SIST Meeting

3-10 March 2009. The Système d’Information Scientifique et Recherche (SIST) network of scientists and persons in communication held a week long meeting in Dakar, Senegal. The meeting was organized to draw up the final workplan for the various SIST networks and train network representatives in web content management, effective web-browsing and web-design.

FARA belongs to the SIST-BVB, the Plant Biotechnology and Biosafety network of SIST, and participated in its workshop. The SIST-BVB workplan covered a review of the communication plan to improve sensitization of the scientific community on SIST-BVB issues, an update on biotech information on Africa and the hosting of the SIST server to be transferred from France to the UCAD (University of Cheik Anta Diop in Dakar).

Background: SIST
SIST is the Scientific and Technical Information System set up by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and supported by CIRAD to collate and disseminate web-based information to members of specific networks in science and technology in universities and research institutes in Africa. Support has been provided for the 2006-2009 period.

The 5 SIST networks are: integrated management of water resources; epizootic diseases, emerging and re-emerging diseases in animals; plant biotechnology and biosafety (biotechnologies vegetales et biosecurité- bvb); information and communication technologies in education and research; and promotion of cultural heritage in digital formats.