Visitors from the University of Cape Verde Explore Technology Issues

Posted on January 18, 2008 - Permalink
Audiences:

College faculty and staff were hosts for three days this week to leaders from the University of Cape Verde's information technology team. The visitors are engaged in the building of a high-speed Internet hub that has already begun transforming the lives of the 420,000 people who reside among Cape Verde's ten islands, located off the coast of West Africa

The visit of Mr. Angelo Barbosa, Mr. Crisanto Barros and Mr. Djassi Fonseca, beginning Jan. 15, was "another step forward in the wonderful partnership which has been created between this college and the people and government of Cape Verde," said Dr. Dana Mohler-Faria, BSC's president.

Mr. Barbosa is the University of Cape Verde's senior information technology adviser; Mr. Barros is a vice-president of the university; and Mr. Fonseca is a network expert.

Dr. Mohler-Faria, who is the second person of Cape Verdean descent to become the president of an American college or university, has worked closely over the past five years with the Cape Verdean government to create that nation's first institution of higher learning. In October he led a delegation from Bridgewater to attend events celebrating the university's official opening.

"Today we're very pleased to welcome officially our three guests from the University of Cape Verde who have come to Bridgewater to meet with our team of information technology specialists and draw on their expertise and experience," said Dr. Mohler-Faria at a breakfast held on January 17 and attended by senior officers of the college. "This is one example of a number of initiatives currently underway between Bridgewater and the University of Cape Verde, including the exchange of students and faculty between our two institutions," he said.

Dr. Edward Minnock, vice president of external affairs at Bridgewater, who has made several visits to the Republic of Cape Verde in recent years to negotiate a series of agreements and exchanges, said at the breakfast that officials at Bentley College in Waltham and the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth are now working with Bridgewater on academic programs related to the partnership with the University of Cape Verde.

"We are privileged indeed to be able to work so closely with our friends in Cape Verde," said Dr. Minnock. "There are clearly enormous educational, social and economic benefits for our two nations in this effort."

Mr. Harold Tavares, '06, who is the coordinator of international relations at BSC and a native of Cape Verde, accompanied the three University of Cape Verde officials during their Bridgewater visit. (David K. Wilson, '71, Office of Institutional Communications)

Pictured right: Among those attending a recent breakfast for officials from the University of Cape Verde on Jan. 17 were, from left, Mr. Harold Tavares, coordinator, international relations at BSC; Mr. Mike Gomes, associate vice president, BSC; Mr. Angelo Barbosa, IT adviser, University of Cape Verde; Mr. Crisanto Barros, UCV's vice-president; Mr. Djassi Fonseca, network expert at UCV; BSC President Dana Mohler-Faria, and Dr. Edward Minnock, vice-president of external affairs at BSC.