LAC Regional Seminar on ICT and Education Minimize

The Global Alliance for Information and Communication Technologies and Development of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA GAID), the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (UN ECLAC), and the Ministy of Informatics and Communication (MIC) of the Republic of Cuba are jointly organizing a Regional Seminar on ICT and Education, that will take place on 9 February 2009 at the Palacio de Convenciones in Havana, Cuba, in the context of the 13th International Convention and Fair Informatica 2009.

The Seminar will gather more than 100 ICT-for-development experts to elaborate joint proposals on the issues of ICT, Innovation and Education. The incorporation of ICTs to education is an important topic in the international community and it has been defined as a priority by the Latin American and Caribbean countries in their national development agendas and in the Regional Action Plan for Information Society eLAC2010. However, for ICTs to contribute to development, it is not enough to incorporate technology, it is necessary to establish long-term sectoral policies.

The Forum will have a policy dialogue dimension, and will include two interactive, multi-stakeholder panel discussions on Education as a priority for ICT for development and on future trends and innovations in the LAC region.

The education sector is not only immersed in the digital revolution that is transforming our societies, but because of its potential, it is a key vehicle for ICTs to contribute to development. Incorporating ICTs in education can help to expand educational coverage, reducing the digital divide, improving the quality of education, training future professionals for the digital age and improving teaching and learning processes. Hence, the incorporation of ICTs to education is an important topic in the international community and it has been defined as a priority by the Latin American and Caribbean countries in their national development agendas and in the Regional Action Plan for Information Society eLAC2010. However, for ICTs to contribute to development, it is not enough to incorporate technology. It is necessary to establish long-term sectoral policies. Resources must be allocated to develop and maintain a modern technological infrastructure, and changes in the educational system itself have to be made, including modifications of the curricula and pedagogical processes as well as training for teachers in order to enhance their technological skills and capabilities.

This seminar aims to:

  • Review the state of development and incorporation of ICTs in education in Latin America and the Caribbean.
  • Analyze the advantages and disadvantages of incorporating ICTs in education.
  • Identify the challenges and solutions to address them.
  • Review policies and strategies to promote the incorporation of ICTs in education.
  • Identify projects and innovative solutions that make use of ICTs in the education sector.