Monday, November 21, 2005

THE AFRICAN TECHNOLOGY FORUM : Technical Essays Online

Okay, dear readers, I am not an engineer, but I am going to try to struggle through with this article.

[The African Technology Forum] magazine was first published in 1988 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and while the magazines are no longer being printed, articles are being posted o AFT's web site. When the magazine was published, it was published quarterly.


In addition to the articles posted on the web site, AFT states that it offers technical services in the areas of "Consulting Services," a "Professionals Network" and a "Seminar Series."

The Consulting Services program is designed to attract African technical professionals for short-term projects in Africa, while the Professionals Network seeks to link technical professional organizations in Africa, Europe, and the Americas. The ATF Seminar Series was created to provide a forum for constructive discussion on planned or ongoing projects on the African continent.

With volunteers that various backgrounds, African Technology Forum seeks to provide practical information in the area of its expertise to corporations, individuals and institutions globally. As stated on their web site, those volunteers have expertise in Architecture, Engineering, Finance, Journalism, Management Consulting, Management Information Systems, Medical Sciences, and the Sciences.


Over the years, ATF has been funded through subscriptions, advertising, consulting fees and grants. The sources of the grants have been The World Bank, USA for Africa Foundation, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, New England Biolabs Foundation, volunteers, and individuals.


One of the most valuable features of the ATF web site is the posting of technical articles found there. Under the heading "New ATF Feature Articles and Publications" one can find:

Basic Development and Decision Processes: Technical and Economic Analyses
by Michael Tekletsion Berhan (this article is also available in .pdf format)

How We Put Together our Own African ISP on a Shoestring
by Mark Moore and Casey Smith

Amorphous Silicon PV Panels: Are They a Good Value for the Money?
by Arne Jacobson, Richard Duke, and Daniel Kammen

Eradicating Malaria in Poor Nations: The Potential of Vector Control Measures and Vaccine Development
by Sanjay Basu (this article is also available in .pdf format)

Commercialization of Renewable Energy Technologies in Ghana: Barriers and Opportunities
by Mawuli Tse (this article is also available in .pdf format)

Engineering for Poverty Eradication in Cameroon
by Ambe Njoh, Ph.D. (this article is also available in .pdf format)


In addition to the above articles, there are also the additional "Feature Articles."

Preserving the Future for Lake Malawi
by Joshua Nyambose

Increasing Computer Literacy in Africa
by Khaitsa Wasiyo

Deforestation in Sub-Saharan Africa
by Yvonne Agyei

The Cycle Trailer in Ghana: A Reasonable But Inappropriate Technology
by Mohammed Salifu

Five Basic Steps to Finance Your Project
by Michael Sudarkasa


Finally, African Technology Forum has teamed up with the Ghana Institution of Engineers (GhIE) to publish The Ghana Engineer, the Journal of the GhIE, online. The following articles from The Ghana Engineer are published online:

The Collapse and the Ripping Off of Roofing Systems During Rainstorms in Ghana
by Ing. Samuel Addai

Groundwater: Solution to Ghana's Rural Water Supply Industry?
by P. Gyau-Boakye and S. Dapaah-Siakwan

Production Of Alum From Awaso Bauxite
by Ing. Dr. Francis Acquah, Beatrice Mensah, and Yaw Obeng

Developing National Capability for Manufacture of Activated Carbon from Agricultural Wastes
by Dr. R.B. Lartey, Ing. Dr. Francis Acquah, and K.S. Nketia (also in .pdf form)

Prospects for a Chloro-Alkali Industry Brighten in the ECOWAS
by Ing. Dr. Francis Acquah

Quality and Process Control in the Food Industry
by Pearl Adu-Amankwa

Study of the Fusibility of Some Raw Glaze Compositions
by David Tetteh


Well, there is enough reading at the end of these links to make at least some people happy. And if you are not a technical type, that's okay, because I'm not either, really. But you have to admire the amount of information that the African Technical Forum has made available to those people who are.


AFRICAN TECHNICAL FORUM


GHANA INSTITUTION OF ENGINEERS

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