.
The goals and vision of iCEOD will be realised with expert input from CODATA, from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and from UNESCO, among other stakeholders and partners.
Achievements
ICT Centre of Excellence and Open Data
See above for the Mission of iCEOD and below for the background to the creation of this centre.
CODATA Kenya: Statement on Joining CODATA Delivered at the 29th CODATA General Assembly, New Delhi, 6 November 2014 on behalf of Professor Joseph Muliaro Wafula, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology
Open Data for Science and Sustainability in Developing Countries workshop
hosted by UNESCO at the United Nations Offices in Nairobi, from 6 to 8 August 2014
Training Workshop on Open Data
at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, near Nairobi, 4-5 August 2014
Background
At the CODATA International Workshop on Open Data for Science and Sustainability in Developing Countries held at UNESCO in Nairobi, from 6 to 8 August 2014, it was agreed that JKUAT, would join CODATA on behalf of Kenya. Later, the CODATA General Assembly held in October, 2014 in India, accepted and welcomed Kenya warmly into the CODATA family.
Following the successful mounting of the International Workshop on Open Data for Science and Sustainability in Developing Countries at the United Nations Offices, Nairobi, various media outlets covered the workshop. JKUAT made a report on the different platforms that carried news items on the workshop. Read the full report on CODATA Workshop page.
It was agreed at the workshop that Kenya needed to establish a regional Data Sharing Centre to accelerate generation, analysis, management and archival of scientific data to support its development plans. The ICT Centre of Excellence and Open Data, based at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, has been set up with expert input from CODATA, from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and UNESCO. ICT Cabinet Secretary, Dr Fred. Matiang’i underlined that the Centre will facilitate the creation of people-centric, inclusive, open and development oriented information society where people can create, access, utilize and share information and knowledge. An article about the background to the creation of the Centre be found in the AgriTech News.
Main contact
| Prof. Muliaro Wafula PhD, FCCS, FCSK, Director
ICT Centre of Excellence & Open Data – iCEOD Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) muliaro[at]icsit.jkuat.ac.ke |
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