In addition to carry out scientific research and technical innovation, CERN is, through its Convention, obliged to offer unrestricted access to its scientific findings. In order to achieve this, in the most cost efficient way, a digital library infrastructure has been developed, facilitating free dissemination of the scientific results. CERN is looking forward to extend these possibilities to African scholars with the support from the UNESCO International Basic Science Programme (IBSP)
CERN has long been a pioneer in the development of digital library tools, which it has developed in partnership with laboratories around the world. CERN participated actively in the WSIS process, and is now leading a global coalition to promote Open Access publishing in high-energy physics (SCOAP3)
The main aim of this project is to establish open access to African research by means of promoting and installing digital repositories in universities across the African continent, starting from a regional approach in order to gain momentum, in collaboration with the CERN Digital Library. In parallel one can envisage populating the repositories with relevant material from other institutions, either via direct importation from the Internet or uploads from discs. The region identified as the most efficient target for the period 2008-2009 is Rwanda.
In more detail the aims are:
- Establish the scientific presence of African Universities on the Internet,
- Provide them with scientific and educational content,
- Help them to extend those contacts to other fields of science and further partners. Provide training in setting up and operating institutional e-repositories
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