Startup Africa

Turning the key on African Tech….

Appfrica 2008, Uganda, A tech conference for Africa

APPFRICA is a series of international tech conferences and think-tanks aimed at bringing together researchers, industry leaders, businesses, educators, governmental and non-governmental organizations to discuss novel uses of web technology for innovation and education in the developing world.

Appfrica is a place where leaders in the tech industry from around the globe will use their collective knowledge to tackle the world issues of hunger, sustainable energy sources, HIV/AIDS and more. The first event will be part of a panel at the Technology for Innovation and Education in Developing Countries conference to be held at the Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.

As referenced by TEDC, the 2007 World Bank Report entitled “Building Knowledge Economies: Advanced Strategies for Development” states that the four key drivers for successful knowledge economies in the 21st Century are education, information technology infrastructure, research and development focused on innovation, and free market based economies. The goal of Appfrica is to help cultivate minds and encourage entrepreneurship, collaboration and free-market competition with this research in mind.

Some of the topics and discussions may cover:

• How the Web is Creating New Opportunities for the Developing World
• Why Western companies are Interested in the African IT Community
• The Semantic Web and The Opportunities it Will Create for a World Marketplace
• Why Intellectual Property is Africa’s Most Untapped Resource
• Using Indigenous Resources to Benefit Local Economies
• Web Applications and Mashups That Show Real Potential for Social Change
• The End of Language Barriers? Translation Tools for Education and Business

Appfrica 2008

Venue: Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda

Date: 31 July - 2nd August 2008

Cost: $300 for international attendees. Native Africans and African students can apply for a scholarship which will allow them to attend for free, travel costs not withstanding.

For more details, visit the Appfrica wiki or join the mailinglist to get involved.

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