<div dir="ltr"><div class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">Dear All,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">Some news from West Africa:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">Cote d'Ivoire:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">Representatives of Ivoirian higher education and research institutions met on 1 August 2008 in Abidjan for a one-day workshop on the establishment of a NREN in Cote d'Ivoire. The workshop was hosted by Institut National Polytechnique Felix Houphouet Boigny.</span></div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">At the end of the workshop, the participants (IT Directors) agreed to continue the discussion on a list to be set up and to work on a document to be submitted to their respective heads of institution for approval. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"> </span></p>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">Ghana:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">Two weeks before the Abidjan meeting, IT Directors of Ghanaian higher education and research institutions met for a one-day workshop on GARNET; the workshop was hosted by University of Ghana, Legon.</span></div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">A decision to form GARNET Forum was made, a platform for collaboration for all Ghanaian higher education and research institutions (with Nigeria ICT Forum as model). A group with representatives of public and private higher education institutions, research institutions and library associations was tasked to follow up and spearhead the process of making GARNET be a reality.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Two smaller technical groups were formed to work on architecture and costing, and on policy and administrative issues for the drafting of documents to be presented to the heads of institutions and the Ministry of Education.</span></p>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">Regards</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">B.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"> </span></div></div>