In order to achieve a better and efficient information infrastructure around the globe, there are very strong urgent demands in the area of Asia and Pacific for a practical working environment where engineers and researchers in related fields work cooperatively. Our AI3 Project was kicked off in 1995 by WIDE Project and JSAT. It has been operating a satellite based testbed network in SE Asia and producing a series of research activities using the testbed. The testbed and those activities are called AI3 (ei-triple-ai). AI3 Project contributes, promotes, and encourages any related efforts toward achievement of the international information infrastructure such as Internet, AII, and APII.

"School of Internet" is the studying environment to learn about the Internet on the Internet. It is difficult for just one educational organization to gather enough teachers that can teach about this whole new subject and also provide sufficient educational environment for people who want to learn about the Internet systematically. The establishment of "School of Internet" will be an important guideline to set up this new educational field by coordination of different universities of Asia.

SOI ASIA Project utilizes satellite based Internet to provide Internet environments in a less expensive, easy to deploy, and more feasible way for the universities located in the regions where Internet environments are insufficiently developed; conducts research and development of the necessary technology for IT human resource development in Asia while using the environments; and proposes, through field experiments, a new educational methodology for universities in Japan as well as educational institutions abroad. As of April 2007, the SOI-ASIA project has 26 partner organizations in 13 Asian countries.

CONECT Meeting

UNESCO Jakarta in collaboration with Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) is planning to organize 2nd Meeting on Collaboration for Network-enabled Education, Culture, Technology and Science (CONECT).

With reference to UNESCO program in mobilizing science knowledge for Asia and the Pacific through information and communication technologies and human resource development and capacity building in science technology and engineering.

The purpose of the meeting is primarily to follow up the result of the 1st meeting "Expert Meeting on Utilization of ICT Research & Education Networks in Asia & Pacific" held in Bali on June 2009.

This upcoming meeting will invite participants from academic institutions, Ministries of Education, National Education and Research Networks, and other regional ICT networks to continue discussing how to create an effective mechanism to share expertise in developing and disseminating educational and teaching materials and tools, and conducting Research and Development using ICTs.