TEIN*CC Newsletter #2 October 2017 (vol. 2). Download: PDF
Interview with our partner, LEARN
On 20 June 2017, the first Asi@Connect National Launch event was held in Sri Lanka. During the celebrations, we met Dr. Roshan Ragel, Chief Executive Officer and Mr. Rajeewa Abeygunarathna, Operations Manager of the Lanka Education And Research Network (LEARN).
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Let's introduce them: Dr. Roshan Ragel is the CEO of LEARN and provides overall supervision on developing and implementing the strategic direction and business plans of LEARN. Mr. Rajeewa Abeygunarathna is the operations manager of LEARN with a wide range of administrative, IT and PR responsibilities.
o What is LEARN?
Lanka Education And Research Network (LEARN) is the Sri Lanka's National Research and Education Network (NREN), which interconnects R&E institutions across the country and provides network related services to them. The members of the association are universities, other higher educational institutions, and research institutes in Sri Lanka. LEARN has been a member of the TEIN (now Asi@Connect) project since 2009.
o What motivated you to stage the Asi@Connect National Launch Event?
We wanted to engage LEARN members and stakeholders in the new directions and activities of the Asi@Connect project. We hope that we can get more opportunities through Asi@Connect to enable the connection with more countries at higher speeds and roll out advanced network services in Sri Lanka. Last but not least, we want to contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through improved access to education and research resources that eventually will bridge the digital divide in Sri Lanka.
o What are the main outcomes of this event?
During the Asi@Connect National Launch event, the importance of public-private partnership was emphasized in view of the construction of the so-called "research/network roads". These roads will help link academia and research in Sri Lanka. We have also identified the special interests from medical doctors and surgeons from the universities/faculties who wish to develop telemedicine activities in Sri Lanka. By using this opportunity, they are willing to submit new proposals and they are eagerly awaiting the next call for proposals under this Asi@Connect project.
o What is LEARN’s interest in Asi@Connect activities?
For our LEARN members and local stakeholders, we are interested in obtaining grants for relevant research and training activities which can be carried out in Sri Lanka and the region. Furthermore, we wish to implement more Asi@Connect activities locally so that Sri Lanka can be represented in the international community and gain more expertise in international networking.
o Will you recommend to the other Asi@Connect partners to hold a national launch event? Do you have any message to them?
Yes definitely! We had a very engaging session and our stakeholders are now aware of the project and are waiting for the next call for proposals to apply. Therefore, we would encourage all Asi@Connect partners to follow suit.
News & Events
The2ndAsi@Connect Governors' & Project Meeting was held.
28 August, Dalian, China
The 2nd Asi@Connect meeting was successfully completed with dedicated support of the representative of Asi@Connect partners.
Let's recap this meeting with a few figures:
40 participants (23 governors and 17 observers) in the 2nd Asi@Connect Governors Meeting;
80 participants in the 2nd Asi@Connect Project Meeting; 10 members in the Asi@Connect Steering Committee Meeting; 30 Bi-lateral meetings with Asi@Connect partners and global R&E institutions; and
More than 300 participants at APAN44!
As cyber security is borderless, complex problems can be solved more effectively when CSIRTs (computer security incident response teams) collaborate and share information nationally and internationally.
During a two-day CSIRT workshop, organized by GÉANT and APNIC, the GÉANT Community Programme was featured as a reference model demonstrating how security related topics can fit into the wider picture of community needs. 40 participants from 13 countries representing 34 organisations attended the event, it was particularly appreciated by participants from partner countries which currently have no operating CSIRT.
Training Programs to disseminate telemedicine across beneficiary countries 31 August, Dalian, China
To expand telemedicine, the capacity-building of hospital engineers is of utmost importance. Therefore, this training program was prepared to provide solid technical training for local engineers in hospitals, covering Internet management and audio-visual handling. The engineers must decide the most suitable system to use after collating information on the program and the available network/equipment, to schedule connection tests, to solve the various technical problems, and to run confidently each session with doctors.
During actual telemedicine sessions, engineers need to be up to speed with setting up, testing and troubleshooting connections.
Training Programs to establish a tech-culture fusion platform 31 August, Dalian, China
The aim of this 22-month long program is to create a sustainable platform of discussion and collaboration with beneficiary and non-beneficiary countries involved in tech-culture fusion activities over the TEIN network.
As a first step, partners (5 beneficiary countries and 1 non-beneficiary country: India, Malaysia, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Pakistan and South Korea) joined a preparatory meeting and training program aimed at building up a human network and to learn how to set up the technical systems.
The next meeting is scheduled in December 2017.
Asi@Connect launched in Sri Lanka 20 June, Colombo, Sri Lanka
The Asi@Connect partner LEARN invited representatives from the European Union Delegation, Sri Lankan Government officials, TEIN*CC and the LEARN community to the inauguration of the Asi@Connect project in Sri Lanka.
The participants welcomed the national kick-off of the Asi@Connect project in Sri Lanka and encouraged the R&E network community to build on achievements to date and further strengthen cooperation between Asia and Europe. They also emphasized Asi@Connect role in contributing to regional development. Media Coverage>>
Training Program for Maintaining Campus Network Workshop 18-22 August, Dhaka, Bangladesh
The five-day workshop 'Maintaining Campus Network' was held at Patuakhali Science and Technology University (PSTU) from 18 August to 22 August 2017. This workshop aimed to induct engineers in maintenance and management of campus network issues. 27 participants from national and international public universities attended this workshop.
The learning objective was to be able to deploy network monitoring and management tools at their own campuses. Participants stressed the need for more frequent workshops on various aspects related to campus networks.
Capacity Development Workshop for AfgREN Network Engineers 22-25 July, Kabul, Afghanistan
20 IT managers from various public universities across Afghanistan were invited to the 'Capacity Development Workshop for AfgREN Network Engineers' during 22-25 July 2017 at the Ministry of Higher Education of Afghanistan (MoHE), Kabul, Afghanistan.
The workshop aimed to equip network engineers, managers/staff of Afghanistan Public Universities with sufficient technical knowledge to adequately manage proper configuration, troubleshooting and maintenance of router and switches at their universities. Find out More>>
More stable network service in CamREN June, Cambodia
CamREN users and engineers can use more stable TEIN network service by replacing router and switches which have been donated by NSRC in the USA. NSRC donated 1 router and 13 switches to CamREN for improving connectivity quality and performance for Cambodian member institutions. The Asi@Connect project supported its shipping costs for the equipment's safe arrival in Cambodia.
This ultimately helps improve network performance for the connection to the regional TEIN network for the member institutions. The donated equipment was installed at 10 universities, including CamREN, and will be used for CamREN community.
Asia Tier Center Forum 2017 11-13 October, Daejon, Korea
29 delegates from 11 countries attended the Asia Tier Center Forum 2017, held at KISTI, Daejeon, Korea, to discuss LHC (High Energy Physics related) collaborations. The event provided the opportunity for updates on the current status of each center in terms of network connectivity, computing resources, and activities. Additionally, there was a discussion part for connection issues, collaboration and expansion.
TEIN*CC also presented a TEIN network update, LHCONE network status, and explanation of collaboration opportunities.
International Organization Fair 2017 6 July, Seoul, Korea
Seoul Metropolitan City and Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted young professionals and Seoul-based International organizations at the International Organization Fair 2017. TEIN*CC particiapted in this fair and provided the information about TEIN*CC and the Asi@Connect project.
TEIN*CC opened the Asi@Connect’s 1st call for proposals from 30 Dec. 2016 to 31 Jan.2017. A total of 52 proposals from 18 countries/economies were submitted.
Asi@Connect’s call for proposals was structured around 5 key working packages(WPs):
WP2: Capacity Development of Developing Country NRENs
WP3: R&E Network Design & Operations and associated capacity development
WP4: Deployment of Specialized Network Products, Services an Applications and Associated Capacity Development
WP5: Promoting Asi@Connect-enabled Research and Education Collaboration for Societal Benefit
WP6: Helping to Bridge the Digital Divide in Developing Countries
The selected 12 proposals are expected to fulfill Asi@Connect project's objective to benefit TEIN communities and to promote international collaboration using the TEIN network.
Most of the proposed activities are proceeding as scheduled.
2nd Call For Proposals
TEIN*CC issued the 2nd Call for Proposals(CFP) on 11 Oct. 2017 to interested individuals or organizations who are willing to collaborate over the TEIN network and its peering networks. Submission deadline: 12 Nov 2017. More detailed information can be found on our website.
Partners & Activities
China News: Interview with CERNET
An Jie is the manager of CERNET International collaborations.
o What is CERNET?
China Education and Research Network (CERNET) is the biggest national academic network in China, built and operated by 41 universities, including Tsinghua University and Peking University, and directly managed by the Ministry of Education.
In 1994, the National Planning Commission of China formally approved the CERNET demonstration project, with the network center of CERNET located at Tsinghua University. Since then, Tsinghua University, in collaboration with dozens of universities, has successfully completed a series of CERNET projects, and CERNET has become the largest national academic network in the world. As the first network using TCP/IP technology in China, CERNET has supported Internet applications at an early stage and has promoted the development of Internet in China. With that, CERNET has been selected as one of Top 10 events in Chinese Internet 20 Years organized by China Internet Society. CERNET has supported several educational informationization programs, including the Online Admission of College Entrance Examination, Digital Library, China Grid, Modern Distance Education, etc. and has been the important infrastructure of educational informationization. Today, CERNET has deloyed more than 30,000 kilometers of optical fiber, and its DWDM high-speed transport network covers over 22,000 kilometers. Its backbone has been built up to 10~100Gbps, covering 38 PoPs in 36 cities of China. With 31 branches across China, CERNET connects more than 2000 universities and academic institutes in over 200 cites, and serves over 30 million users.
In 2003, the State Council approved the large national project of China Next Generation Internet (CNGI) that is supported by eight ministries, including NDRC. Tsinghua University, collaborating with other 100 universities, undertook the construction of CNGI-CERNET2/6IX which is the biggest project of CNGI core backbone networks, supported a large number of projects and promoted the technology development of the CNGI. Today, it is the vital infrastructure for CNGI technological research and application development, connecting over 300 universities and serving about 3 million users. Via the CERNET Open Exchange Points in Beijing and Hong Kong, CERNET has direct network connections with other NRENs (National Research and Education Networks) in the Asia Pacific region, North America and Europe. CERNET is working very closely with other NRENs in the development of the NREN CEO Executive Forum which has been an extraordinary catalyst in advancing the ability of research education networks around the world in order to provide a whole array of services to researchers and educators. CERNET has a long-standing partnership with Internet2 and has been organizing the Chinese American Symposium annually since 1999 to exchange information and promote collaborations. The relationship between Europe and CERNET has also a long history to be traced back to the late 1990’s – the first link to Germany with DFN and to the UK with JANET. Over the last decade, this relationship has been strengthened and expanded to the entire GÉANT community in the framework of TEIN2/3/4 and ORIENT/ORIENTplus projects. Since 1995, CERNET Center at Tsinghua University positively has been sending representatives to work in the Asia Pacific Internet organizations, and they have been contributing to Asia Pacific Advanced Network (APAN) since 1999 and set up the link to APAN backbone. CERNET has also been actively involved the activities in TEIN and Asi@Connect projects since 2005.
o Why is CERNET important to China and Asia-Pacific?
CERNET is the biggest NREN in China, connecting more than 2000 member universities and institutions all over China. CERNET is an integral part of the public service system of higher education in China, a crucial infrastructure of the informatization of education, and it is also an essential part of the national information infrastructure. CERNET and CERNET members are active in international collaborations including the network infrastructure, advanced network technology, educational and scientific projects, especially in Asia Pacific, and hope to explore more opportunities and contribute more to society.
o What is the main challenge faced by the R&E networking community?
Actually, there are two challenges. The first is network services to be provided to the R&E community are specific and different from the commercial networks, high performance, reliability and trust are most important to our users. The second is to provide an experimental test bed for advanced network technology trials and applications. The R&E community consists mostly of professors and students who are very smart, innovative and creative. The R&E network is the best place for testing cutting-edge Internet technologies.
o What is CERNET’s interest in Asi@Connect activities?
Asi@Connect is a very important project between Europe and Asia-Pacific. CERNET is very interested in collaborating with other Asi@Connect partners to advance Internet development in our region.
Case Studies
Telemedicine Training young doctors to deliver better cancer treatment
The Telemedicine Development Center of Aisa (TEMDEC) has been building capacity to deliver valuable technical training for cancer specialists right across the region. Essential to this programme is TEIN, a dedicated high-capacity IP network across Asia.
Telemedicine - the provision of healthcare at distance, using communications technology - offeres the possibility of medical training at distance. But, to be fully effective, it requires very high resolution moving images. The technology needs to deliver video at a rate of 30 frames per second, with no jitter and, moreover, has to be capable of coping with communications equipment of varying quality and types at the receiving end. TEIN - with its speed and stability - provides exactly the right technical resolution to this problem. Find out more>>
Announcement
Upcoming events
SecureAsi@: Asi@Connect Security Training Workshop 23 - 25 October, Cyberjaya, Malaysia This workshop will provide a combination of theoretical and practical sessions around aspects of NREN security to 25 participants from 16 Asi@Connect partners.
Asi@Connect Bangladesh Launch Event 30 October, Dhaka, Bangladesh The Asi@Connect local launch event will be a major milestone for BdREN. It aims to provide all interested stakeholders with a key opportunity to present, share, meet and discuss experiences and future plans.
The 2nd Philippines Telemedicine Workshop 18 November, Cebu, the Philippines Based on expanding telemedicine activities, this national event was launched last year, and this is the 2nd edition. It aims to develop and expand the knowledge and network capabilities of the different healthcare institutions in the Philippines.
Campus Network Security Workshop in Bangladesh 26 - 30 November, Dhaka, Bangladesh The workshop aims to examine the elements involved in establishing and maintaining security for a campus network, and building an understanding and familiarity with their operation.
Launch of the First 100G International R&E Link in Asia 1 December, Singapore The 100G circuit connecting Singapore to Japan via Hong Kong marks a significant milestone in the research and education community progress in the region. This constitutes the first 100G international research and education link in Asia.
Tech-Culture Fusion Workshop & Live Cyber Performance 6-8 December, Hanoi, Vietnam This event is planned as a tech-culture fusion platform. Network engineers and cultural experts meet to explore collaboration opportunities. It will also feature a live cyber-performance involving artists from 3 countries.
The 11th Asia Telemedicine Symposium 15-16 December, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia The symposium provides an annual platform for all telemedicine stakeholders to come together and meet in person, enabling them to share their experiences in the implementation of telemedicine. http://atskl2017.ummc.edu.my/
TEIN*CC is..
Asi@Connect is managed by the regional networking organization TEIN*Cooperation Center (TEIN*CC). It was established in Seoul, Korea in August 2011 as a non-profit Foundation Corporation to take responsibility for the 4th phase of the TEIN project. The Korean Government, the Ministry of Science and ICT, supports TEIN*CC operation and management, and the Seoul Metropolitan Government is providing office facilities.
“This publication has been produced as part of the Asi@Connect project, which receives funding from the European Union under Grant Contract ACA2016/376-562. The contents of this document are the sole responsibility of TEIN*CC and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the European Union.”
TEIN*CC always welcome to listen your comments. Please contact us at teincc@teincc.org.
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academic network in China, built and operated by 41 universities, including Tsinghua University and Peking University, and directly managed by the Ministry of Education. 
