The Ghana Academic Research Network (GARNET) aims to have an advanced network for collaboration and communication in the fields of teaching, learning and research among all public and private institutions of higher education in Ghana. GARNET was formally launched in November 2006 in a meeting organized by the Association of African Universities. The Vice-Chancellors of Ghana (VCG) affirms that it was vital to have a Research and Education Network, if there had to be meaningful collaboration amongst the Universities. Realizing the benefits that go with the operation of such a network, The VCG agreed by consensus in 2004, to set up a Task Force/Working Group to prepare new grounds with specific commitments and modalities for the setting up of a National Research and Education Network (NREN) that will grow with time.

The process for establishing GARNET has been slow and it later emerged that the best method to accelerate the formation of the GARNET was to form a discussion forum and adopt a “bottom-up” approach involving all stake-holders interested and willing to participate in the formation of the National Research and Education Network (NREN) for Ghana. The forum was to provide a platform for the accelerated realization of the formation of GARNET, and afterwards GARNET Forum would provide a wider forum for the discussion of all ICT related issues affecting Education in Ghana by all stakeholders.

The GARNET Forum recently acquired a consignment of managed switches from the Network Startup Resource Center (NSRC), based at the University of Oregon (www.nsrc.org). The goal for the distribution of the managed switches is to help improve the local campus network infrastructure in readiness to make the best use of the NREN as and when the physical links are established. These switches were donated to the NSRC from Google, after they were decommissioned from various Google datacenters around the world.Vint Cerf of Google facilitated the donation of thousands of switches to the NSRC, which has relayed them to Research and Education (R&E) universities in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Cote d'Ivoire, Morocco, Tanzania, Venezuela, Ecuador, Guyana, Thailand, Nepal and others.

There were a total of 12 Public and Private Universities and Research Institutions that benefited from the donation from the NSRC; namely,

Ashesi University College
Central University College
Council for Scientific and Industrial Research
Ghana Institutive of Management and Public Administration
Ghana Telecom University College
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology
Methodist University College
University of Cape Coast
University of Development Studies
University of Education, Winneba
University of Ghana
University of Mines and Technology

Each Institution was given a number of managed switches based on their campus network plans. Despite the challenges GARNET has faced in the past, the NSRC has helped GARNET in laying the foundation to ensure that all Higher Education and Research Institutions in Ghana become part of this initiative and also embark on a journey to catch up with peers around the globe in bringing Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) closer to teaching, learning and research.

‘We picked up the switches for our institution and would like to express our gratitude to GARNET and the NSRC for facilitating the delivery and distribution of the switches. They will go a long way to contribute positively towards providing some redundancies and much needed improvement to our existing network infrastructure. A Thumbs up to all members who have in diverse ways contributed to making GARNET a reality. We do hope the commitment will be long lasting enough to see GARNET through to building an effective research network
Ato Yawson, IT Manager, Ashesi University College

GARNET Forum

www.garnet.edu.gh

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