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-----Original Message----- From: Bruce W. McConnell [SMTP:mcconnell(a)mcconnellinternational.com] Sent: Friday, 21 April 2000 07:40 To: itcoord(a)undp.org Subject: Wireless Internet Training Program Development
Dear National IT Focal Points,
Below I am sending you an announcement from the World Bank announcing three paid fellowships to enhance developing country training programs in wireless internet technology at the university level. The program is being supported by Motorola to help address the worldwide shortage of knowledgable experts. The selected applicants would spend four to six months in the United States developing a training curriculum and materials to be used in their home countries.
The deadline for applications is May 31, 2000. Please send the announcement of this opportunity to those who might be interested in participating.
Regards,
Bruce W. McConnell Facilitator, Information Technology Coordination List for the United Nations Working Group on Informatics
1341 G Street, NW - Suite 1100 Washington, DC 20005 +1.202.347.7445 fax +1.202.347.7446 mcconnell(a)mcconnellinternational.com
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REQUEST FOR APPLICATION
THE VISITING SCHOLARS FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM FOR WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT
infoDev and Motorola University (MU) are pleased to announce that they are accepting applications for the Visiting Scholars Fellowship Program.
This Fellowship program seeks to address the shortage of communication professionals in emerging economies. The program is divided into two phases: Phase I - Design and Development will have a university curriculum manager from an emerging economy work with MU to develop a generic university-level educational curriculum focused on communications and IP-based networks technologies. During the four-month visit, the Scholar will also update and improve his/her existing home university curriculum and core materials to achieve state-of-the-art technology training. Phase II - Dissemination and Awareness will provide shorter-term fellowships to two selected developing country university curricula managers to also work with MU to adapt and customize the generic curriculum and test the material and curriculum in the classroom.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
The objectives of the Visiting Scholars Fellowship Program are to: · establish new and strengthen existing university-level educational curricula focused on communications technologies and Internet Protocol-based (IP-based) networks; and · create a "Virtual Curriculum Managers Network" (explained below).
The ultimate intent is to bridge the gap between existing technologies in the Scholars' countries and state-of-the-art technologies in communications and IP-based, networks curriculum. The Visiting Scholar will be provided with state-of-the-art training and knowledge, and in turn will be expected to provide better education to engineering students in their universities.
PROGRAM STRUCTURE
To meet these goals, MU will host Visiting Scholars from emerging economies at the Motorola corporate headquarters in Schaumburg, Illinois, located outside of Chicago. The Program will be structured in two phases, with one Phase I Scholar visiting for a period of four months, starting after July 1, 2000, and two Phase II Scholars visiting later for approximately two months each. Phase I: Design and Development - During this phase, one Visiting Scholar will structure and develop a generic curriculum, and then a customized one for their university. First, the Scholar will work with technical education and training professionals and Motorola staff to develop a generic university-level educational curriculum focused on wireless communications and IP network technologies. The Scholar's efforts will be coordinated with ongoing MU efforts in curriculum development. Working under the supervision of education and training specialists provided through MU's College of Technology, the Scholar will design a high-level curriculum, develop individual course modules, and update existing materials. When necessary, the Scholar will create new educational materials where none exist to round out the generic curriculum.
The Scholar should plan, if possible, to initiate the effort by utilizing ex isting materials brought from their university. Materials and resources, both knowledge and human, will also be made available through MU and Motorola. In addition, material from the World Bank will be made available to be incorporated into the Program design as appropriate, including the "infoDev Regulatory Handbook" which is under development.
The generic curriculum will then be customized to create a new curriculum for their technical training program in the home country university. This will involve preparing a customized curriculum and course materials that fill the gap between existing technologies in the Scholar's country and cutting edge technologies in communications and IP-based networks curriculum.
The Scholar, working together with the infoDev webmaster, will also work to establish a Virtual Curriculum Managers Network, to link together curriculum managers (involved in wireless communications and IP network technologies) into an electronic virtual network to share knowledge and best practice in the development and deployment of such curricula.
Output from this Phase I will consist of: (i) both a generic and a customized curriculum focused on communications and IP-based networks technologies, (ii) both generic and customized specific course content, including materials, lecture notes, texts, reading lists, syllabi, etc., and (iii) the initial activities related to the Virtual Curriculum Managers Network, to include selecting the material for the webpage, developing a listserve of curriculum manager, etc.
Phase II: Dissemination and Awareness - Building on the work of Phase I, two shorter-term Fellowships (approximately two months in residence) will be made available to selected university curricula managers from emerging economies. Similar to Phase I, the Phase II Visiting Scholars will work with MU to adapt and customize the generic curriculum from Phase I. When they return to their country, they will test the customized material and curriculum in the classroom.
infoDev and MU will make the newly developed generic curriculum from Phase I widely available through the Internet. The Visiting Scholars website, to be created and maintained by the Visiting Scholar and infoDev, will reside on the infoDev website. The infoDev Webmasters will provide assistance in making the content available widely on the Internet. Curriculum and course materials also will be distributed by infoDev through the infoDev Symposium, annual meetings, conferences, etc. The Phase II Scholars will also be responsible for advancing the Virtual Curriculum Managers Network.
Phase II should produce: (i) customized curricula focused on communications and IP-based networks technologies for the Phase II Visiting Scholars' home country universities, (ii) customized course content including materials, lecture notes, texts, reading lists, syllabi, etc., and (iii) an Internet web presence and updated content to advance the Virtual Curriculum Managers Network, available to curriculum managers for training of engineers worldwide.
STIPENDS
PHASE I: The monthly stipend will be $5,000, providing a total stipend of $20,000 for the four months residence of the Visiting Scholar. Economy roundtrip airfare and insurance for the time of the fellowship will also be covered. Modest additional funds will be available for training outside MU, and for travel connected with the Visiting Scholarship. Office space, equipment, etc. will be provided by MU while the Scholar is in residence.
PHASE II: The monthly stipend for each scholar will be $5,000 providing a total stipend of $10,000 for the two months per Visiting Scholar. Economy roundtrip airfare and insurance will be covered. Office space, equipment, etc. will be provided by MU while the Scholar is in residence.
SELECTION CRITERIA
The following criteria will be used to select the scholars from among the applicants: · Ability of the candidate to develop a strong, generic curriculum focused on communica-tions technologies and Internet Protocolbased (IPbased) networks, and to modify such a curriculum to meet the needs of their university and country. Qualifications will in-clude teaching and curriculum development experience as well as expertise in the technology; · Commitment of the candidate's home institution to adopt and utilize an improved curriculum (demonstrated in letters of support, willingness to equip facilities for students, etc.); · Improvement in training of students in the candidate's institution likely to result from the improved curriculum (innovation, critique of the current curriculum, etc.); · Need (priority will be given to universities in low-income countries, or to universities that face special difficulties funding foreign training for staff.) · Importance of the training to be provided via the new curriculum to social and economic development in the candidate's country and region (numbers of students likely to be trained, rank and importance of the institution in preparing engineers and technical staff for his/her country, likely career paths of graduates, rate of introduction of wireless technology, etc.).
QUALIFICATIONS
There is only one application process for both Phases of the Program.
Candidates must have responsibility for development and maintenance of an education curriculum in a technical or engineering university or other accredited training and education institute in an emerging-economy country. The Candidates also must have authority to modify and put into practice a new education curriculum. In addition, the Candidate must be available to manage the Virtual Curriculum Managers Network during the Fellowship. Candidates must have strong English language skills. Phase I Scholars must be available to live in residence in Schaumburg for a period of four months, starting after early July 2000.
Applicants should submit a curriculum vita and a typed Statement of Purpose, (500-700 words).The Statement of Purpose will describe the applicants: (i) aims in creating an communications and IP-network based curriculum for their home country's university, (ii) why they feel that participation in the Visiting Scholars Fellowship Program will help them achieve these objectives, and (iii) what the applicant feels they can contribute to the Visiting Scholars Fellowship Program.
The applicant should include letters of support from their home university, and web sites or other materials that describe the university and its curriculum. he applicant should also arrange that three reference letters be sent to infoDev from individuals who can testify to the applicants professional qualifications, institutional role in the university, and likelihood to succeed in the creation/reform of the curriculum.
Deadline for applications is May 31, 2000.
Please send the completed application form via email to infodev(a)worldbank.org
Alternatively, you mail send it via regular mail on diskette to:
Information for Development Program (infoDev) Attn: Visiting Scholars Fellowship The World Bank F5P-156 1818 H Street NW Washington, DC 20433 USA
CANDIDATE SELECTION PROCESS
The applications will be distributed to a panel of three reviewers: one representative from infoDev, one representative from Motorola, and one independent reviewer. The three top-rated candidates for the Visiting Scholars Fellowship Program will be contacted for phone interviews. Each candidate will receive votes based the ranking given by the panel member: the top candidate receives three points, 2nd candidate receives two points, and 3rd candidate receives one point. The candidate receiving the most points will be offered the Phases I Visiting Scholar Fellowship. The 2nd and 3rd candidates will be offered the two Phase II Visiting Scholar Fellowships. It is expected that candidates will be notified of Fellowship awards by the end of June (see calendar below).
If, after this process, three suitable candidates have not been identified, a new call for applications may be issued.
RESOURCES
Curriculum design and course content will be made available by MU, including course materials, lecture notes, texts, reading lists, syllabi, etc. Some of this material contains intellectual property that is confidential and will not be available for further distribution; any such limitations on a specific document will be specified by Motorola to the Scholar. It is planned that an infoDev representative and a MU staff member will visit Scholars after the training to review progress in the curriculum development/reform and to learn ways of continuing and expanding the Program.
GUEST LECTURING
In cooperation with several local universities in the Chicago area, Visiting Scholars may be able to offer guest teaching assignments to enhance the Scholarship Program. Universities that Motorola has relationships with include: (i) Roosevelt University, School of Science and Technology, (ii) Illinois Institute of Technology, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and (iii) University of Illinois's (Chicago) Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.
THE VISITING SCHOLARS FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM FOR WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT -- TENTATIVE TIMETABLE April 12 infoDev officially announces the Motorola Visiting Scholars Fellowship Program. Applications to the Program being accepted by infoDev. May 31 Deadline for Applications to the Program (6:00 PM EST). June 16 Completion of preliminary round of evaluations by the Selection Committee. Start of the phone interview stage of evaluation process. June 23 Completion of final round of evaluations by the Selection Committee. Award letters issued jointly by infoDev and Motorola. July 1 Deadline for acceptance for Visiting Scholar Program. After July 1 Phase I of the Visiting Scholars Fellowship Program will commence. Phase II will commence immediately after the close of Phase I.
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