Cambodia is the latest country to be connected to Trans-Eurasia Information Network (TEIN3), the pan-Asian research and education network, bringing the number of Asian countries benefiting from the high speed network to 17.

The new link initially connects the Institute of Technology of Cambodia (ITC) in Phnom Penh and has the potential to connect Cambodia’s 35,000 researchers with scientists around the world. This move will improve the quality and quantity of research conducted in Cambodia’s higher education institutes and research centres.

The development of Cambodia’s national research and education network, CamREN, will be boosted by its link to TEIN3, as it works to strengthen national and international research collaboration.

To achieve the physical connection CamREN worked closely with VinaREN, the national research and education network organisation of neighbouring Vietnam, VinaREN helping arranged a dedicated link from its network in Hanoi to ITC and providing access to its existing TEIN3 connection.

Dr Ta Ba Hung, Director General of NASATI/VinaREN, commented: ‘When the TEIN2 programme began in 2004 VinaREN was similarly starting from scratch and appreciated the support of the TEIN2 programme and other national partners. VinaREN has quickly established research connectivity across Vietnam and we are very pleased to help Cambodia start out along this road. We are grateful for the generous support provided by Viettel, a leading Telco in Vietnam who set up the dedicated physical link between VinaREN and CamREN.’

The successful connection to TEIN3 was driven by the Network Startup Resource Centre (NSRC) based at the University of Oregon which worked with CamREN technicians to provide the equipment and technical assistance at the ITC campus to complete the connection.

Dr Steven Huter Director of the NSRC said, ‘From our discussions with Samnang Khiev of ITC, it became clear that one critical factor preventing this link from becoming operational was a single piece of hardware, which the NSRC provided to remove that obstacle. Step by step, brick by brick, the R&E cyber infrastructure in the TEIN3 region is becoming stronger and better integrated. Special thanks to Dale Smith of NSRC and Nguyen Hong Van of VinaREN for helping CamREN to develop an initial network design plan that is affordable and scalable.’

Dr Sackona Phoeurng of CamREN said, ‘Our connection to TEIN3 comes at a critical time in our country’s research development. The fields of study that can now be developed thanks to this link include e-learning, telemedicine, earth and atmospheric sciences, emerging diseases, crop research and information and communication technology. Science and Technology in these sectors are still needs to more developed. We are very excited at finally being able to connect with the global research and education community. Without the help of VinaREN and NSRC, connection to TEIN3 might have taken much longer.’

David West, project manager at DANTE (Delivery of Advanced Network Technology to Europe) for TEIN3 added, ‘This is a great example of how an emerging Asian country has been able to get connected with the help and support of the wider research and education community. In this case we have been able to augment Cambodia’s own efforts, notably the very practical assistance from its neighbours in Vietnam and from the NSRC. The new link to TEIN3 will certainly help improve the country’s science and technology capacity by providing better connectivity to researchers in Asia Pacific, and around the world.’ 

For more information, contact Natalie Keuroghlian, DANTE: +44 (0)1223 371 300, natalie.keuroghlian@dante.net or visit www.dante.net

About TEIN3

Cambodia joins Bangladesh as the most recent country to connect to TEIN3. The TEIN3 network, which is co-funded by the European Commission, extends to the South Asian sub-continent serving over 45 million users in more than 8,000 academic institutions and research centres across Asia. Through GÉANT, the pan-European research and education network, TEIN3 offers access to another 40 million users.

The Trans-Eurasia Information Network (TEIN) connects the research and education community across Asia-Pacific. Starting with a single circuit between France and Korea in 2001, TEIN3, the third generation of the project now links 17 countries in the region to each other and the global research community and is managed by DANTE. Applications using the network include climate research and meteorology, food security and health programmes. The TEIN* Cooperation Center has been established, with Korean government and TEIN partner support and endorsed at ASEM8 in October 2010, to take responsibility for a 4th phase of the TEIN programme starting in 2012. The TEIN*CC organisation will be closely supported by DANTE in its initial phase. www.tein3.net

About DANTE:

DANTE is a non-profit organisation whose primary mission is to plan, build and manage research and education networks. Established in 1993, DANTE has been fundamental to the success of pan-European research and education networking. DANTE has built and operates GÉANT (Gigabit European Advanced Network Technology) which provides the data-communications infrastructure essential to the success of many research projects in Europe. DANTE is involved in worldwide initiatives to interconnect countries in other regions to one another and to GÉANT. www.dante.net 

About CamREN:

CamREN is a network of 5 leading Universities in Cambodia : Institute of Technology of Cambodia (ITC), Royal University of Phnom Penh (RUPP), Royal University of Law and Economy (RULE), University of Health Science (UHS) and National Institute of Education (NIE), whose role is to allow the connection of all the other universities and research centres. Initially researchers will come to ITC as a pilot experience to get international data and documents. In a second step all universities will provide the same services in their own libraries. In the final step, other universities (public and private) in Cambodia will be invited to join the network according to their interest and development of their research activities.

About NSRC:

The Network Startup Resource Center (NSRC), based at the University of Oregon, was established in 1992 to provide technical assistance to organizations setting up computer networks in developing areas for collaborative research, education and international partnerships. Over the past twenty years, the NSRC has worked with universities, research institutes, Internet Service Providers, non-governmental organizations, governmental and supranational agencies, and industry to help develop networks and cyberinfrastructure resources in Africa, Asia/Pacific, Latin America/Caribbean, and the Middle East. The NSRC is partially funded by the International Research Network Connections (IRNC) program of the National Science Foundation and Google, with additional contributions from dozens of public and private organizations. http://nsrc.org/

About VinaREN:

VinaREN is a national research and education network of Vietnam. VinaREN’s goals are to facilitate and coordinate the establishment, development, deployment, operation and technology transfer of advanced network based applications and network services to improve effectiveness and to further national and international collaboration in research and education. VinaREN has been developed and managed by the National Agency for Science and Technology Information (NASATI). It connects more than hundred leading universities, research institutions, hospitals in the country and proactively fosters e-learning, e-medicine, grid computing, e-culture and weather forecasting, and so on. http://www.vinaren.vn.