Junior ICT Experts: stories from the field

In response to the needs for onsite ICT expert assistance in developing countries, SPIDER sends skilled and motivated junior ICT experts to organizations in developing regions. The developing country gains from knowledge transfer, whilst the individual experts broaden their horizons and learn to work in challenging environment with limited resources.

The program is a collaboration with the nonprofit organization AIESEC that coordinates and recruits junior ICT experts for SPIDER development projects. This year three junior experts from the Royal Institute of Technology and Stockholm University were sent to Mozambique, Rwanda and Tanzania. The students were well received by the host organizations and the general opinion was best summarized by Per-Anders Legeryd "the people of Mozambique and my colleagues at the Mozambique Information and Communication Technology Institute (MICTI) are personable and guest friendly, I am now happy to call them my friends". Per-Anders worked at the Center for Development of Technology (CDT), which gives courses and programs in the practical aspects of working as an ICT engineer.

The junior ICT expert program enables the students to apply their theoretical and practical knowledge in actual work. Muhammad Atif Ishaq, the junior ict expert in Tanzania has this to say "aside from the practical things, I have improved my team work skills and have made some fantastic friends. My work placement experience has been wonderful and I would suggest students to go for internship experience prior to searching for a job". Muhammad Atif is working in the e-learning unit at the Open University of Tanzania and has together with the team helped to develop a number of courses.

The junior ICT expert program has a clear benefit to the hosting organization and this was evident at the Rwandan Information Technology Authority (RITA). Mr. Gahungu the Ag. National Computing Center Director and Network Specialist had this to say about Göran Syberg the Junior ICT Expert, "one of his assignments was to work on the backup tools, he contributed a lot and it will be easy for us to complete the task". According to the junior ICT expert "things are moving fast in Rwanda and the environment for IT-entrepreneurs and driven people in general is amazing. The feeling you get from people who are working in the field of ICT is similar to the one in Sweden during the IT-boom; anything is possible".

Currently there are two vacancies at MICTI in Mozambique and the National University of Rwanda. For more information about the program, vacancies and how to apply please visit SPIDER´s webpage and/or contact Fatima Santala at Santala(at)spidercenter.org.