The UNESCO Chair in ICT4D, Tim Unwin, has just clarified that Dr. Umar Saif is neither appointed as UNESCO Chair in ICT4D or in ICTD. Unwin published a blog, right after news of Dr. Umar Saif’s recent appointment as the UNESCO Chair in ICTD started making rounds in the local media.
Dr. Umar Saif also made an announcement on social media and updated his Twitter bio to say, UNESCO Chair ICTD.
Dear friends I have been awarded the UNESCO Chair for using ICT for Development. This is a moment of pride for Pakistan and a recognition of our work in the past 10 years. &mdashhttps://t.co/7G2qlYy9LS (https://t.co/7G2qlYy9LS%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E&mdash); Umar Saif (@umarsaif) April 18, 2018
However, Unwin has indicated that Dr. Saif is not the first international UNESCO Chair for ICTD. A decade ago, Royal Holloway, University of London created the first UNESCO Chair in ICT4D, when ITU did not exist. Unwin emphasizes that ICT4D and ICTD are very distinct from each other. Unwin was compelled to release the statement after a number of his colleagues in the ICT4D started questioning the claims made by the Pakistani computer scientist about being awarded the UNESCO chair for using ICT development.
In 2017, the staff of ITU approached Urwin to understand the procedure for acquiring the status of a UNESCO chair. He helped them not knowing that they would apply for a Chair with exactly the same name to ICT4D. He wrote back to ITU to suggest a change in the name to avoid confusions. In a minor change, ICT4D became ICTD.
UNESCO Chairs are created after an agreement between a university and UNESCO. These Chairs are the term given researchers working in a specific academic field. It should also be noted that an individual is not appointed as a Chair, but only as a Chairholder. Therefore, Dr. Umar Saif has been appointed as the Chairholder of a UNESCO Chair at Information Technology University, Pakistan and not a UNESCO Chair in ICT4D or ICTD.
Unwin was disappointed by the turn of events. He shared,
“I fear that this confusion sadly does not reflect well either on the political establishment in Pakistan who approved this nomination, nor on the professionalism of those involved in the nomination itself. I would hope that the Pakistani press and those on social media will recognize this and respond accordingly. I am sure they will agree that this is not a matter of pride for Pakistan, but actually sadly reflects rather badly on them.”
Urwin also referred to his work with the Pakistani technology community and said that he respects a number of people bringing change in Pakistan. He said,
“I should also emphasize that I have many dear friends in Pakistan, and it is a wonderful and beautiful country. I like and respect very many people in Pakistan, ranging from senior government officials to the many Commonwealth Scholarship Commission alumni who it has been my privilege to know. The UNESCO Chair in ICT4D has worked with long-established research-led universities in Pakistan, such as COMSATS IIT which has a world-renowned reputation unlike some other provincial universities in the country, and it has been an honour to undertake research with them and to promote the effective use of ICTs to support and empower the poorest and least privileged in the world.”
Please note: The UNESCO Chair in ICT4D at Royal Holloway, University of London @UNESCOICT4D, which also administers the ICT4D group on Facebook https://t.co/Igy2UIyjCV (https://t.co/Igy2UIyjCV%3C/a)> is not the same as the newly founded UNESCO Chair in ICTD in Pakistan – https://t.co/xNBGAgOMfF (https://t.co/xNBGAgOMfF%3C/a)> for more details
— Tim Unwin (@TimUnwin) 18 April 2018
TechJuice has reached out to Dr. Umar Saif for further comments. We are waiting for his response.
The post Umar Saif not appointed as UNESCO Chair in ICT4D, or in ICTD, UNESCO Chair clarifies appeared first on TechJuice.
