Introduction

Although the origins of GARNET can be traced back to 2000, it only took a recognised significance in November 2006 at the end of a three-day workshop held by the Association of African Universities (AAU) in Accra as a National Research and Education Network (NREN) to facilitate more effective integration of ICT into higher education’s core mandate of teaching, learning, research, and information management.

Finally, after several years of consultations among the Stakeholders, The Ghanaian Academic and Research was incorporated as a legal entity on August 23^rd 2010, as a non-for-profit Company Limited by Guarantee.

The current members of the Board of GARNET are:-

• Prof. Naana Opoku-Agyemang, Vice-Chancellor, University of Cape Coast, Chairperson, Vice Chancellors of Ghana
• Prof. Asabere Ameyaw, Vice-Chancellor, University of Education, Winneba

With Prof. Mumuni Dakubu, ICT Consultant on Higher Education, serving as secretary to the Board. The membership of the Board is soon to expand to including all the sitting Vice-Chancellors of the founding institutions.

Objectives

GARNET aims to build an advanced Network utilising the National communication backbone Infrastructure. This Network will be used to support teaching, learning and research among all public and private institutions of higher education in Ghana. And by extension, connect its members to the Global Research and Education Network communities.

Membership

Membership to GARNET is formulated on the basis of Open Access, implying that all accredited tertiary institutions in Ghana are allowed to join under the same terms of conditions and without any restrictions.

Regional/Sub Regional/International affiliations

It is also anticipated that the formation of GARNET will serve as a catalyst to speed up the formation of NREN’s within the region and thus provide the platform needed to accelerate the interconnection with other Regional and Continental Networks.

NSRC-GARNET Campus Network Design/NREN Development Workshop

As part of one of the maiden events after the incorporation of GARNET, there was a technical workshop on Best Practices in Campus Network Design in conjunction with the Network Startup Resource Centre (NSRC), USA. The workshop was held from 13th to 17th of September 2010 at the University of Education, Winneba. Attendees came from 12 academic and research institutions.

Partial funding support for the workshop was provided by the U.S. National Science Foundation and the Partnership for Higher Education in Africa via the NSRC, with additional contributions from the African Network Operators Group, the Ghanaian National Communications Authority, the University of Education, Winneba, the AAU and GARNET.

The program emphasized the importance of the campus network as the foundation in developing robust, high performance National Research and Education Networks (NRENs). The hands-on course addressed design methodologies, including physical cabling, switching architectures, routing, network monitoring and management, and the integration of wireless services in the campus LAN. The principal goal is to help improve university networks in Ghana to prepare for the creation of the physical infrastructure for GARNET.

Objectives of the Workshop were to:

• Train University network engineering staff on how to develop a strategic plan for their campus networks
• Learn to implement best practices in campus network design, with particular emphasis on layers 1 and 2
• Improve technical skills with university network personnel in operating their network
• Strengthen the GARNET technical community (human network) in developing GARNET's cyber infrastructure
• Learn how to use open source software to monitor availability and performance in your campus network.
• Develop a design methodology to facilitate successful participation in National and Regional Research and Education Networks.
• Increase the understanding and technical skill sets in the area of wireless networking in a campus environment.

As part of the program, the NSRC shipped 2.2 tons of networking equipment and technical reference books to Ghana for distribution and deployment among GARNET’s member universities. This included managed network switches donated from Google via the NSRC, routers from Cisco, wireless networking equipment from NetworkTheWorld, and books from O’Reilly Media. The equipment is helping our member institutions effectively expand and enhance their campus network infrastructure.

Conclusion

GARNET has come to fulfil a very crucial need for research and education within Ghana by providing services aimed at fostering collaboration among research and educational institutions in the region as well as between them and peer institutions worldwide.

Contact Information

Ghanaian Academic and Research Network
Vice Chancellors of Ghana Office
P.O. Box LG 25
Legon, Accra
Ghana

Tel:+233-24-429-6001, +233-24-432-1957

For more information please email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it