Middle East Digital Library Workshop

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Middle East Digital Library Workshop

• Network Infrastructure
• Dr Malcolm Read
• JISC Executive Secretary

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National Research and Education Networks (NRENs)

• Link universities and research establishments and
  often colleges, schools etc.
• Most countries in Europe, North America and
  Australasia have well established NRENs.
• More recently North Africa, South Africa, Silk
  Road South America etc.

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NREN Roles

• Backbone
• Regional Networks (some large countries)
• Advice and Guidance (eg LANs)
• Video Conference Service
• Recently Authentication and Authorisation

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International Connections

• Scandanavia Nordunet (DK, S, FI, N, IS)
  aggregate purchasing power, economies of scale.
• Europe Géant networks linking NRENs managed by
  DANTE.
• USA typically acts as hub for national or
  continental networks.

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EUMEDCONNECT Objectives

• To establish an electronic, Internet-based
  network in the Mediterranean region to
• Connect MED Partners research and education
  communities to Europe via GÉANT
• Enable research and educational collaboration
  within the MED region
• Thereby
• Ease the EU-MED research networking digital
  divide
• Strengthen human relationships and stability

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EUMEDCONNECT Project Partners

• Coordinating Partner - DANTE
• MED partners/beneficiaries
• Algeria, Cyprus, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon,
  Malta, Morocco, Palestinian Authority, Syria,
  Tunisia, Turkey
• EU partners
• National Research and Education Networks (NRENs)
  of France, Greece, Italy and Spain
• Funded up to 10 M EURO/80 by European Commission
  DG AIDCO EUMEDIS programme
• Remaining funding - from beneficiaries
• Contracted - to June 2006, being extended to
• late 2007

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EUMEDCONNECT Challenges

• Monopoly national operators
• Limited international telecoms infrastructure and
  poor investment conditions
• Unaffordably high commercial prices
• De-regulation slow, competition weak
• No consortium
• Difficult political climate

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EUMEDCONNECT
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Who is using the network?

• 11 out of 12 EUMEDIS partners connected directly
  or via GEANT2
• Over 180 Mediterranean universities and research
  centres and 1M users connected for first time
• EUMEDIS Pilot projects, e.g.
• STRABON (tourism and culture) already using
  EUMEDCONNECT in Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia
• MEDFORIST (e-Business learning) was able to
  move server from Paris to Rabat in July 2005
• EUMEDCancer (Medical e-Learning) - will use
  EUMEDCONNECT once coordinating partners new site
  is connected to GARR
• EUMEDGRID first Mediterranean grid computing
  project from Jan 2006 for 2 years

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Funding- 1

• Mixture of government/ university funding
  depends on HE funding environment.
• For example UK, Finland, Central Europe mainly
  government funded and managed.
• USA, Australia, Germany, Sweden mainly
  university funded and managed.
• But most countries have mixed funding models

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Funding - 2

• Government top sliced funding often used to
  initiate and underwrite NREN and encourage usage
  especially where HE mostly Government funded.
  Ensures ubiquity.
• Once well established percentage of direct HE
  funding tends to increase especially when HE is
  mostly private

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Direct Institution Funding

• Subscription usually based on size of
  institution (eg total income)
• Usage Charging fair but unpopular. Uncertain
  bills and discourages use.