BeLISAC

BeLISAC project proposal encompasses procurement of computing resources which will be placed at 4 (four) Data Centers in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan in order to overcome hardware crunching problem in NORDUnet where previously licensed account were running under fDLuDCf project and in order to cater more meetings and classes in future. CamREN and LERNET have been included who are provided Zoom Controller and Zoom MMR facilities (5% of the installed computing resources and full cloud recording support) from the installed hardware in these 4 (four) countries.

As a follow-up of fDLuDCf project, all the Zoom licensing resources is provided by NORDUnet. It is to be mentioned that under fDLuDCf project NORDUnet provided more than 30,000 Zoom licenses for six (6) countries. The licensing support is still provided by NORDUnet even after the expiry of the project in June 2021 as a goodwill gesture. NORDUnet has made the commitment that it is not going to withdraw it till a sustainable solution becomes available for all the beneficiary countries.

Gender disparity in technology is a widespread issue in South Asia, where women are significantly underrepresented in the tech industry. Women in the region often face cultural and societal barriers that discourage their participation in tech-related fields, such as limited access to education and training, social norms that prioritize domestic duties over career development, and discrimination in the workplace. This disparity has significant implications for women's economic empowerment and the region's overall development, as the tech sector is a growing source of employment and innovation.

Addressing gender disparity in technology in South Asia, BeLISAC project under the sponsorship of NORDUnet had proposed and carried out the recruitment of one female engineer in each of the six countries that is involved in the project. The engineers were groomed by the supervision of BdREN using LMS system and their own respective NREN engineers.

Capacity development for engineers is essential to ensure that they have the knowledge, skills, and tools necessary to meet the challenges of today's fast-changing technological landscape. By supporting capacity development for engineers, organizations can help to build a strong, resilient workforce that is better equipped to meet the challenges of today's rapidly changing technological landscape.

Capacity development of Engineers were arranged through organizing training at 4(four) NRENs both virtually and onsite (Blended mode). The trained engineers then have gotten the scope of configuring the Virtual Machines, Virtualization Software and Zoom Application which will make them confident about their capacity. BeLISAC project initiated that at least 10 University and/or NREN engineers be trained in each of the four countries with servers alloacted.

Internships can play a crucial role in the career development of female students and graduates in South Asia. Especially in regions like south asia, such internships can play a vital role in the careers of young women to gain professional experience, networking opportunities, breaking down gender barriers, bridging their skills gap and boosting their confidence. As BeLISAC project has particular focus on alleviating the Gender Discrimination in the region, internships has been offered for female students and graduates in two (2) groups, one for 3 months (20 Interns) and one for 6 months (12 Interns).

Group-1 in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and Sri Lanka (TEIN*CC Sponsored, Three (3) months)
Group-2 in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Laos and Cambodia (NORDUnet Sponsored Six (6) months)

The NORDUnet Conference is an annual event that brings together network experts, researchers, and IT professionals from the Nordic countries and beyond. The conference focuses on the latest developments in network technology, including high-speed networking, cloud computing, cybersecurity, and more.

As promoting the participation of female engineers in the NORDUnet Conference can help to create a more diverse and inclusive eventand also help to build a more supportive and welcoming community for women in engineering, BeLISAC outlined an activity for the female engineers under this project to participate in the NORDUnet Conference with the sponsorship of NORDUnet.