SOHITCOM's presentation at the Workshop on Mobile Science: Sensing, Computing and Dissemination at the International Center for Theoretical Physics in Trieste, Italy.

The Youth Leadership Development Foundation (YLDF) organized a graduation ceremony for the graduates of its Youth in Technology for Community Development project in Sana'a on March 24, 2011. Representatives from the foundation indicated that the Youth in Technology for Community Development project was one of the most important activities conducted by the organization in 2009-2010, and one that had significant contributions to both the organization and its beneficiaries.

The Youth in Technology program lasted for 18 months, and targeted 60 young ICT graduates from Yemeni universities. The project aimed to enhance the linkages between ICT market needs and university curricula, identify the factors and difficulties hindering the participation of female ICT graduates in the job market, increase the marketability of Yemeni graduates (particularly females) in ICT, and increase the adoption of ICTs by local community organizations in Yemen.

The Royal Scientific Society (RSS) launched the SOHITCOM project on Monday 7 March 2011 in Amman, Jordan.

The Syria Trust for Development, in collaboration with the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), organized a workshop for the ICT4D Middle East partner organizations in Damascus, Syria from 21-23 March 2011. The workshop was an opportunity for participants to discuss and explore their evaluation practices, and to share the stories and findings of their projects.

During the workshop, participants also presented their research results and established plans for publishing their work.

The Bicharaf team organized a leadership camp on academic integrity in Harisa, Beirut from 18-19 February 2011. The camp was attended by more than 60 students from 25 Lebanese schools participating in the Bicharaf project.

Prof. Don McCabe, professor of management and global business at Rutgers University and founder of the International Center for Academic Integrity based at Clemson University, presented a keynote on the first day about issues of academic integrity and its importance for academic and professional success.

The Syria Trust for Development "I Can, We Can" project, in collaboration with IDRC, is organizing a practical workshop on the open source crowdsourced mapping platform "Ushahidi" in Damascus on Sunday 20 February 2011.

Join us as we discuss the impact of Ushahidi on development, and learn first-hand from Ushahidi's experts how to implement, modify and maintain Ushahidi. This will be a full day workshop, and will start at 9:00 AM.

Delegates from the ICT4D Middle East partner projects traveled to London to participate in the ICTD 2010 conference held from 13-16 December 2010 at the Royal Holloway University of London.

The event was a great opportunity for the delegates to network with researchers working on similar projects for ICT4D, learn about the latest developments in the field, as well as promote the work they have been doing in their research projects.

The solar power generation project for the village school at Rasm Al Sawan is currently operating. The project provides electricity to operate two PCs and one LCD screen in the school, as well as lighting for the classrooms and the teachers' room.

The project idea was conceived, developed and implemented by the beneficiaries of the "I Can, We Can" project in the city of Homs, Syria.

Participants in the "I Can, We Can" are embarking on a project to design, raise funds for, build and implement renewable energy resources for schools in deprived rural communities in Syria. The project team has successfully raised the required funds to provide solar power electricity to a school in a village of 300 residents. The school teaches 30 students, and has been operating without electricity since its establishment. Upon project completion, a computer with an LCD screen will be installed in the school.

The project team is also cooperating with several other stakeholders to ensure the successful implementation of the project, including the Syrian Scientific Society, the Department of Education and the Public Company for Electricity.

SOHITCOM's project team is contributing to the World Health Organization’s First Global Symposium on Health Systems Research that will be held in Montreux – Switzerland from 16-19 November 2010.

The event will be an opportunity to share the project findings and showcase its products to the global ICT in health community.

Full information is available on event's website.