NORDUnet CEO René Buch today joined WACREN 2021 as panelist in a session on new and emerging technologies that are shaping our societies across all disciplines, IoT, Cloud Computing, AI, Robotics, Blockchain, AR/VR, and more. Education is changing in order to prepara students with the skills set required in an era with these technoloiges. A key question of today’s panel was “Is it possible for NRENs and their communities to position themselves as leaders of influence in these changing dynamics and increase their capacity to provide meaningful contributions as key players within the entrepreneurship ecosystem?”
René Buch stressed the significance of continous development of on-line learning capabilities for NRENs, in order to deliver education not only on Campus but also to remote students. René Buch pointed iut that the disruption in the R&E sector caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the response of NRENs has defined a platform from where to create awareness of and respond to the importance of keeping robust and agile technologies and solutions available to the community and the everchanging society.
René Buch was invited to participate with fellow leaders Paschal Anosike (Centre for African Entrepreneurship and Leadership) and Vasilis Koulolias (eGovlab). Their combined broad experience in education, entrepreneurship and REN administration provided greatinsights on how NRENs and their university communities might exploit the disruption in the education sector that has taken centre stage with the COVID crisis.
WACREN 2021 is the biggest rendezvous of all stakeholders of research and education in West and Central Africa. It brings together the richly diverse REN community and ecosystem.
