Open Forum #66 the Ecosystem for Digital Cooperation in Development

Summary

This open forum discussion focused on “The Ecosystem of Digital Cooperation in Development,” examining how various stakeholders can collaborate to bridge the digital divide and build inclusive digital public infrastructure. The session was organized by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, University of Oslo, and BASIC Internet Foundation, bringing together representatives from government agencies, NGOs, academia, and youth organizations.

The discussion highlighted that 2.6 billion people remain offline globally, creating significant barriers to accessing essential services and deepening inequalities. Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) representative Tale Jordbakke emphasized Norway’s commitment to digital public goods as open, non-commercial solutions that prevent vendor lock-in and promote democratic principles. Franz von Weizäcker from the German Agency for International Cooperation discussed their work with the African Union on harmonizing digital policies across 55 member states, emphasizing digital sovereignty and avoiding technological dependencies.

Catherine Kimambo from the African Child Project in Tanzania stressed the importance of multi-stakeholder approaches and investing in grassroots innovations, particularly highlighting their School Connectivity Project that provides internet access, devices, skills, and content to rural schools. Youth representative Thomas Aarheim shared personal experiences of digital transformation in education, emphasizing how proper digital infrastructure fundamentally shifts learning possibilities.

University of Oslo President Svein Stolen outlined their Global University Academy initiative, which aims to provide education to one million refugees by 2038 through digital and hybrid solutions. Ethiopian representative Meklit Mintesinot described their E-SHE project, which has successfully implemented digital learning policies, infrastructure, and capacity building across 50 public universities, training over 250,000 students and 20,000 instructors.

Key themes throughout the discussion included the need to break down silos, ensure interoperability of systems, support open-source solutions, and move from dialogue to concrete action. Panelists emphasized that digital public infrastructure should be built with inclusion by design rather than as an afterthought, and stressed the importance of local ownership and sustainability of digital solutions. The discussion concluded with calls for bold visions, continued collaboration, and the recognition that digital transformation represents both an opportunity for leapfrogging development challenges and a tool for achieving greater equity and inclusion globally.

Keypoints

## Major Discussion Points:

– **Digital divide and infrastructure challenges**: The discussion highlighted that 2.6 billion people remain offline globally, with this digital exclusion limiting access to essential services and deepening inequalities. Panelists emphasized the need for digital public infrastructure (DPI) as a foundation for public services across health, education, and community access.

– **Digital Public Goods and open-source solutions**: Multiple panelists stressed the importance of open, non-commercial digital solutions that prevent vendor lock-in and promote collaboration. Norway’s role in the Digital Public Goods Alliance and support for solutions like MOSIP and OpenCRVS were highlighted as examples of this approach.

– **Multi-stakeholder partnerships and ecosystem thinking**: The conversation emphasized breaking down silos between government, NGOs, academia, private sector, and civil society. Panelists discussed the need for coordinated efforts rather than isolated initiatives, with examples from Tanzania’s school connectivity projects and Ethiopia’s e-learning system.

– **Youth engagement and capacity building**: The discussion featured strong youth perspectives on digital inclusion, emphasizing the importance of involving young people not just as beneficiaries but as active contributors to solutions. The conversation highlighted how digital access fundamentally changes educational possibilities and opportunities.

– **From dialogue to action**: A recurring theme was the need to move beyond policy discussions to concrete implementation. Panelists called for better data collection, funding for grassroots innovations, and accountability for turning resolutions into real-world results.

## Overall Purpose:

The discussion aimed to demonstrate how different actors (government agencies, NGOs, academia, and youth organizations) can contribute to building an inclusive digital ecosystem for development. The goal was to highlight practical examples of digital public infrastructure implementation and identify concrete actions for closing the digital divide, particularly focusing on education and community access.

## Overall Tone:

The discussion maintained a consistently collaborative and solution-oriented tone throughout. It began with formal introductions but quickly evolved into an engaged, practical conversation focused on real-world examples and actionable solutions. The tone was optimistic yet realistic about challenges, with panelists showing genuine enthusiasm for partnership opportunities. The youth representatives brought particular energy and urgency to the conversation, especially when calling for moving “from dialogue to action,” which added a constructive sense of accountability to the overall discussion.

Speakers

– **Marianne Knarud**: Project leader for the Global University Academy, a consortia of universities and other stakeholders working together to increase access to higher education for refugees, displaced learners and their communities through digital and hybrid solutions. Session moderator.

– **Tale Jordbakke**: Head of section for partnership at the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD)

– **Franz von Weizacker**: Digital policy expert at the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), heading the economic and digital portfolio of the GIZ Office of the African Union, based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

– **Catherine Kimambo**: Founder and executive director of the youth-led NGO African Child Project in Tanzania, focusing on digital public infrastructure in education and inclusion

– **Thomas Aarheim**: Representative of Youth Coalition on Internet Governance

– **Svein Stolen**: President of the University of Oslo

– **Meklit Mintesinot**: Head of the E-SHE (E-Learning for Strengthening Higher Education) project at the Ministry of Education in Ethiopia, joining online

– **Audience**: Multiple audience members asking questions, including Pons Light from the Gambia NRI Focal Point and board member of the Association for Progressive Communication, and Mohamed Abdi Ali, executive director from Somali civil society platform Kole Tsonsa based in Somalia

**Additional speakers:**

– **Josef Noll**: From the University of Oslo, mentioned as co-moderator keeping track of online activities, though not directly quoted in the transcript

# The Ecosystem of Digital Cooperation in Development: A Forum Report

## Introduction and Context

This open forum discussion, organised by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, University of Oslo, and BASIC Internet Foundation, brought together stakeholders to examine “The Ecosystem of Digital Cooperation in Development.” The session was moderated by Marianne Knarud, Project Leader for the Global University Academy, with Josef Noll co-moderating and tracking online participation. Representatives from government agencies, NGOs, academia, and youth organisations explored how various actors can collaborate to bridge the digital divide and build inclusive digital public infrastructure.

The discussion opened with the stark reality that 2.6 billion people remain offline globally, creating significant barriers to accessing essential services and deepening inequalities. The forum aimed to move beyond theoretical discussions towards practical solutions for addressing these challenges through collaborative approaches.

## Key Stakeholder Perspectives

### Government and Development Agency Approaches

**Norwegian Development Cooperation**

Tale Jordbakke, Head of Section for Partnership at the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD), outlined Norway’s approach to digital development cooperation. She explained that Norway’s strategy centres on digital public goods as open, non-commercial solutions that prevent vendor lock-in and promote democratic principles. This is operationalised through Norway’s participation in the Digital Public Goods Alliance, where they champion solutions like MOSIP (Modular Open Source Identity Platform) and OpenCRVS (Open Civil Registration and Vital Statistics).

Jordbakke noted that digital transformation offers opportunities to achieve more with fewer resources, particularly important given reduced development funding. She emphasised that the focus should be on normative work, capacity building, and institutional strengthening rather than merely deploying technology, with NORAD positioning itself as a facilitator of multi-stakeholder partnerships.

**German International Cooperation**

Frans Weissecker, Digital Policy Expert at the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), described their work with the African Union on harmonising digital policies across 55 member states. His presentation highlighted the complexity of coordinating digital development across diverse national contexts whilst emphasising digital sovereignty as a core principle.

Weissecker’s approach focuses on helping governments remain independent and avoid technological dependencies through strategic policy development and capacity building at the continental level whilst respecting national sovereignty.

### Civil Society and Youth Perspectives

**Youth-Led NGO Approach**

Catherine Kimambo, Founder and Executive Director of the African Child Project in Tanzania, brought a practical implementation perspective to the discussion. Her organisation focuses on digital public infrastructure in education and inclusion, including their School Connectivity Project that provides internet access to rural schools.

Kimambo highlighted a critical gap in Tanzania and across Africa: “we have good policies on paper, but when it comes to implementation, there’s equally to very few that is implemented from the policies.” She emphasised the need to move from dialogue to action, stating “There’s a lot of dialogue that is happening globally but I’d move more into action. How are we moving from dialogue to action?” She also referenced the Dar es Salaam declaration and advocated for better data collection to verify the impact of digital inclusion initiatives.

**Youth Coalition Perspective**

Thomas Aarheim, representing the Youth Coalition on Internet Governance, provided personal testimony about the transformative potential of digital infrastructure. He shared a vivid memory of showing his grandfather an end-of-year paper that incorporated digital resources: “I very distinctly remember showing my now late grandfather one of my end-of-year papers… he almost didn’t believe it because he was in high school in the 1950s” and had to rely on library research.

This generational perspective illustrated how digital tools fundamentally shift educational possibilities by providing access to real-time information and multimedia resources. Aarheim emphasised the importance of local ownership in technology development and highlighted media literacy as crucial for safe online navigation.

### Academic and Higher Education Contributions

**University Leadership**

Svein Stolen, President of the University of Oslo, outlined their Global University Academy initiative, which aims to contribute to reaching one million refugees before 2038 through digital and hybrid solutions, supporting the UNHCR’s 15 by 30 goal.

Stolen advocated for bold action over perfect planning, suggesting a “cut the crap, just do it” approach and being “less afraid of failure.” He emphasised that universities need to work across sectors to transform knowledge into action and maintain international cooperation despite geopolitical challenges.

**Ethiopian Implementation Experience**

Meklit Mintesinot, Head of the E-SHE (E-Learning for Strengthening Higher Education) project at the Ministry of Education in Ethiopia, provided concrete examples of large-scale implementation. Her project has successfully implemented digital learning across 50 public universities, training over 250,000 students and close to 20,000 instructors.

Due to visa delays, Mintesinot participated virtually and described the evolution of their approach: “Initially, we started this project as a vertical approach when it comes to digital public infrastructure. But currently, we’re evolving horizontally. We’re working with different sectors, with the health sector, with the employment sector.” She highlighted how universities can serve as gateways with better infrastructure to connect schools and communities.

## Areas of Consensus

### Digital Public Goods and Open Source Solutions

Speakers showed strong agreement on the importance of open source solutions and digital public goods as foundations for inclusive digital development. Both Jordbakke and Weissecker advocated for these approaches as ways to prevent vendor lock-in, promote democratic principles, and maintain digital sovereignty.

### Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships

All speakers emphasised the importance of collaboration between government, private sector, civil society, and academia. There was consensus that no single actor can address digital development challenges alone, though speakers emphasised different mechanisms for achieving this collaboration.

### Implementation Focus

Both Kimambo and Stolen emphasised the gap between policy creation and implementation, advocating for practical action and understanding root causes of failures rather than continuously developing new policies without implementation.

### Capacity Building

Speakers agreed that providing technology alone is insufficient and that comprehensive capacity building, skills development, and institutional strengthening are essential for sustainable digital transformation.

## Audience Engagement and Questions

The forum included audience participation, with questions addressing how people internalize information differently and concerns about cybersecurity and digital warfare’s impact on future digital cooperation. These questions highlighted emerging challenges that require ongoing attention in digital development work.

## Concrete Commitments and Initiatives

The discussion identified several specific commitments and ongoing initiatives:

– The Global University Academy’s goal of contributing to reaching one million refugees before 2038

– Ethiopia’s E-SHE project expansion across sectors beyond higher education

– Continued championing of open, inclusive digital public goods

– Investment in grassroots youth-led initiatives alongside institutional capacity building

## Key Challenges Identified

### The Implementation Gap

The persistent gap between policy creation and practical implementation emerged as a central challenge, with Kimambo’s observation about good policies on paper but poor implementation resonating throughout the discussion.

### Data and Accountability

The need for better data collection and verification mechanisms to measure progress in digital inclusion initiatives was highlighted as an ongoing challenge.

### Funding Sustainability

Securing sustainable long-term funding for digital public infrastructure remains challenging, particularly in an environment of reduced development aid.

## Conclusion

This forum demonstrated broad consensus on fundamental principles for digital cooperation in development, including the importance of open source solutions, multi-stakeholder partnerships, and practical implementation over policy creation. The discussion highlighted successful examples like Ethiopia’s E-SHE project and Norway’s digital public goods approach, while also identifying persistent challenges around implementation, funding, and data collection.

The forum’s emphasis on moving from dialogue to action, as advocated by Kimambo, combined with concrete commitments like the Global University Academy’s refugee education goal, suggests potential pathways for meaningful progress in addressing the digital divide affecting 2.6 billion people worldwide. The challenge now lies in translating these discussions and commitments into concrete actions that reach those who remain digitally excluded.

Marianne Knarud: Ladies and gentlemen, it’s my great pleasure to welcome you to this open forum titled The Ecosystem of Digital Cooperation in Development. And also a big welcome to viewers who are joining us online. My name is Marianne Knarud. I am the project leader for the Global University Academy, a consortia of universities and other stakeholders working together to increase access to higher education for refugees, displaced learners and their communities through digital and hybrid solutions. And I am very excited to moderate this session, which is organized by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the University of Oslo and BASIC Internet Foundation. And with me on stage I have a stellar panel representing various actors of the digital ecosystem that we want to highlight here today from government agencies, NGOs and academia. And also as my co-moderator is Josef Noll from the University of Oslo, who will be keeping track of everything that’s going on online. And we have Tale Jordbakke, head of section for partnership at the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation. We have Frans Weissecker, digital policy expert at the German Agency for International Cooperation. Catherine Kimambo, founder and executive director of the youth-led NGO African Child Project in Tanzania, focusing on digital public infrastructure in education and inclusion. And Tomas Årheim, representing Youth Coalition on Internet Governance. And we have the president of the University of Oslo, Svein Sturlund. And… And last but not least, we have Meklit Mitesinu, head of the E-Shi project at the Ministry of Education in Ethiopia, joining us online. And before I give the word to our panelists, I will shortly introduce the context for and the goal of this session. Because today, 2.6 billion people remain offline without access to internet, and this digital exclusion really translates into lack of access to essential services. That limits opportunities and deepens inequalities. So the purpose of the session is really to highlight how the different actors can contribute to building an inclusive digital ecosystem for development, and to demonstrate how digital public infrastructure can serve as a cross-cutting foundation for public services, from health information in schools to digital access for communities. And also, what I hope that we will accomplish throughout the session is to also think about how we can go from words to concrete action as we move forward. And each panelist will now have three minutes to highlight their role in the digital ecosystem, and how their institution or organization can contribute to closing the digital divide. And I will give you a little wave once you are approaching your three minutes. So, I want to start with you, Tale. The Norwegian government has been quite active, I would say, in this space, and now also the host of this conference. How do you see NORAD’s role in the ecosystem? Tale?

Tale Jordbakke: First of all, thank you for having NORAD in this panel. In NORAD, we believe that achieving the SDGs can only be done by unlocking opportunities through digital transformation. Digital solutions are key to improve people’s lives at scale. And it’s even more important in these times where the funding for the development sector is cutting. And to answer the panel’s question, how to increase access to digital public infrastructure, we believe the answer lies in digital public goods. These are inclusion, collaboration, scalability, and they will prevent vendor lock-in. By breaking down silos, reducing fragmentation and promoting collaboration and transparency, we can achieve more and ensure that no one is left behind. Norway has been involved from the start as a founding member of the Digital Public Goods Alliance and through investments in open sustainability solutions across sectors, such as health, education, and public administration. DPI now also connects long-term development, humanitarian efforts, democracy, and human rights. That’s why it’s crucial to base DPI on open, non-commercial solutions that counter tech monopolies and promote democratic principles. I believe that Norway here have an advantage. We do have high credibility because we contribute with funding and do not have our own commercial interests. NORAD and Norway support solutions like MOSIP and OpenCRVS and fund initiatives like the World Bank’s ID4D. We collaborate with partners such as Codevelop to allocate financing mechanisms and ensure DPG’s sustainability. To meet these challenges, we need to be working closely with governments and private sector to share responsibility for maintaining and developing this infrastructure. At the same time, it’s important to be honest that there are many challenges that we face. Our capacity is limited. Therefore, we must use our resources wisely, support cross-sectorial solutions, and focus on normative work, capacity building, and institutional strengthening, not just technology. We must also continue to be a bold and visionary donor, willing to take risks where others cannot, and use our position to mobilize more partners and create collaborative funding mechanisms. In conclusion, Norway and NORAD will continue to champion open, inclusive digital public goods as a foundation for DPI, ensuring access, information, services, and opportunities for all across sectors and borders. Together, we can build an ecosystem where DPI serves as a tool for equity and inclusion.

Marianne Knarud: Thank you. Thank you, Tale, for this. And Franz, what about you? How does this look from your perspective?

Franz von Weizacker: Yes, thank you very much. So my name is Franz Weizäcker, and I’m heading our economic and digital portfolio of the GIZ Office of the African Union. And this is based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. And in GIZ, we are a company that works, is owned by the German government and works on behalf of mostly German and European governments for the sustainable development goals in our partner countries. And Africa is probably the biggest focus because there’s also the fastest growth of internet penetration that we have. And in my role, I work together with the African Union Department for Infrastructure and Energy and working on harmonizing the digital policies in Africa on the continent with the 55 member states of the African Union. GIZ is also endorsing these principles that you just mentioned on open infrastructures, accessible infrastructures, where it can be open source when it comes to software development or open access when it comes to internet offerings and these principles that we endorse are also, we have this partnership with NORAD on the Digital Public Good Alliance, which I very much support and when it comes to the increasingly important topic of digital sovereignty, of how governments can remain sovereign in a digital age and then avoid too many political dependencies that are derived from technological dependencies. In that sense, we in Europe can play a big role in creating this independence by providing and sharing elements for a sovereign government. As we in GIZ, we typically work with our governmental partners together to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, but of course also we are supporting quite a few of grassroots organizations that are providing very concrete, tangible solutions like in Cameroon, we have also community network projects that are providing internet access for communities. Thank you. Thank you very much, Frans. Catherine, you have

Marianne Knarud: previously highlighted the importance of skills and not just technical solutions in your work. Can you tell us a little bit about the African Child Project and what your take on this is?

Catherine Kimambo: So, there’s a lot that the African Child Project is doing in regards to skills and access. We have like two flagship projects in Tanzania and our first flagship project is the School Connectivity Project where we connect schools in rural Tanzania to internet, making sure that we are not only providing access but also put into perspective things like devices, also skills and content. Because at the end of the day, when we are speaking about digital public infrastructure, I think there’s a notion that we and the other panelists. We will be having a discussion on the policies of the ICTs outside the school premises. So, for us, we’ve had, I think, a lot of success in terms of having multi-stakeholder approach in everything that we do in regards to our project. But also, the policies in Tanzania, I think, it’s, the way we’re seeing harmonization of policies. How are we making sure that we have effective policies on the ground? And also, how can we better have discussions in policies, and how can we better have effective policies on the ground? But also, I think our government is now seeing the importance of not only having policies on paper, but also implementing the resolutions that are written in the policy. I think now that we are coming from the African IGF, where we are discussing a lot about the ICTs multi-stakeholder approach, I think we have to be very clear about that, because those are the very questions. and Jelena Kikwete. We are also working in local talents but also pioneering local solutions across Tanzania. So there’s a lot that is happening and we are happy that we are able to see now there’s a shift of perspective in terms of multi-stakeholder initiative and involvement of civil society in such platforms. But also recognising that big ideas also come from grassroots. So we are seeing that recognition and also involvement of the young people. So we are not only seeing young people working independently, but we are seeing all of us coming together in terms of bridging the divide as a collective.

Marianne Knarud: Thank you very much. Thomas, you’re representing youth today. So it seems, yeah. Well, also with Catherine, I would say. So what is your perspective, taking this from the youth side?

Thomas Aarheim: Well, thank you very much. Well, I can start off by saying I’m a part of a, well, what I’m representing is a youth coalition on internet governance. And this is one of the IGF, like, dynamic groups that the IGF kind of facilitates for. And what we try and do is that we engage, or we try to connect, engage youth from all over the world. And the only way we can do that is obviously through the internet, through an open internet platform. So the way we work is that we have, on the board, we have one representative from each region, the UN-recognized region of the world. Meaning that you will basically get perspectives from any type of culture, any type of background, all walks of life. And that is the idea. Because what we really want to, you know, focus on is to make sure that, you know, digital public infrastructure is inclusive by all means. And that’s what we’re trying to do. That’s what we’re trying to do by design. And not just by afterthought. And what I mean by that is that in And that means that other countries that want to increase or develop their public infrastructure can learn from the failures of previous initiatives, but also, perhaps more importantly, learn from the successes, and maybe allow that to leapfrog into a more interconnected and more access to open internet. And since, yes, like you said, I’m here to provide some sort of youth perspective on digitalization, I thought I’d like to start this off by relating it to my own experience as a digital native, perhaps, I daresay, well, maybe not the only digital native here, but one of the only digital natives here, and I have this vivid memory from how this infrastructure or this development in infrastructure has impacted my education growing up, because if you go back a few years to when I was in high school, I started in 2015, which is a full decade ago now, to be fair, but my year group was the pilot project year group for introducing iPads in the school instead of using textbooks, you know, as an initiative to start digitalizing the classroom. And of course, there was plenty of pushbacks and skepticism, you know, parents were worried about screen time, teachers were worried about losing the crucial battle in the classroom for attention, and of course, these issues had to be taken seriously, and I mean, yeah, I’ll be the first one to admit that there were maybe some, you know, late hours in the Monday afternoon where my attention drifted to apps and then games on the iPad that probably weren’t that educational, but overall, I would say that this project for us and the way we experienced it turned out to be a huge success because it really did change the way we were being taught in the classroom. We were more interconnected, we had more interactiveness and we were more productive throughout our working week. And we also found that it opened up a whole new world of learning. We had access to real-time information, multimedia resources and all the knowledge that the World Wide Web possesses at our fingertips in the classroom. Just to put this into maybe a generational perspective, I very distinctly remember showing my now late grandfather one of my end-of-year papers, topical research papers, and he almost didn’t believe it because he was in high school in the 1950s. What he said is that if he were to put together a piece of paper like this, he’d have to not only comb through dozens and dozens of books, but he had to spend hours and hours in the physical library to get all the sources and get all the material. And this is a moment that’s really stuck with me, not just because it shows how much has changed in a relatively short amount of time, but because it reminded me that access to the right type of tools, digital tools, with them having the infrastructure backing them up, fundamentally shifts what’s possible, especially in education. And that is what DPI really should be. And then, like you said, there are still billions of people who don’t have access to internet. And when you see these micro-examples of how it can look in the field, it really puts into perspective how important it is to really develop this and make sure that everyone has this, that it’s inclusive, so that everyone has access to this gift that we have, which is the internet.

Marianne Knarud: and I’ll leave it at that for now if that’s okay. Thank you very much Thomas and I think it’s safe to say that the future is in pretty safe hands. And going towards the universities, your intervention Thomas really you know it highlights you know the inequalities that lack of access creates and remembering also from the pandemic how how soon Norwegian schools, European schools managed to kind of pivot and just you know be online within two days and then the example that we saw when visiting rural areas in Uganda, you know schools were completely shut down for two years with no learning really happening at all and the consequences of that you can just only imagine right. So being on the topic of education, Svein, you’ve taken the initiative to establish actually the Global University Academy a little over a year ago but the University of Oslo has a long a proud history I would say of initiatives connected to this topic that we are exploring today. Could you say a little bit about how this looks from the University of Oslo’s side? I should first of all say that I’m representing Lesjang here of course.

Svein Stolen: I’m not native digital but I lived through the whole thing using punching cards initially to program different things. So university has been deeply involved really in the creation of the digital world that we see today and you can see that on the outside of the hall here because Josef and his people have something about the history of digitalization in Norway and at university. I think that shows the power of research because you need to be at the forefront of development that’s at the heart of a university but then of course you need to take the knowledge into use as well and then education is really what we need to do. ICT is obviously enlarged at the University of Oslo and I think it’s a big challenge even in Norway to secure. We have to make sure that the digital divide is not opening up too large. If you go to Europe, the challenge is even huger. And then, of course, if you go beyond Europe, it’s really a huge challenge. So for that reason, we have tried to go into an initiative where we try to collaborate on giving education to refugees where the refugees are. So we have an aim to contribute to the 15 by 30 goal of the UNHCR and a modest goal of contributing to one million refugees before 2038. ICT is obviously important in that respect. It’s about giving people Internet access, of course, as we say here today, but also about capacity building. So what we try to do is to say that no one can do everything, but everyone can contribute to some extent. We try to partner up with different universities. We are about 20 universities from four continents. We partner up with UNHCR, UNICEF, and so on, and we try to build on lifelong learning platforms to give micro-credentials that can be stacked and then can be scalable. So we try to lower the threshold for universities to take part, to contribute with programs that give employability, and then to have an ecosystem kind of thinking. Breakdown silos, I hear that from several panelists here today. We are starting in Jordan, close to the border to Syria, in Asraq and Zaatari. Educational offers in ICT by Al-Husayn Technical University. And then we hope that what we do in one space, which is a global, how to say, way of thinking on the educational offer, can be transferred to other places. Like in Uganda, where we are in Adjomani, but of course then the challenge is quite different. In Jordan, UNHCR is in charge of CAMP. Save the Children Jordan is implementing partners, giving us the classrooms and the internet. Adjomani is a much bigger challenge. And we can talk more about that later, I guess. Do you want to highlight some other examples from the University of Oslo? Do you want to highlight some other examples from the University of Oslo? I think that that was talking about global goods. The health information system program is extremely important. I mean, it’s an impressive offer that’s been developed for many years. And I think it’s also an inspiration for what we try to do in here today. And also Josef has a great initiative also on contributing to giving access.

Marianne Knarud: Thank you. And turning to our online panelist, Meklit, you are project manager for the E-SHE. And it’s an Ethiopian initiative that uses e-learning to strengthen higher education across all universities. Could you tell us a little bit about the initiative and how this is helpful for students and learners?

Meklit Mintesinot: OK, thank you, Marianne. Can you hear me? Yes. Great. Actually, I’m honored to be part of this panel discussion. Actually, my initial plan was to join you in person, but I couldn’t make it due to my due to the delay in my visa. Anyways, thanks to technology, I’m able to join from to join you from the comfort of my home. So a brief introduction about myself. My name is Meklit Muntasnot, I’m from Ethiopia. And today I’m speaking on behalf of the E-Learning for Strengthening Higher Education project under the Ministry of Education. So before discussing how our work is contributing to the digital public infrastructure development, just I would like to give you a highlight of the project, what we have been doing, what are our objectives and what we want to achieve through this project. So actually, the E-SHE project, we call it E-SHE, it’s the E-Learning for Strengthening Higher Education project. It is a national initiative. It’s designed to improve the Quality, Accessibility, Inclusion and Resilience of Higher Education, mainly by leveraging digital education. And for the past three, four years, we’ve been implementing it in partnership with the ECOPEAD Ministry of Education, Arizona State University, a local implementing partner called Shia Ashoni and the MasterCard Foundation. They are our financial partners. Actually, they’re the ones who supported the project. So for the past three years, we have been working on policy, on digital education policy, infrastructure system and capacity building. And I would say we have achieved a great success. So actually, the first thing or the first problem that we have been tackling is the policy and the framework issue. So in Ethiopia, actually before this project, we didn’t have a policy that governed digital education or that governed online education. So to tackle that problem, we have managed to develop actually a national e-learning policy, institutional guidelines, directives. And even we have managed to, we have managed to establish e-learning at a direct rates level in every university. Ethiopia has 50 public universities, so currently all these 50 public universities have a direct rates that leads digital education or the digital education initiative. That’s what we have been doing when it comes to policy. Additionally, the other problem that we have been observing was lack of a learning management system and student information systems. So in partnership with Arizona State University, we have customized and rolled out a learning management system for the public, for the 50 public universities. So currently, all the. The public universities have their own learning management system and as well student information system. So that’s the other success we mentioned in this project. And the third intervention area was infrastructure. Actually, we’ve been establishing resource centers, online resource centers, where instructors produce their contents, where students access the contents. So we established the seven multimedia studio online resource centers in seven public universities. And the last one is related with capacity development. Actually, after having the system, after having the policy, after having the infrastructure, the students and the instructors need to know how to operate the system and how to benefit from the system. So in this regard, we have money to provide digital skill training for over 250,000 students from all the 50 public universities. And close to 20,000 instructors were trained on how to design digital content, on how to facilitate online classes. So that’s what we have been doing. Actually, initially, we started this project or we started the SHIP project as a vertical approach when it comes to this digital public infrastructure. But currently, we’re evolving horizontally. We’re working with different sectors, with the health sector, with the employment sector, and with other sectors, so that the youth, especially the youngsters, can benefit from the project. So recently, we’re partnering with the prime minister’s office to cascade. We are facilitating the 50 million coders program, so currently we are facilitating that program and actually it is training 5 million young people so that they can be able to design and code. So we are also facilitating that and we are also working with high schools and regional education bureaus to connect the universities with high schools so that students from remote areas can access the content or can access digital services. So this is what we have been doing for the past 3-4 years. Thank you. Thank you very much for this very inspiring intervention and also highlighting how you can in practice go from the vertical to the horizontal approach. I know for sure that I want to hear more about all of the things that you said after the session and hopefully you all will too.

Marianne Knarud: So Tale and Franz, you are both representing government agencies here in this panel and reflecting on the introductions that we just heard and understanding also the importance of partnership working across but also really involving the whole of society to make sure that we have a truly inclusive system. How can your agencies or government programs be better at really making those connections and also give space for civil society actors? Tale, do you want to go first?

Tale Jordbakke: Sure. I do think that we as a government agency can play a role. Firstly, by being clear on that the policies and principles we support are open source. exclusively open, and that it is the digital public goods for DPI, like the DHS2 that was mentioned here, that NORTH has been supporting for years. When we ensure that the digital development that we support are open source, it can be used by many and be adaptable. So secondly, we can also contribute to mobilize and contribute funding. We need to work on these challenges together, and as an agency, Norwegian government agency, we have been taking early risk by providing catalytic funding for digital public goods, and by ensuring pool resourcing, working through mechanisms like Digital Public Goods Alliance 50 and 5, working with co-develop, we can make sure that we avoid duplication and maximize impact. Thirdly, I think we can support capacity building and knowledge sharing by investing in local expertise and strengthening institutional frameworks. We enable countries to implement, adapt, and sustain digital solutions over time. And lastly, I think that we can act as a bridge builder between sectors and a convener by bridging together stakeholders from government, civil society, private sector, and international partners. We talked about a lot of ideas just before, back on stage here today. We help to ensure that solutions are not developed in silos, but are interoperable and meet real needs across sectors, like health, education, and financial inclusion, as we heard about here today. So, all in all, I think better coordination, creation of the DPI’s ecosystem means committing to openness, partnerships, and long-term sustainability, so that digital transformation truly delivers for everyone, everywhere. Thanks. And Franz, do you have anything to add to that, I’m sure?

Franz von Weizacker: Yeah, so you asked about how we involve civil society in these questions. And of course, as a governmental agency, when we cooperate with other countries, we start talking with the government. That’s in most cases the starting point and also a basis of justification to be there. But then at the same time, depending on the context, we set up different types of multi-stakeholder partnerships. So in the case of digital policy development, it is actually, I mean, it’s not just about developing a policy, but it should be an inclusive policy. So therefore, we do consult with private sector, with civil society, and depending on the context, with researchers, academia, for the policy consulting. And then also in the implementation, if you look at, it depends very much on the context. We always design it according to form follows function, of course. If it’s a municipal level interaction or a national level, depending on that, we set up different types of multi-stakeholder partnerships. And then what we also have in some cases is a direct funding mechanism for civil society. So with the African Union, we set up the African Union Civic Tech Fund, where we currently have 30 grantees from across the continent, from 26 different countries, that are developing a solution, that have developed solutions that are working, that promote civic engagement and participation, and we’re providing funding and expertise to grow and scale these initiatives by the civil society. So there are various mechanisms, and I think we really need to see, in the context, is it education, is it health, and so on, what is the most suitable form of engagement with civil society.

Marianne Knarud: Great, thank you. and Catherine, I wanted to ask you, hearing all of these interventions and discussions that we’ve had, if you were Minister of Digitalization or Minister of International Development, what would be the first thing that you did?

Catherine Kimambo: So for me, if I were Minister of Digitalization, first I’d want to understand why. Maybe why certain things aren’t working, because I think there’s a tendency to always come up with a new standard, come up with a new policy. I think in Tanzania we have this saying that we have good policies on paper, but when it comes to implementation, there’s equally to very few that is implemented from the policies. So I really want to understand why certain things aren’t working. But also when it comes to investing in grassroots ideas, I think there’s a lot that is happening on ground. There’s a lot of great ideas that youth have, but we don’t have resources, I think, to implement such ideas. So maybe trying to really dig deep and understand what are the great ideas. I think we have a good success with school connectivity, because it was a grassroots initiative, but also we are experimenting with affordable solutions, solutions that are scalable, solutions that are fit for purpose. So I think having that understanding of what could be scalable on ground and not having these parachuting ideas where you come up with solutions that are high-end or of high cost that are not sustainable in the long run. I think I could also see what works on ground, but also overseeing implementation or harmonizing the policies, because currently we are having a lot of policies that are coming up, but also they are not harmonized. I want to see how we can have like a common understanding in terms of involving different stakeholders. and others in the field to understand the policies but also how are we coming in together in regard to bringing all the policies to life. But also something else that I’d invest in is in terms of funding. I think funding is a challenge when it comes to youth and how they are operating. So I think I invest more in youth because when it comes to us as youth there’s a lot of capacity building I feel that we are getting but we are not getting a chance to do meaningful work. So maybe less on the capacity building and really funding our ideas in terms of how we can accelerate connectivity and digital inclusion in Tanzania. But also just I think in terms of data I’d really want to understand when we are saying we’ve reached maybe this age group. Is there data for it? Because I think there’s a lot of data that is missing so I’d invest much in having data that really speaks to the results that we are seeing because there’s a lot of we are seeing a lot of stories like this that is happening we’ve reached this amount of people but when for us we are working on ground we are not seeing the shift that is there on the global stages. But also we have been dialoguing a lot. There’s a lot of discussions that are happening but I’d move more into action. How are we moving from dialogue to action? How are we being more action oriented? Because I think there’s a lot of dialogue that is happening globally but even here after dialogues and all this what’s happened? What’s next when you go back to our regional countries? Are we implementing ideas? Are we coming up with results? Or are we only maybe coming up with different resolutions and then when we are meeting again next year we are having another resolution. So I think if I was a Minister of Digitalization I’d move from dialogue to action and really spotlighting the different innovations that are there on ground to bring them to the global presence and maybe that could also bring a change in the digital inclusion and divide.

Marianne Knarud: Hear, hear. Thomas.

Thomas Aarheim: Yeah, no, hear, hear. If I was minister for a day, well, let’s say since I don’t represent any political party and I haven’t yet gotten any vested economic interests or I can just go from a blank slate, I would say that I think it is really important, and that’s why I say this, I think it’s really important to focus that this type of new technology and development in the countries where it happens also stays in the countries where it happens, where they also don’t just become users of technology from foreign aid and foreign companies that do direct investments, but that they also then own this themselves so that they can share that knowledge and that they can start using that as a part of their industry, that it becomes integrated into their local systems and that this creates a form of long-term growth for them. So, in a sense, which probably would make me a really bad minister, I would do it without any strings attached, but we’ll see if that passes in Congress. Yeah, and like we talked about before, out of these billions of people who are without access, a majority, like in these regions and places we’re talking about, the majority of the youth or young population in the world is located here. So, it’s really an investment in the future as well because these regions, these are skills that will last for decades for them. And that’s why it’s really important to get them connected now, get them connected so that they can use this for the next five, six decades and pass this on.

Marianne Knarud: Thank you. And Svein, you can also give us your take on if you were a minister for a day.

Svein Stolen: I have power, so I would like to say that I try to be a cut the crap, just do it director. And I think that what we really need is to be less afraid of failure. We need to try to utilize the power of an institution, and then I think all have to take the same take. How can we do better? For a university, I believe that to utilize the power to take the knowledge into use, because we’re quite good at research, we’re quite good at education, but we have to be a little bit out of the comfort zone in order to transform that knowledge and competence into action. For that reason, I believe in this ecosystem type of thinking, because often when universities work, they work alone, or they work together with other universities, but I don’t think that is going to solve many challenges. We need to work across sectors. That challenges universities, but it also challenges other actors. So to break down the silos. So for that reason, in the Global University Academy, we recently launched a policy paper where we said that, okay, universities are not really flexible, to be honest. So there’s a lot of challenges that are on itself, but I think it’s also a lot of challenges on the other part. Especially, I would like to see that ministries and the politicians, they understand that universities could be used more efficiently in some of these global collaborations. But then they have also to, how to say, give them that task. When we talk with universities in other parts of the world, they say that this is not really within our mandate. I think it should be within the mandate. And for me, that’s also about educating students in our own countries. Because in the Global University, we hope to use the students as part of the classroom. and so on. And if we are going to educate students with a global mind, that’s the way to do it. So I believe in this ecosystem and we should push that and break down silos in my opinion. I think that’s a major takeaway from this session, to break down the silos and figure out how to work more efficiently together. I want to open up for some questions from the Zoom. There is one from Francis Thompson to Thomas and Svein. Does the ease of information access to children and students make them less likely to internalize the information, as in there is less need to digest fully the information and context or even remember it for recall because it is so accessible and easy to find again online? That was a bit unclear. Can you repeat the first part? I got the last part. Yeah, okay, I’ll try again. Does the ease of information access to children and students make them less likely to internalize the information?

Thomas Aarheim: Maybe, probably. We talk about now maybe with this, again like I was talking about earlier in the classroom, this attention span. There are concerns now that with youth and younger people these days getting more and more exposed to really fast-paced flickering images and then very short-pitched information that the concern for maybe more in academia is that you’re not capable of reading a full dissertation anymore, you’re not capable of reading a full book. I don’t think that’s necessarily true. I’m going to sound all the alarms right now and what we’re really talking about is for people to get to the, you know, that might be a late stage problem for a very small part of the world population, if you look at it that way. But I think easier access to information as a whole is a good, that’s a force for good and definitely something we should strive towards. Again, this will maybe later be a really good way for us to use this type of hindsight, like I was saying in the beginning, that you can maybe leapfrog and you can avoid some pitfalls. So I think it’s really important to then, you know, we’ll keep an eye on this, we’ll make sure we keep reading our books, despite being on TikTok or other platforms. But also then take the lessons and really try and learn from them and not just observe them. I don’t know if that answers your question, Svein, what do you think?

Svein Stolen: I think you answered that very well. I think that the attention span is a worry, but the access to information is not really a worry. I’m not very good at remembering anything, I’ve never been, but I manage anyway. And I think that what we need to be able to, I mean, how much more I can do today than I could do when I was a PhD student in 1988? It’s amazing. And I think we are going in the same direction. We have to harness the tools, we have to harness the technology and use it. And strictly, I believe that most of our students understand they can’t fool themselves, because if they use the new equipment in the wrong way, they’re not learning, they understand that. I mean, the students are bright. So I think that we shouldn’t overestimate the challenges. Some part of the student population probably could be tempted, but still, in general, I’m quite optimistic about the student and about technology. Great. And also, if there are questions in the audience, there is a microphone.

Marianne Knarud: We have a microphone on the side, and feel free to take the microphone. While waiting for participants to maybe take the mic, I want to ask a question to Meklit, that’s coming from the Zoom chat. How do you see the pathway from universities to schools and communities? Meklit, you can answer that, and after we will open the mic here in the room. Meklit? Sure, Marine, thank you.

Meklit Mintesinot: That’s an important question. As I mentioned earlier, currently we are working with universities. Actually, in Ethiopia, relatively, the universities have a better infrastructure, internet services, and they also have well-trained personnel. We believe that universities are the gateway. Once working or once capacitating the universities, we can connect them with the highest schools and with the communities. For example, the universities have trained personnel or trained instructors. They have the infrastructure. They also have the resources. They can mobilize resources or they can mobilize financial resources. We’re planning to connect them with the highest schools and to the communities. For example, you can take rural schools that are located in a rural area. In that case, the universities are better positioned to support them. They can support them in connectivity. They can support them in human resources. They can also support them in developing systems and infrastructures. The universities are the gateways, and through that, we can connect the schools, and we can also serve the communities. Thank you very much. And now we have two questions from the audience.

Marianne Knarud: Please state your name before your question and whom it is addressed to. And also please be brief. Thanks.

Audience: Thank you very much. I’m Pons Light from the Gambia NRI Focal Point and also a board member of the Association for Progressive Communication My question goes to Franz and the lady from NORAD and is also connected with SEV. It’s in regards to digital cooperation, which is a major part of the Global Digital Compact that is being implemented. I would like to know how both your agencies, GIZ and NORAD, work with academics in the global north to implement programs in the global south that also incorporates African universities, especially in terms of if you have to set up programs in rural areas that bring about connectivity.

Marianne Knarud: Thank you very much. Thank you very much. And we’ll take the other question as well and then the panel will answer.

Audience: Yeah. My name is Mohamed Abdi Ali. I’m executive director from Somali civil society platform Kole Tsonsa based in Somalia. My question is to the all panelists. I’m thinking positively digital is okay, but negativity. Now digital war started, cyber conflict started. So how in the future influence that barriers the ecosystem of digital cooperation and development? Thank you very much. Thank you very much. So first questions to Tala and Frans, which one want to go first? I can start. Thank you so much for the question.

Marianne Knarud: I believe that… NORAD, for example, supports, like Abhi mentioned, digital public goods, open source solutions. So, the University of Oslo works together with our partners in India, the MOSIP digital ID platforms, and NORAD supports those and have been from the beginning. So we connect universities and academia with the digital public good, the DHS2, which is a help platform. We try to connect our partners, IITB, in Bangalore, in India, with the University of Oslo to go together and learn. And on request of partners and countries in the global south and countries south of Zawahar in Africa, they have requested these kind of systems, and we connect the partners. We can support with the funding, but together we bring partners with knowledge and experience of rolling out and implementing these kind of systems that are open source, that can be built on something built elsewhere, but it can be adopted. It must be modified to the country itself, but it’s a lot cheaper to start with a system that you don’t have to develop. So that is one example how NORAD and Norway work with different countries in global south and connect universities, which are so important to the knowledge that we share and the experience that are often built local and has to be built local. Thank you. And Frans?

Franz von Weizacker: All right. Yeah, thank you, Ponsillet, for your question on also the cooperation with universities to work between universities from the north and the south to implement projects on connectivities. Actually, that’s a topic very close to my heart. Coming from Berlin University of Technology, while I was a student, I was setting up back in 2003 in Kabul, Afghanistan, the computing center at Kabul University. So very hands-on work we did as a student there. also writes that we could be doing much more in this university cooperation, if you compare for example how this used to be done maybe in the United States, they have quite a few faculties from the United States that are implementing hands-on development projects in the global south, and I think it’s a good and successful mode, and in the German system there is typically most university corporations work through the DART, the German Academic Exchange Service, and that was also the one that was funding the cooperation in Kabul that I mentioned earlier, but indeed where we can and where it makes sense, we should be involving universities. Maybe one more example from the European level, as part of the Global Gateway Project, we have the Medusa cable, and that’s basically a cable connecting northern African universities to fiber optics internet infrastructure, and that is part of the agenda that is now being developed in Brussels on infrastructure and connectivity under the Global Gateway Initiative.

Marianne Knarud: Thank you very much. And then there was a question about how to make sure that we are still digitally connected and working together in a time where the world is increasingly in turmoil, I would say. Svein, do you have any reflections on…

Svein Stolen: I understand the question, I mean I became rector eight years ago, everyone talked about the Sustainable Development Goals and the three Os, open science, open innovation, open to the world, and now we are talking about national interest, research security, and geopolitical issues. So to push forward and continue cooperation, so at the University of Oslo, we try to keep all doors open. I got a lot of criticism to work with China, we do, we try to work also on this. this Global University Academy at the present time, because it’s more important than ever. It’s more difficult, of course, but I don’t have any other answer than that. But we really, really need to to work different parts of sector and push towards collaboration. Tale, you wanted to come in there? Yeah, just to build on that. I think also in these times we have to work together

Marianne Knarud: and collaborate to do more with less because there will be less funding. And actually, in terms of digital transformation, this might be an opportunity because these are the leapfrog possibilities that can actually be done through technology. And if we build not silos, that has been said, but open source and shareable and digital public goods, then then we can actually make more out of less. And I think that’s more important than ever. Yeah. Thomas, this is also something that you see when you discuss with your fellow youth representatives. Yeah, and I definitely agree with what was just said. And in a world where, you know, things are getting more, like you say, in turmoil and then it’s that’s the focus.

Thomas Aarheim: I don’t think I think it’s important to keep in mind that it’s not like we want the Internet to disappear, but we really want to be able to navigate the Internet safely. And that means that, yeah, for a lot of youth in today’s reality, we’re going to have to develop, you know, new skills and new tools to be able to, you know, surf online safely. And that’s why you have it’s really important to drive, you know, initiatives that, you know, increase media literacy or, you know, Internet information literacy. You need to be able to know how to spot fake news and that’s going to be key moving forward for anyone who is surfing online.

Marianne Knarud: Thank you very much. We are running out of time, so we’re going to close up this session. So from for all of you, you have, you know, if you could sum up, but then. also think about what is it that we need to do when we leave this room, not just nice words but what are some things that we can all just go out and do to make a difference? Catherine.

Catherine Kimambo: So for me, I still go back to the Dar es Salaam declaration that we had with the African IGF where they were speaking about a unified voice or African voice in global processes. So I think still as Africa, we still need that unified voice in global processes because I still believe we still have the largest number of unconnected people in the Global South. So having a unified voice, what are the plans that we have as a continent? And I think for me going back home, I understand that the work that we do as African Child Projects contribute very much in the key aspect of digital divide, the things like digital skills, connectivity, so we plan to do more of that and I know with the different partners that we have and the desire that they have shown in terms of accelerating digitalization in Tanzania, so there’s more that we are going to do. And hopefully when we meet in the next year of IGF, we will have a lot of concrete and live examples on the ground of what we’ve done and how we’ve succeeded.

Marianne Knarud: Thank you. I want to turn online. Meklit, what would be your final short remarks?

Meklit Mintesinot: Thank you, Maureen. So actually for me, digital public infrastructure, digital service is not just about technology, it’s all about equity, inclusion and access and there are millions of people remaining disconnected and those who couldn’t access the services due to the existing situation, due to lack of infrastructure, due to lack of skill and due to lack of support, so we need to come. We are advocating for public-private development partnerships, so bringing the public sector which is the government, the development sector and even the private sector in availing services or in availing digital services for their use, especially their use actually. As I mentioned earlier, the majority of the population is used in Ethiopia and in Africa and they need to be served and they need to be included and they need to benefit from this initiative. So my call to action is let’s work together, especially we need to include the development and the private sector in enhancing digital services across Africa. So on our side, both the ministry and the project is open to collaborate with interested partners and to make digital services accessible to everyone. That’s what I can say. Thank you.

Marianne Knarud: Thank you very much. And Svein, some short final remarks.

Svein Stolen: I think we need bold visions. We need to continue to work hard and not look for the perfect system that solves everything, but go on the way and try to construct the airplane while flying, so to say. We need to push forward. Vivid picture. Tale?

Tale Jordbakke: I think collaboration. I think connectivity is important, but also the solution that we build has to be open and interoperability. We have to be able to build on each other. We cannot build in every country a different solution every time. It’s too expensive. It’s not smart. We need to be able to share open between each other.

Marianne Knarud: Thank you. Frans?

Franz von Weizacker: Absolutely. Those principles of openness, the principles for digital development are actually amazing. So you need to understand the existing ecosystem. Thank you very much, and that’s it from us. Thank you all for coming, and thank you to this wonderful panel, and also to the very energetic Josef Noll at the University of Oslo for really making this event a reality today.

Marianne Knarud: I think it’s safe to say that without you, this panel would not have been here. So let’s give the panel a big applause, and thank you very much for coming. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. and Fabiana Slok together caught us off guard when they launched their condos in the world after a tropical storm Marts Dam.

Agreement points

Open source solutions and digital public goods are essential for inclusive digital development

Speakers

– Tale Jordbakke
– Franz von Weizacker

Arguments

Digital public goods are key to inclusion, collaboration, and scalability while preventing vendor lock-in

Open source solutions counter tech monopolies and promote democratic principles

Digital sovereignty helps governments remain independent and avoid technological dependencies

Summary

Both speakers strongly advocate for open source solutions and digital public goods as foundations for digital public infrastructure. They agree that these approaches prevent vendor lock-in, promote democratic principles, and help maintain digital sovereignty while enabling collaboration and scalability.

Topics

Development | Legal and regulatory | Infrastructure

Multi-stakeholder partnerships are crucial for effective digital development

Speakers

– Tale Jordbakke
– Catherine Kimambo
– Meklit Mintesinot
– Svein Stolen

Arguments

Breaking down silos and promoting collaboration across sectors is essential for digital transformation

Multi-stakeholder approaches involving civil society, private sector, and government are crucial for effective implementation

Public-private development partnerships are needed to enhance digital services across Africa

Universities need to work across sectors rather than alone to transform knowledge into action

Summary

All speakers emphasize the critical importance of breaking down silos and fostering collaboration between government, private sector, civil society, and academia. They agree that no single actor can address digital development challenges alone.

Topics

Development | Economic | Legal and regulatory

Capacity building and skills development are fundamental to digital inclusion

Speakers

– Tale Jordbakke
– Catherine Kimambo
– Meklit Mintesinot
– Thomas Aarheim

Arguments

Focus should be on normative work, capacity building, and institutional strengthening, not just technology

Investment in local talents and pioneering local solutions is important for sustainable development

Digital skills training is essential – over 250,000 students and 20,000 instructors were trained in Ethiopia

Media literacy and internet information literacy are crucial for safe online navigation

Summary

Speakers agree that providing technology alone is insufficient; comprehensive capacity building, skills development, and institutional strengthening are essential for sustainable digital transformation and inclusion.

Topics

Development | Capacity development | Online education

Implementation challenges must be addressed through practical action rather than just policy creation

Speakers

– Catherine Kimambo
– Svein Stolen

Arguments

Good policies exist on paper but implementation remains a major challenge

Governments should focus on understanding why existing solutions aren’t working before creating new ones

Bold visions and willingness to take risks are needed rather than seeking perfect solutions

Summary

Both speakers emphasize the gap between policy creation and implementation, advocating for practical action, understanding root causes of failures, and taking calculated risks rather than continuously developing new policies without implementation.

Topics

Legal and regulatory | Development | Infrastructure

Similar viewpoints

Both speakers, representing youth perspectives, emphasize the importance of local ownership and avoiding dependency on foreign solutions. They advocate for investing in local capacity and ensuring that technology development creates sustainable local growth rather than external dependency.

Speakers

– Catherine Kimambo
– Thomas Aarheim

Arguments

Investment in local talents and pioneering local solutions is important for sustainable development

Technology development should remain in the countries where it’s implemented to create local ownership and long-term growth

Topics

Development | Economic | Capacity development

Both speakers view universities as crucial intermediaries and gateways for extending digital education and services to broader communities. They see universities as having the infrastructure, expertise, and capacity to bridge gaps between different educational levels and serve underserved populations.

Speakers

– Meklit Mintesinot
– Svein Stolen

Arguments

Universities serve as gateways with better infrastructure and trained personnel to connect schools and communities

Universities can contribute to refugee education through lifelong learning platforms and micro-credentials

Topics

Online education | Development | Infrastructure

Both speakers frame digital transformation as both an urgent challenge due to massive exclusion and an opportunity for leapfrogging development constraints, particularly in resource-constrained environments.

Speakers

– Tale Jordbakke
– Marianne Knarud

Arguments

Digital transformation offers leapfrog opportunities to do more with less resources

2.6 billion people remain offline, creating digital exclusion that limits opportunities and deepens inequalities

Topics

Development | Digital access | Infrastructure

Unexpected consensus

Continued international cooperation despite geopolitical tensions

Speakers

– Svein Stolen
– Tale Jordbakke
– Thomas Aarheim

Arguments

International cooperation must continue despite geopolitical challenges and reduced funding

Digital transformation offers leapfrog opportunities to do more with less resources

Media literacy and internet information literacy are crucial for safe online navigation

Explanation

Despite representing different sectors (academia, government agency, youth), these speakers unexpectedly converged on the need to maintain international cooperation and digital connectivity even in times of geopolitical tension and cyber conflicts. They acknowledge challenges but emphasize the importance of continued collaboration and safe navigation rather than isolation.

Topics

Development | Human rights principles | Cybersecurity

Technology access benefits outweigh potential negative effects on learning

Speakers

– Thomas Aarheim
– Svein Stolen

Arguments

Digital tools fundamentally shift what’s possible in education by providing access to real-time information and multimedia resources

Questions about information access and attention span need consideration but shouldn’t overshadow the benefits of connectivity

Explanation

When directly confronted with concerns about whether easy access to information might reduce students’ ability to internalize knowledge, both speakers unexpectedly agreed that the benefits of digital access far outweigh potential drawbacks, showing consensus on prioritizing connectivity over concerns about attention span or information retention.

Topics

Online education | Sociocultural | Development

Overall assessment

Summary

The speakers demonstrated remarkably high consensus across multiple key areas: the importance of open source solutions and digital public goods, the necessity of multi-stakeholder partnerships, the critical role of capacity building, and the need for practical implementation over policy creation. There was also strong agreement on the transformative potential of digital tools in education and the importance of local ownership in technology development.

Consensus level

Very high consensus with complementary rather than conflicting perspectives. The speakers represented different sectors (government agencies, academia, civil society, youth) but shared fundamental values about inclusive, collaborative, and sustainable approaches to digital development. This high level of agreement suggests a mature understanding of digital development challenges and broad alignment on solutions, which bodes well for coordinated action in addressing the digital divide and building inclusive digital ecosystems.

Different viewpoints

Approach to policy development and implementation

Speakers

– Catherine Kimambo
– Tale Jordbakke
– Franz von Weizacker

Arguments

Good policies exist on paper but implementation remains a major challenge

Focus should be on normative work, capacity building, and institutional strengthening, not just technology

Digital sovereignty helps governments remain independent and avoid technological dependencies

Summary

Catherine emphasizes that Tanzania has good policies on paper but implementation is the real challenge, advocating for understanding why existing solutions don’t work before creating new ones. Tale and Franz focus more on creating new frameworks and policies through international cooperation and capacity building approaches.

Topics

Legal and regulatory | Development | Infrastructure

Funding priorities and resource allocation

Speakers

– Catherine Kimambo
– Tale Jordbakke

Arguments

Funding for youth-led grassroots initiatives is insufficient despite their innovative ideas

Focus should be on normative work, capacity building, and institutional strengthening, not just technology

Summary

Catherine argues for less capacity building and more direct funding of youth ideas, while Tale emphasizes continued focus on capacity building and institutional strengthening as the priority for resource allocation.

Topics

Development | Economic | Capacity development

Unexpected differences

Role of international cooperation in digital development

Speakers

– Thomas Aarheim
– Tale Jordbakke
– Svein Stolen

Arguments

Technology development should remain in the countries where it’s implemented to create local ownership and long-term growth

Breaking down silos and promoting collaboration across sectors is essential for digital transformation

International cooperation must continue despite geopolitical challenges and reduced funding

Explanation

Unexpectedly, there’s tension between Thomas’s advocacy for complete local ownership ‘without strings attached’ and the other speakers’ emphasis on international partnerships and cooperation. This disagreement is surprising given the general consensus on collaboration, but reveals different philosophies about dependency versus partnership in development.

Topics

Development | Economic | International cooperation

Overall assessment

Summary

The main areas of disagreement center on implementation approaches (top-down policy vs. grassroots-up solutions), resource allocation priorities (capacity building vs. direct funding), and the role of international cooperation (partnership vs. complete local ownership)

Disagreement level

The level of disagreement is moderate but significant for implementation. While speakers share common goals of digital inclusion and closing the digital divide, their different approaches could lead to conflicting strategies in practice. The disagreements reflect deeper philosophical differences about development approaches – whether change should be driven by policy frameworks and institutional capacity building, or by direct support for grassroots innovations and local ownership.

Partial agreements

Similar viewpoints

Both speakers, representing youth perspectives, emphasize the importance of local ownership and avoiding dependency on foreign solutions. They advocate for investing in local capacity and ensuring that technology development creates sustainable local growth rather than external dependency.

Speakers

– Catherine Kimambo
– Thomas Aarheim

Arguments

Investment in local talents and pioneering local solutions is important for sustainable development

Technology development should remain in the countries where it’s implemented to create local ownership and long-term growth

Topics

Development | Economic | Capacity development

Both speakers view universities as crucial intermediaries and gateways for extending digital education and services to broader communities. They see universities as having the infrastructure, expertise, and capacity to bridge gaps between different educational levels and serve underserved populations.

Speakers

– Meklit Mintesinot
– Svein Stolen

Arguments

Universities serve as gateways with better infrastructure and trained personnel to connect schools and communities

Universities can contribute to refugee education through lifelong learning platforms and micro-credentials

Topics

Online education | Development | Infrastructure

Both speakers frame digital transformation as both an urgent challenge due to massive exclusion and an opportunity for leapfrogging development constraints, particularly in resource-constrained environments.

Speakers

– Tale Jordbakke
– Marianne Knarud

Arguments

Digital transformation offers leapfrog opportunities to do more with less resources

2.6 billion people remain offline, creating digital exclusion that limits opportunities and deepens inequalities

Topics

Development | Digital access | Infrastructure

Key takeaways

Digital public infrastructure must be built on open source solutions and digital public goods to ensure inclusion, prevent vendor lock-in, and enable democratic participation

Multi-stakeholder partnerships involving government, civil society, private sector, and academia are essential for effective digital transformation and closing the digital divide

Breaking down silos between sectors and organizations is crucial for maximizing impact and avoiding duplication of efforts

Capacity building and skills development are as important as technical infrastructure – focus should be on institutional strengthening, not just technology deployment

Universities can serve as gateways for digital transformation, connecting with schools and communities through their existing infrastructure and trained personnel

Youth perspectives and grassroots innovations must be prioritized and funded, as young people represent the majority of the global population in underconnected regions

Implementation of existing policies is more critical than creating new ones – focus should be on understanding why current solutions aren’t working

Digital transformation offers leapfrog opportunities to achieve more with fewer resources, especially important given reduced development funding

Local ownership and sovereignty of digital solutions is essential to prevent technological dependencies and ensure long-term sustainability

Resolutions and action items

Continue championing open, inclusive digital public goods as foundation for digital public infrastructure across sectors and borders

Mobilize collaborative funding mechanisms and pool resources to avoid duplication and maximize impact

Invest in grassroots youth-led initiatives and provide meaningful funding rather than just capacity building

Develop unified African voice in global digital processes to better represent the continent’s needs

Establish public-private development partnerships to enhance digital services accessibility

Focus on harmonizing existing policies and improving implementation rather than creating new frameworks

Maintain university cooperation and global collaboration despite geopolitical challenges

Move from dialogue to concrete action with measurable results and data-driven outcomes

Develop media literacy and internet safety skills to help users navigate online spaces securely

Unresolved issues

How to effectively measure and track progress in digital inclusion initiatives with reliable data

Balancing information accessibility with concerns about reduced attention spans and information internalization among digital natives

Addressing cybersecurity threats and digital warfare while maintaining open internet cooperation

Securing sustainable long-term funding for digital public infrastructure in an environment of reduced development aid

Ensuring meaningful youth participation beyond capacity building to actual decision-making and implementation roles

Harmonizing multiple overlapping policies and frameworks at national and international levels

Maintaining international digital cooperation amid increasing geopolitical tensions and national security concerns

Suggested compromises

Use ecosystem thinking and cross-sectoral partnerships rather than expecting any single organization to solve all challenges

Adopt ‘form follows function’ approach – design multi-stakeholder partnerships according to specific context and needs rather than one-size-fits-all solutions

Balance risk-taking with practical implementation by being willing to ‘construct the airplane while flying’ rather than waiting for perfect solutions

Combine vertical and horizontal approaches – start with strong institutional foundations (like universities) then expand to broader community connections

Provide funding and expertise without strings attached while still ensuring local ownership and sustainability

Focus on interoperability and building on existing solutions rather than creating entirely new systems in each country

Maintain open doors for international cooperation while addressing legitimate security and sovereignty concerns

I think there’s a notion that we and the other panelists. We will be having a discussion on the policies of the ICTs outside the school premises… But also recognising that big ideas also come from grassroots. So we are seeing that recognition and also involvement of the young people.

Speaker

Catherine Kimambo

Reason

This comment challenges the top-down approach to digital policy by emphasizing that innovation and solutions often emerge from grassroots level rather than being imposed from above. It shifts focus from theoretical policy discussions to practical, community-driven implementation.

Impact

This comment established a recurring theme throughout the discussion about the importance of grassroots innovation and youth involvement. It influenced subsequent speakers to address how their organizations engage with local communities and avoid ‘parachuting’ solutions from above.

I have this vivid memory from how this infrastructure or this development in infrastructure has impacted my education growing up… Just to put this into maybe a generational perspective, I very distinctly remember showing my now late grandfather one of my end-of-year papers… he almost didn’t believe it because he was in high school in the 1950s.

Speaker

Thomas Aarheim

Reason

This personal narrative powerfully illustrates the transformative potential of digital infrastructure by contrasting generational experiences. It moves the discussion from abstract policy to concrete human impact, making the digital divide tangible and relatable.

Impact

This story became a reference point for understanding educational inequalities. Marianne directly referenced it when discussing how Norwegian schools pivoted online in two days during the pandemic while Ugandan schools remained closed for two years, deepening the conversation about global digital inequities.

So I really want to understand why certain things aren’t working… I think in Tanzania we have this saying that we have good policies on paper, but when it comes to implementation, there’s equally to very few that is implemented from the policies.

Speaker

Catherine Kimambo

Reason

This comment cuts to the heart of development challenges by highlighting the implementation gap between policy and practice. It challenges the tendency to create new policies without understanding why existing ones fail, advocating for evidence-based approaches.

Impact

This observation shifted the discussion toward practical implementation challenges and the need for accountability. It influenced other panelists to address how their organizations ensure policies translate into real-world impact, moving the conversation from theoretical frameworks to operational realities.

Actually, initially, we started this project or we started the SHIP project as a vertical approach when it comes to this digital public infrastructure. But currently, we’re evolving horizontally. We’re working with different sectors, with the health sector, with the employment sector.

Speaker

Meklit Mintesinot

Reason

This insight demonstrates the evolution from siloed, sector-specific approaches to integrated, cross-sectoral digital infrastructure. It provides a concrete example of how digital public infrastructure can scale and create synergies across different domains.

Impact

This comment reinforced the recurring theme of breaking down silos and influenced the discussion toward ecosystem thinking. It provided a practical model for how vertical initiatives can evolve into horizontal platforms, supporting arguments made by other panelists about interoperability and collaboration.

I think it is really important to focus that this type of new technology and development in the countries where it happens also stays in the countries where it happens… that they also own this themselves so that they can share that knowledge and that they can start using that as a part of their industry.

Speaker

Thomas Aarheim

Reason

This comment addresses the critical issue of digital sovereignty and local ownership, challenging traditional aid models that create dependency. It advocates for sustainable development that builds local capacity rather than external dependence.

Impact

This perspective on ownership and sustainability influenced the final discussion about moving beyond aid relationships to genuine partnerships. It connected with Catherine’s emphasis on grassroots solutions and supported the broader theme of avoiding technological colonialism.

There’s a lot of dialogue that is happening globally but I’d move more into action. How are we moving from dialogue to action? How are we being more action oriented? Because I think there’s a lot of dialogue that is happening globally but even here after dialogues and all this what’s happened?

Speaker

Catherine Kimambo

Reason

This comment directly challenges the conference format itself and the broader development discourse, calling out the gap between endless discussions and concrete implementation. It demands accountability and results-oriented approaches.

Impact

This intervention created a moment of self-reflection in the discussion and influenced the moderator to explicitly ask panelists for concrete actions they would take ‘when we leave this room.’ It shifted the final portion of the discussion toward specific commitments and actionable next steps.

Overall assessment

These key comments fundamentally shaped the discussion by challenging conventional development approaches and demanding more authentic, locally-driven solutions. Catherine Kimambo’s interventions were particularly impactful, consistently pushing the conversation from theoretical policy discussions toward practical implementation and grassroots innovation. Thomas Aarheim’s generational perspective and emphasis on local ownership provided powerful framing for understanding both the potential and the equity challenges of digital infrastructure. Meklit’s example of vertical-to-horizontal evolution offered a concrete model for scalable implementation. Together, these comments created a discussion that moved beyond traditional donor-recipient frameworks toward more collaborative, sustainable approaches to digital development. The recurring themes of breaking down silos, ensuring local ownership, and moving from dialogue to action became the defining characteristics of this forum, making it more than just another policy discussion but a call for fundamental change in how digital cooperation is approached.

How can we better have discussions in policies, and how can we better have effective policies on the ground?

Speaker

Catherine Kimambo

Explanation

This addresses the gap between policy creation and implementation, particularly in Tanzania where there are good policies on paper but limited implementation

How are we making sure that we have effective policies on the ground?

Speaker

Catherine Kimambo

Explanation

This focuses on the practical implementation challenges of digital policies and the need for harmonization of policies

Why certain things aren’t working?

Speaker

Catherine Kimambo

Explanation

She emphasized the need to understand root causes before creating new standards or policies, particularly regarding why existing policies aren’t being implemented effectively

Is there data for it? When we are saying we’ve reached maybe this age group, is there data for it?

Speaker

Catherine Kimambo

Explanation

This highlights the need for better data collection and verification of claimed results in digital inclusion initiatives

What’s next when you go back to our regional countries? Are we implementing ideas? Are we coming up with results?

Speaker

Catherine Kimambo

Explanation

This addresses the need to move from dialogue to concrete action and implementation of discussed initiatives

How do you see the pathway from universities to schools and communities?

Speaker

Francis Thompson (via Zoom)

Explanation

This question seeks to understand how digital infrastructure and education can be scaled from higher education institutions to broader community access

Does the ease of information access to children and students make them less likely to internalize the information?

Speaker

Francis Thompson (via Zoom)

Explanation

This addresses concerns about whether easy digital access might reduce deep learning and information retention among students

How in the future influence that barriers the ecosystem of digital cooperation and development?

Speaker

Mohamed Abdi Ali

Explanation

This question addresses how digital warfare and cyber conflicts might impact future digital cooperation and development efforts

How both your agencies, GIZ and NORAD, work with academics in the global north to implement programs in the global south that also incorporates African universities?

Speaker

Pons Light

Explanation

This seeks to understand specific mechanisms for North-South academic cooperation in implementing digital connectivity programs in rural areas