SomaliREN Services For Higher Education

Sunday 26 Jul 2026, 07:00 → 12:30 Africa/Mogadishu

Virtual

Mohamed Bile (CTO, SomaliREN)

Welcome to the SomaliREN Services Training Program! 

We are excited to announce a comprehensive Online training event designed to equip ICT directors, librarians, and system administrators with the skills to effectively utilize six of SomaliREN's core services. This program aims to empower participants to leverage the full potential of these services and contribute to the advancement of research and education community.

National Research and Education Networks (NRENs) play a pivotal role in connecting universities and research institutions, enabling them to collaborate, share resources, and access services tailored for the academic and research community. SomaliREN is dedicated to providing cutting-edge tools to enhance research, teaching, and learning.

This training covers six core services from our portfolio:

• SomaliREN Identity Federation (SIF): A trusted, secure identity exchange between education and research communities, locally and internationally. SIF streamlines access control and simplifies authentication across multiple platforms and services.
• Somali Research and Education Repository (SORER): Increases the visibility of Somali research output by giving member institutions a platform to upload digital content such as theses, papers, and other research. Every item uploaded is assigned a DOI (Digital Object Identifier) - a permanent, citable link that ensures proper attribution, boosts discoverability, and lets institutions and researchers track citation impact. SORER also supports ORCID integration, giving researchers a unique, portable identity that follows their work across systems and distinguishes them from authors with similar names.
• SomaliREN Video-Conferencing System: An open-source e-learning platform that higher education institutions can use to deliver online classes, host virtual meetings, and run seminars — extending your institution's classroom beyond physical walls.
• SomaliREN Event Management System: A centralized platform for planning workshops, conferences, and lectures, covering registration, abstract submission, scheduling, and communication.
• eduVPN: Secure Internet Access that provides privacy-preserving connectivity from public networks through secure gateways to trusted networks. Through eduVPN, users can connect to any of 21 VPN gateways operated by NRENs around the world, including: Albania, Cyprus, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Italy, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Luxembourg, Morocco, Malaysia, Norway, Netherlands, Pakistan, Ukraine, Uganda, South Africa and SomaliREN's own eduVPN server.
• Filesender: Secure file transfer built for the research and education community, ensuring safe exchange of sensitive data, large files, and research outputs between institutions.

 

This workshop will equip participants with the practical skills to harness these six services, enabling their institutions to enhance research outcomes and strengthen collaboration across the academic community.

 

1 Opening Remarks: Introduction to SomaliREN Services

Speaker: Mohamed Bile (CTO, SomaliREN)

2 Session 1: SomaliREN Identity Federation (SIF)

Understanding the role and significance of SIF in the e-research infrastructurestrong text.
Exploring the mechanisms for safe and secure information exchange
Managing identities and access control within the federation
Leveraging SIF for seamless collaboration and resource sharing

Speaker: Mohamed Bile (CTO, SomaliREN)

3 Session 2: Somali Research and Education Repository (SORER)

SORER (Somali Research and Education Repository) is a digital repository that serves as a centralized platform for storing and sharing research and educational resources. Its key features include:

Resource Storage: SORER allows researchers and educators to deposit and store various types of scholarly outputs, including research papers, datasets, theses, and educational materials.
Access and Discovery: The repository enables easy access to deposited resources, facilitating their discovery by the SomaliREN community and beyond.
DOI Integration: SORER supports the assignment of Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) to deposited resources, ensuring persistent and citable links for long-term accessibility.
ORCID Integration: Integration with ORCID enables researchers to showcase their work and affiliations, ensuring accurate attribution and recognition.
Community Feature: SORER, based on Zenodo, offers community-based collaboration, enabling users to create and join communities based on research interests or institutional affiliations.
These features make SORER a valuable platform that enhances research visibility, facilitates collaboration, and promotes the dissemination of knowledge within the SomaliREN community.

Speaker: Mohamed Bile (CTO, SomaliREN)

4 Session 3: Using SomaliREN Video-conferencing System - Leveraging Online Learinng

A robust platform based on BigBlueButton, designed to improve the virtual interaction and learning experience. It features intuitive usability, interactive engagement tools, and strong performance to handle various academic activities efficiently. Key functionalities include document sharing, a multi-user whiteboard, breakout rooms for collaborative learning, diverse video resolution options, comprehensive chat features, innovative polling tools, and enhanced screen sharing capabilities.

Speaker: Mohamed Bile (CTO, SomaliREN)

5 Session 4: Using SomaliREN Event Management System

ntroduction to the Event Management System based on Indico
Creating and managing events of various scales (workshops, conferences, lectures)
Registration management, abstract submission, and scheduling
Customizing event pages and managing participant interactions

Speaker: Mr Zakarie Mohamed (SomaliREN)

6 Session 5: eduVPN

Hands-on training on eduVPN:
Overview of VPN technology and its relevance to research and education, followed by hands-on configuration and access to secure eduVPN connections, with the option to connect through 21 NREN VPN servers worldwide, including Germany, Italy, Denmark, Finland, Netherlands, France, Morocco, Uganda, & SomaliREN's own.

Speaker: Mohamed Bile (CTO, SomaliREN)

7 Session 6: Filesender - Secure File Transfer Mechanisms

Understanding the importance of secure file transfer in research and education
Exploring the features and functionality of Filesender
Uploading and sharing files securely within the SomaliREN community

Speaker: Mr Sharaf Roble (SomaliREN)

8 Reflection and Conclusion

Speaker: Mohamed Bile (CTO, SomaliREN)