Bridging Digital Divide through Digital Literacy -- Potential of cooperation between Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan

1. Bridging Digital Divide through
Digital Literacy
Prof. Dr. Khalid Mahmood
Department of Information Management,
University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
1

2. Digital Silk Road
• Announced by China in 2015 Information Silk
Road included:
– strengthening internet infrastructure
– deepening space cooperation
– developing common technology standards, and
– improving the efficiency of policing systems among
the Belt and Road countries.
• Digital Silk Road is bringing new waves of
technological opportunities for emerging
economies in Asia.
2

3. Socio-economic facts – 2020
Indicators Pakistan Kyrgyzstan
Population (in millions) 212 6.6
Population under age 15 35% 34%
Median age 22.8 26
Rural population 63% 66%
GDP per capita - PPP$ 4,885 5,471
Poverty rate 29% 32%
3

4. Telecommunication facts – 2020
Indicators Pakistan Kyrgyzstan
Internet penetration 35% 47%
Mobile connections 75% 150%
Social media penetration 17% 39%
4

5. Pakistani Scenario
5

6. GOVERNING
TELECOM
SECTOR
LEGISLATION
TELECOM
SECTOR
POLICIES
DEGITAL
PAKISTAN
POLICY
IT SECTOR
POLICIES
Pakistan
Telecommunication
(Re-Organization)
Act 1996 (Amended 2015)
Digital Pakistan Policy
2018
•De-Regulation Policy
for the Telecom Sector -
2003
•Mobile Cellular
Policy- 2004
•Broadband Policy -
2004
•Universal Service
Fund Policy - 2006
National IT policy
2000 (Amended 2015)
IT Legislation
(Pakistan)
6

7. Key
Sectors
Cloud
computing
and big data
IoT, Artificial
Intelligence
& Robotics
ICT
Education
E- Justice
E-Commerce
E-Health
E-
Agriculture
Digital Pakistan Policy-2018
7

8. KEY
COMPONENTS
Software
Technology
Parks
Increase
Software
Export
Research &
Development
Local Manufacturing
Promote
Innovations
Human
Resource
Development
Woman
Empowerment
Infrastructure
Development
Standardization
Sectorial
Digitalization
Legislation
E-
Governance
Digital Pakistan Policy-2018
8

9. National cloud services
E-office application
Safe city for Islamabad, Lahore & Quetta
Optical fiber cable from China border to Islamabad (840 KM)
Online police stations
Citizen feedback & complaint management system
Online tax payment system
Centralized national ID card system
Hospital management information system
Extension Services 2.0 farmer facilitation through modernized extension
Drug inspection & monitoring evaluation system (DIME)
Disease surveillance system
Land record management information system
Kissan card (farmer card) for advisory services
Ongoing projects
9

10. Establishment of digital city
Islamabad smart city project
Intelligent transport management
Automation of Pakistan Postal Services
Big Data application for criminal record
management
Digital skills program for IT training of 10
million Pakistanis
IT parks in Karachi & Islamabad
National incubation centers
Test-bed of block chain for e-office
application
Upcoming
Projects
10

11. Kyrgyz Scenario
11

12. ICT for
Development
of the Kyrgyz
Republic –
2002
To form sustainable information
society with
• Advanced ICT infrastructure
• High-level computer literacy
• High level of computer
saturation and internet access,
• Extended use of e-services
systems,
• Existence of local IT market
12

13. Taza koom
initiative –
2017
• “Pure society” or “Clear
society”
• Creating a modern state and
communications
infrastructure
• Creating a favorable ICT
ecosystem
• Creating an open digital
society
• Stimulating creation of ICT
around innovation and
partnerships
13

14. Digital
Kyrgyzstan
2019-2023
• Development of digital skills
and digital education,
innovation and R&D
• Digital state
• Digital economy / Digital
business
• Smart sustainable cities
• Connectivity, access, price,
availability and security
14

15. Digital Divide
Gap between those able
to benefit from the
internet and those who
are not.
15

16. Kyrgyz Society Requirements
• Need to focus on teaching the
basic digital competencies of
the population.
• Open access to a wide range of
people in advanced digital
professions.
• Digital literacy is the basis for
building a sustainable digital
society that Kyrgyzstan is
striving for in the framework
of NSDS-2040 (Soltobaev, 2020) 16

17. Digital Literacy
The ability to identify,
access, manage,
integrate, evaluate,
analyze and synthesize
digital resources.
17

18. Why
Digital
Literacy?
• To support the National
Digital Development
Strategy
• To bridge the “Digital
Divide”
18

19. Digital Literacy to
Digital Competency
…digital competency clearly involves more than
knowing how to use devices and applications…
which is intricately connected with skills to
communicate with ICT, as well as information skills.
Sensible and healthy use of ICT requires knowledge
and attitudes regarding legal and ethical aspects,
privacy and security, as well as understanding the
role of ICT in society and a balanced attitude
towards technology.
19

20. Digital Competency Framework
(UNESCO, 2018)
Competence Area Competences
Fundamentals of
hardware and
software
0.1. Basic knowledge of hardware such as turning on/off and
charging, locking devices
0.2. Basic knowledge of software such as user account and password
management, login, and how to do privacy settings, etc.
Information and
data literacy
1.1 Browsing, searching and filtering data, information and digital
content
1.2 Evaluating data, information and digital content
1.3 Managing data, information and digital content
Communication and
collaboration
2.1 Interacting through digital technologies
2.2 Sharing through digital technologies
2.3 Engaging in citizenship through digital technologies
2.4 Collaborating through digital technologies
2.5 Netiquette
2.6 Managing digital identity
20

21. Continued…
Competency Areas Competences
Digital content creation 3.1 Developing digital content
3.2 Integrating and re-elaborating digital content
3.3 Copyright and licenses
3.4 Programming
Safety 4.1 Protecting devices
4.2 Protecting personal data and privacy
4.3 Protecting health and well-being
4.4 Protecting the environment
Problem solving 5.1 Solving technical problems
5.2 Identifying needs and technological responses
5.3 Creatively using digital technologies
5.4 Identifying digital competence gaps
Career-related
competences
6. Career-related competences refers to the knowledge and
skills required to operate specialized hardware/software for a
particular field, such as engineering design software and
hardware tools, or the use of learning management systems to
deliver fully online or blended courses 21

22. Opportunities
for
Cooperation
between
Pakistan and
Kyrgyzstan
Since, both countries are
striving towards
important players on the
Digital Silk Road, and their
socio-economic
conditions and challenges
are almost similar,
therefore, they may shake
hands to achieve the goal
of bridging digital divide
in a more effective way.
22

23. Continued…
• Exchange of tacit and explicit knowledge, e.g., best practices
• Exchange of personnel (Professors/Researchers/IT experts)
to help in the following areas:
– Curriculum development for various education stages (pre-
primary, primary, secondary and tertiary) based on the UNESCO
framework for students
– Continuing professional development programs for on the job
persons
– Designing and executing outreach “Information literacy
programs” for those people who are not engaged with
education or job, e.g., Farmers, housewives, business and
particularly people belonged to small businesses)
• Designing and executing joint research projects to examine
the impact of digital competency programs periodically
23

24. Looking forward for
collaboration
Thank you
24