Mastering SomaliREN Services: Empowering Institutions for Research and Education Success

Africa/Mogadishu
Virtual

Virtual

Mohamed Bile (CTO, SomaliREN)
Description

Welcome to the SomaliREN Services Training Program! 

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

National Research and Education Networks (NRENs) play a pivotal role in connecting universities and research institutions, enabling them to collaborate, share resources, and access a wide range of services specifically tailored for the academic and research communities. SomaliREN, as the NREN for Somalia, is dedicated to providing its member institutions with cutting-edge tools and services to enhance their research, teaching, and learning endeavors.

Participants will gain a deep understanding of the different SomaliREN services and how they can benefit your institution. Let's explore some of the key advantages of utilizing SomaliREN services:

  1. Enhanced Collaboration: SomaliREN services facilitate seamless collaboration among universities and research institutions. The services enable secure and efficient communication, data sharing, and resource exchange, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and knowledge exchange within the academic community.
  2. Improved Access to Resources: SomaliREN's services, such as the Somali Research and Education Repository (SORER) and OCW Mirror, provide universities and research institutions with easy access to a vast array of digital resources, research publications, educational materials, and open courseware. This access to a wealth of knowledge from global sources empowers researchers, educators, and students to stay up-to-date with the latest advancements in their fields.
  3. Streamlined Event Management: The SomaliREN Event Management System simplifies the organization and management of workshops, conferences, and lectures. This centralized system enables efficient event planning, participant registration, abstract submission, scheduling, and seamless communication, ensuring successful and well-coordinated academic events.
  4. Secure Data Transfer: SomaliREN's Filesender service offers secure file transfer mechanisms tailored for the research and education community. This ensures the safe and reliable exchange of sensitive data, large files, and research outputs between institutions, fostering collaboration while maintaining data privacy and security.
  5. Efficient Surveys and Data Collection: The Survey Tool, based on LimeSurvey, provides a simple yet powerful platform for conducting online surveys. This tool enables researchers and educators to collect valuable data from students, lecturers and other stakeholders, analyze responses, and gain insights for research, program evaluation, and decision-making processes.
  6. Trusted Identity Federation: The SomaliREN Identity Federation (SIF) ensures a secure and trusted exchange of information between education and research communities, both locally and internationally. By leveraging SIF, participating institutions can streamline access control, simplify user authentication, and enable seamless collaboration across multiple platforms and services.

 

This workshop will equip participants with the necessary skills to harness the power of these services, enabling their institutions to enhance research outcomes and strengthen collaboration networks within the academic community.

  • Monday, 29 January
    • 09:00 09:30
      Opening Remarks: Introduction to SomaliREN Services
      Convener: Hussein Sabrie (SomaliREN)
      • 09:00
        Overview of SomaliREN and its mission 10m
        Speaker: Ahmed Siyad (CEO, SomaliREN)
      • 09:10
        Explanation of the importance of the identified services for research and education institutions 10m
      • 09:20
        Introduction to the training agenda and objectives 10m
        Speaker: Mr Mohamed Bile (CTO, SomaliREN)
    • 09:30 10:10
      Session 1: SomaliREN Identity Federation (SIF) and eduroam
      Convener: Mr Mohamed Bile (CTO, SomaliREN)
      • 09:30
        Trust and Identity 40m

        Understanding the role and significance of SIF in the e-research infrastructure
        What is eduGAIN
        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
        Creating user accounts for participants on SIF

        Speaker: Mr Mohamed Bile (CTO, SomaliREN)
    • 10:10 11:10
      Session 2: Somali Research and Education Repository (SORER)
      Convener: Mr Mohamed Bile (CTO, SomaliREN)
      • 10:10
        Digital Repository - an overview 10m

        Digital repositories would store critical data gathered by different researchers who are doing different research work over time, enriching archives already maintained by universities but, even more importantly, boosting the visibility of academics and their institutions

      • 10:20
        Understanding the purpose and features of SORER 10m

        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:

        1. Resource Storage: SORER allows researchers and educators to deposit and store various types of scholarly outputs, including research papers, datasets, theses, and educational materials.
        2. Access and Discovery: The repository enables easy access to deposited resources, facilitating their discovery by the SomaliREN community and beyond.
        3. DOI Integration: SORER supports the assignment of Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) to deposited resources, ensuring persistent and citable links for long-term accessibility.
        4. ORCID Integration: Integration with ORCID enables researchers to showcase their work and affiliations, ensuring accurate attribution and recognition.
        5. 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.

      • 10:30
        Hands-on training on using SORER for digital content management 35m

        Content:

         - How to access the SORER?
         - How to create an ORCID ID and link your work?
         - How to upload content on the SORER?
         - How to browse/create existing/new communities?
         - How to get support?
        
      • 11:05
        Tea Break 5m
    • 11:10 12:20
      Session 3: SomaliREN Event Management System
      Convener: Mr Mohamed Bile (CTO, SomaliREN)
      • 11:10
        Hands on training on SomaliREN Event Management System 1h

        Introduction 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

      • 12:10
        Q&A 10m
  • Tuesday, 30 January
    • 09:00 09:40
      Session 4: SomaliREN Virtual Private Networks (VPN)
      Convener: Mr Mohamed Bile (CTO, SomaliREN)
      • 09:00
        Hands on training on eduVPN 40m

        Overview of VPN technology and its relevance to the research and education community
        Configuring and accessing VPN connections

    • 09:40 10:30
      Session 5: SomaliREN Filesender - Secure File Transfer Mechanisms
      Convener: Mr Mohamed Bile (CTO, SomaliREN)
      • 09:40
        Hands on session on SomaliREN Big Filesender 40m

        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
        Managing permissions and access control for shared files

      • 10:20
        Tea Break 10m
    • 10:30 11:30
      Session 6: SomaliREN Survey Tool
      Convener: Mr Mohamed Bile (CTO, SomaliREN)
      • 10:30
        Hands on SomaliREN Survey Tool 1h

        Introduction to SomaliREN Survey and its capabilities as an online survey tool
        Creating and customizing surveys for research and educational purposes
        Deploying surveys, collecting and analyzing data
        Ensuring anonymity and data privacy in survey administration

    • 11:30 11:50
      Session 7: SomaliREN OCW Mirror - Accessing MIT OCW
      Convener: Hussein Sabrie (SomaliREN)
      • 11:30
        Accessing SomaliREN MIT OCW Mirror 10m

        Introduction to the OCW Mirror hosted on SomaliREN
        Navigating and utilizing the MIT OpenCourseWare resources
        Incorporating OCW materials into teaching and learning activities
        Maximizing the benefits of the OCW Mirror for the SomaliREN community

      • 11:40
        Reflection and Conclusion 10m
        Speaker: Ahmed Siyad (SomaliREN)