The International Center for Information Technology and Development

The International Center for Information Technology and Development (ICITD) is funded through the National Science Foundation, Division of Information & Intelligent Systems for a five-year period to investigate information technology transfer to developing nations. Specifically the Center will perform a multi-national research and education program on the adoption of robust IT applications such as tele-medicine, tele-education,  tele-democracy and E-government. The Center will also provide support and consulting services to governments of developing nations in sub-Saharan Africa, South America, and South East Asia, as well as US agencies interested in IT investments in those regions of the world.

The overarching goal of ICITD is to conduct highly empirical and hypotheses-driven research in IT Transfer to Developing Nations and to translate such research into practical applications for managers and policy makers to make well informed decisions in the context of their respective countries.

"Africa missed the industrial revolution, we can't afford to stand aside and let the communication revolution go by too" Felix Houphouet Boigny

This statement, a warning since 1987 from former Ivory Coast President Felix Houphouet Boigny, to his countrymen, points to the fundamental need for African Nations to make every effort to be part of today information age. With support from the National Science Foundation (NSF), The National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA) and The Louisiana Board of Regents, we are pleased to announce ICT Africa 2008. This conference will bring together a fine mix of practitioners and academicians in the area of ICTs for sustainable development.

There is a growing body of research that point to the critical role of information and communication technologies(ICT) in improving the socio-economic and political status of developing nations in general and sub-Saharan Africa(SSA) in particular. Such technologies have indeed been penetrating the SSA region at an exponential rate. For example, SSA has the fastest growth rates in wireless (cellular) telephone penetration.