RCCP II eConversation Series 7: Bridging the gap: linking tools and services to the end-users

ABOUT

As researchers and scientists continue to innovate and come up with high end technological tool and services for improved ease of access to teaching and learning, the uptake of these tools and services by higher education institutions also continues to rise. African institutions of higher learning have not been left behind in this digital revolution and some are more willing than ever to streamline these tool and services to end users, who in most cases are the university students.

However, due to varying reasons, there has emerged a serious communication gap between universities and end users  as universities are yet to come up with effective ways and tools of propagating the use and uptake of their existing services to their targeted audience, the students.

During this 90 minute RCCPII eConversation session, Dimple Sokartara and Hastings Ndebvu will try to provide answers that can help bridge this divide by providing experiences and best practices from their works as communication specialists working for Regional Research and Education Networks of  Europe, GEANT and Southern and Eastern Africa, UbuntuNet Alliance respectively.

The talk will  give a chance to University IT Managers and other IT staff, who are often the custodians of the latest cutting edge technological tools and services to learn how they can effectively market and raise awareness of their services using technological tools and other conventional methodical approaches. The session will also feature a live question and answer session.

The session forms part of the Rural Campuses Connection Project II (RCCPII) Capacity Development Initiative. The RCCP II eConversation Series offers online sessions covering topics relevant to researchers, support staff, and students at higher education institutions in South Africa. For more information about future sessions and other events please visit the RCCPII calendar.

About the speakers:

Dimple Sokartara has been part of the GÉANT marketing and communications team since October 2017. She received a Bachelor of Business Administration in Trade Management focused on Asia from the Hogeschool van Amsterdam and a Master of Science in Political Science majoring in International Relations and Transnational Governance from the Vrije Universiteit (Amsterdam). Dimple started her career as a communications coordinator at the East-West Seed Foundation in Thailand before returning to the Netherlands. After a brief experience of working at a commercial company, Dimple joined GÉANT with an extensive knowledge on digital engagement. She has since been part of the AfricaConnect2 project, supporting the communications activities. Dimple is a passionate advocate of development and cooperation, and aims to align her professional activities with her personal wishes. You can follow Dimple on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Hastings Ndebvu is the Regional Communications Officer at UbuntuNet Alliance, the Research and Education Network (RREN) for Southern and Eastern Africa. He is primarily responsible for the production, and compilation of the Newsletter for UbuntuNet Alliance: Networks, Collaboration, Education (NUANCE), the monthly e-newsletter of UbuntuNet Alliance. Hastings holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Malawi and a Professional Diploma in Marketing from the Chartered institute of Marketing. He has, prior to joining UbuntuNet Alliance, worked as a mainstream journalist as well as a Media Trainer. He likes telling and writing stories that have a human appeal to people from all walks of life.