NRN launches e-Infrastructure pilot project for Nepali schools

A pilot project to assess the feasibility for developing e-Infrastructure in Nepali schools has been recently launched through sponsorship from POA Educational Foundation, Canada.

The project, being led by Dr. Shiva Gautam, Harvard University, includes high schools in Katmandu. In the first phase, donation of 50 computers and printers has been made.

A memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed with Ministry of Education, for the project, where both the government and project team hopes to launch it in all Nepali schools in phases seeing contingent upon the results and experience from the pilot.

The pilot project was conceptualized by Dr. Shiva Gautam and fully funded by Aditya Jha of POA Educational Foundation through Nepal Library Foundation of Canada. Dr. Gautam is a faculty at Harvard Medical School USA, and Mr. Jha is a Canada based philanthropist and entrepreneur.

Dr Gautam said that the project came to fruition due to encouragement of several people and through a collaborative effort of various non-profit organizations which supported certain aspects of the project.

The project leaders, Dr. Gautam and Jha expressed belief that upon successful completion of the pilot project there will be much wider support for an eventual nation-wide e-Infrastructure launch in Nepali schools. nepalnews.com ia Mar 17 08