The University Computing Center(UCC) is involved in a number of initiatives at both national and international level to promote the use of ICT for development and develop applications in that line. UCC is involved in various capacities in the following projects /initiatives:

Information Technology in African Business (it@ab) network

UCC is a member of it@ab network. it@ab (Information Technology in African Business), is the Southern African Knowledge Network on "Information Technology in African Business". It was founded 2001 in order to support the participation of Small and Medium Sized Companies, Institutions and Governmental Bodies in the global knowledge-based economy through e-commerce, e-business developments and ICT consulting and training. it@ab was established with financial and technical support from InWEnt (Capacity Building International, Germany). The network has more than 30 distinguished multiplier institutions in seven SADC member states. it@ab consists of Universities, Consulting companies, IT-Training Institutions, Internet Providers, Applications Service Providers and Trade Promotion Organizations in Angola, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia. The number of members is still growing.

The main objectives of the it@ab network include Offering sustained ICT-related business consultancy services, training, capacity building and knowledge exchange in the SADC region in particular, Africa in general and beyond in order to infuse increased ICT usage in African Business; Enhancing IT-related activities with potential for multiplier effect; Promoting cross-border cooperation in the SADC region among IT@AB members as well as ICT organisations and professionals through, among other things, collaborating on programmes and projects at local, regional and international levels; Fostering cross-regional and intercontinental cooperation with similar networks and relevant organizations; and Positioning SADC e-business within an increasingly globalised and networked economy.

More information about this initiative can be found at : http://www.it-ab.net

Tanzania Free and Open Source Software Association (TAFOSSA)

The Tanzania Free and Open Source Software Association (TAFOSSA) Interim Secretariat (IS)came into existence with effect on 10th March, 2004 when it held its maiden brainstorming session at the main conference hall of the Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH).


Subsequently, the participants of the above mentioned seminar formally asked the seminar COSTECH and UCC to set up an interim secretariat that will guide the rest into establishment of such national umbrella organization.

UCC is currently hosting the office of the secretariat.

More information can found at http://www.tafossa.or.tz

African Virtual Open Initiatives and Resources (AVOIR)

This project is about harnessing the enormous potential that exists within Africa and the African diaspora to create a core of developers of free software who are able, through software development activities, to create educational and business opportunities that contribute to development on the continent. Although world class software will be produced within this project, this is not a software development project. Rather it is a project about human development, about capacity building, and about creating opportunities for people through the formation of transnational alliances both within Africa and out.

The University Computing Centre has some of its staff involved in this project. The UCC staff are involved in the development of some modules for the e-learning system called Kewl.Next.gen.

More information about this project can be found at http://avoir.uwc.ac.tz

Business Incubation Project in Tanzania

Business Incubation Project in Tanzania is part of Incubator Initiative of the Information for Development (infoDev) programme of the World Bank. The initiative launched in 2002 aims at fostering entrepreneurship and private sector development in developing countries and is dedicated to establishing a network of incubators to facilitate the emergence and development of ICT-enabled small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) in developing countries, Tanzania being among them. University Computing Centre, in partnership with the WorldAhead Consulting and the University of Dar es Salaam's Entrepreneurship Centre, submitted a proposal for a planning grant and was among seven projects in Africa that were granted the assistance. The project purpose in Tanzania is to plan for sustainable ICT-enabled business incubation that will also be part of Government of Tanzania'a SME development initiatives and proposed National Business Incubation Framework.

More information about this project can be found at : http://www.incubation.co.tz

Kibengwe Telecentre project

The Kibengwe Rural Communication Access and Development Centre is a project in Bukoba rural district, Kagera region in Tanzania that is working into application of ICT in typical rural areas. This project emerged from local research by the University of Dar es Salaam Computing Centre and local NGOs supported by International Institute for Communication and Development (IICD) in the Netherlands. Local NGOs include Kagera Agricultural Environmental Management Programme (KAEMP) and World Vision (Tanzania). The other partner is Bukoba District Council. The project (pilot) delivers a model on how to set up a low-cost, sustainable, shareable infrastructure for remote rural areas to provide ICT based communication (mainly Internet) access. The primary goal of the project being to enhance Business promotion of the region, Healthcare, Education, Social welfare, adequate Information flow from the rural area to regional or central administration and vice versa etc.

More information about this project can be found at http://www.kibengwe.or.tz

IICD Capacity Development Programme in Tanzania

IICD is implementing Country Programme in some developing countries to enhance the institutional capacity of the local partners to identify and develop ICT sector policy plans, implement pilot projects, and to further develop their own capacities. Each Country Programme has several components - development of networks, policies, projects and capacities, and knowledge sharing. Today, IICD has Country Programmes in 9 countries: Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Ecuador, Ghana, Jamaica, Mali, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. One of the activities in the Country Programme is Capacity development that cuts across all other activities. The primary vehicle for this is a series of collaboration agreements with National Training Partners (NTPs). In Tanzania IICD's Capacity Development programme has proven to be a key element in the successful formulation and implementation of the various programmes. The partners of IICD consider Capacity Development as a precondition for the effective use of ICTs as well as for the implementation of the embedding strategy. The main goal for IICD together with his partners in Tanzania is to make the programmes in the Education, Good Governance, Livelihoods and Health sectors sustainable. The NTPs of IICD in Tanzania have been very instrumental in providing institutional management and technical skills training, tailored to the needs of the Tanzanian project partners. One of the NTPs in Tanzania is University Computing Centre (UCC). Others are LearnIT and Dar-es-Salaam Institute of technology . Since 1999, a range of activities has been implemented in co-operation with IICD's National Training Partners. These activities are ICT Lifelong Learning Skills workshops for the participants of Roundtable workshops, specific high-level skill "On-the-Job" trainings, and Technology & Sector-focused seminars for awareness creation.

More information about this programme can be found at http://www.iicd.org/countries/tanzania/cdp