From Left: Hayat Khalil Heji, Hamadoun Toure, Charles Watt, Michael Thatcher, Lizbeth Goodman, Yasir Khan and Raj Reddy during a panel discussion at CMU-Q yesterday. (SHAIVAL DALAL)

DOHA: The dean of Carnegie Mellon University-Qatar (CMU-Q), Chuck Thorpe; Bernardine Dias, Assistant Research Professor at CMU-Q; and Khaled Harras, Computer Science Professor at CMU-Q, yesterday formally opened and welcomed guests to the 3rd International Conference on Information and Communication Technologies and Development (ICTD) 2009 Programme.

Participants set up their stands for poster/demo sessions, which included these studies: “Enabling Community Advancement through Sustainable Technologies Model” presented by Shawntel Hines, Eric Mibuaru, Aisha Walcott and Roffin Chapman, where they have introduced computers and laptops to people in Laare, Kenya, and address their problems on computer illiteracy.

Waylon Brunette of the University of Washington presented the “Building of a Transportation Information System Using only GPS and Basic SMS Infrastructure.”

Another presenter, Ugo Vallauri of the University of London, introduced “Understanding the Provenance of Ethically Produced Goods.” He said the objective of the project is to provide a lot of information to consumers about the aspects of products that are usually preferred by ethical consumers allowing people to make informed choices on what

they buy.

Some of the presenters were also preparing for their demonstration today.

Dorothea Kleine, Lecturer in Geography at the University of London, will present the ICT4What? — Using the Choice Framework to Operationalise the Capability Approach to Development.

The Peninsula