[On-site Fellowship Program] MASL Model Pilot Information Village Initiative Promotion  December 11~17             2017, Colombo, Sri Lanka

A on-site fellowship program - MASL Model Pilot Information Village Initiative Promotion - convenes in Colombo from December 11 to 17, 2017. As a final, Sri Lanka, The course, the final short-term training course in the partner country after a series of multi-year fellowship program: Strengthen Low Income Families through Women in Rural Area(Sri Lanka) 2015-2017, aims to support the Model Pilot Information Village Initiative of Mahaweli Authority Sri Lanka(MASL), helping Capacity development of the key personnel(policy practitioners, project managers, trainers) for implementing the pilot information villages in Mahaweli Zones.  

The Model Pilot Information Village Initiative of Mahaweli Authority Sri Lanka(MASL) was derived from the previous 3rd invitational course in July 2017 as an outcome of the course learning - action planning. The project proposal with the same title of the initiative projected during the fellowship course has been endorsed by the government of Sri Lanka and launched last October as one of the target projects of MASL. Sharing the experience of Korea¡¯s Information Network Village(INVIL), the policy idea of MASL information Village envisions rural community development where ICTs are utilized in farming and businesses in rural area  to cope with the rapidly changing socio-economic environments of the nation and the rural economy of Sri Lanka. 

Thirty five(35) government officials and policy practitioners take part in the three(3) day program. The short in-country fellowship course in Colombo consists of several lectures and workshops just after a number of study visits to some of the key authorities in Sri Lanka regarding rural development and women empowerment, and ICT policy and programs. The lectures will be focused on Korea¡¯s experience of rural informatization, and information village foundation and operation. Through a series of workshops, a couple of country reports will be delivered by Sri Lankan counterparts, then interactive discussions, policy consultation and technical advice will be given by the Korean experts. Participants are required to take part in the course activities. Especially the attendees forming several buzz groups are requested to deliberate and project a action plan each. On the final day of the course there will be a session for presenting and discussing the action plans. During the field trip to Giradurukotte area, on-the-spot discussions and technical consultation will be made with target women group in the Giradurukotte Training Center.
 

[Attached] Course Outline