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Laptop and Computer Appeal 2020
Our Laptop and Computer Appeal aims to encourage organisations and individuals to donate unused laptops and PCs which can be refurbished by our team and sent to underprivileged schools and communities. Through this project, we are hoping to raise the standards in ICT literacy and improve ICT access for our underprivileged school children by engaging organisations, universities and ICT students.
We sincerely request for donations of unused laptops and computers or working peripherals which can be used to upgrade computers that will be donated to the communities.
List of locations to drop the devices:
- Mr. Mohit Lal, N C PATEL, 86 Naviti Street, Lautoka, Phone: 8398564, Email: mlal85@gmail.com
- Ms. Swaran Ravindra, FNU Nasinu Campus, Email: swaran.ravindra@fnu.ac.fj
- Mr. Ratneel Deo, USP Laucala Campus, Email: ratneel.deo@usp.ac.fj
Fijian Scientist awarded prestigious Sydney Fellowship
Congratulations to Software Foundation Founder and Chairman, Dr. Rohitash Chandra for being awarded Chancellors Fellowship Awards at the University of Sydney. Dr. Chandra will begin within a month at the Centre for Translational Data Science as the University of Sydney Fellow for a period of three years. http://sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2016/11/02/11-outstanding-early-career-researchers-join-the-university.html
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Statement from Dr. Chandra
I will be developing methods to improve existing tools area of artificial intelligence and machine learning. I will be working with methods in deep learning and neural networks. These are models that are motivated from the human brain. Recently, they have gained attention as tools for self-driving cars and automatic face and facial expression recognition used by social networks such as Facebook. I will develop strategies to further improve these models and apply to the area of earthquakes and cyclones. Particularly I will be developing software systems guided by deep learning that can be used to predict future occurrences or earthquakes or behavior of cyclones. Moreover, I will also look at other climate change challenges such as air pollution. I will employ deep learning as predictive models through which warning can be issued for the population at risk. Apart from these, I will also be working in the area of computational neuroscience and machine consciousness. I will try to simulate the learning behavior of the human brain and other aspects of consciousness that include personality and attention.
In the past, I have used some of the related methods to develop predictive models for cyclones using data from the South Pacific. Last year, I have also used machine learning methods in the area of efficient design of jet engines when I was a Research Fellow in Singapore at Rolls Royce @NTU Corp. Lab, Nanyang Technological University. They have well prepared me for the Fellowship.
I will be based at the Centre for Translational Data Science, the University of Sydney for next three years. It was a very competitive process to be awarded the Fellowship as I had to compete with scientists around the world. My research proposal, experience from past projects and publications in leading venues helped me to secure the award. The award is very prestigious and it is a rare opportunity for researchers from Pacific Island countries to secure the award.
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Dr. Chandra’s research and publication can be accessed from here:
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=pVPvRLoAAAAJ&hl=en
PM Cyclone Appeal
Software Foundation Trustee – Mr. Kush Singh, Secretary – Mrs. Ronika Chandra, Vice President – Mr. Kavitesh Bali and Member – Ms. Swaran Ravindra donate a cheque of 1000 dollars collected by Software Foundation members for PM Cyclone Appeal.
The cheque was received by PS PM Mr. Yogesh Karan. Software Foundation thanks all the members for their support and contributions.
Winners for South Pacific Writing Competition
Software Foundation finalized the winners for the South Pacific Writing Competition through review process that looked at originality, creativity and content in the submissions that ranged from a wide range of groups that included primary schools to university.
The competition winners are given as follows:
- First Prize for Personal Essay on Impact of Technology: Maxim Shipitsyn, Year 1 at American Private Christian School, Year One, Tablet by Vodafone and 50 Dollars by Software Foundation
- Second Prize for Research Note on Artificial Intelligence: Nicholla Chan, Year 13 at Yat Sen Secondary School, Tablet by Digicel and T-Shirt
- Third Prize for Short Story on Future of Technology: Yash Parmar, Year 13 at Penang Sangam High School, Tablet by Digicel
Dr. Rohitash Chandra, the President of Software Foundation congratulated the winners and presented the prize with Acting Secretary Mrs. Ronika Chandra. Mr. Kush Singh, Trustee of Software Foundation briefed the participants about history of the foundation and about the plans to feature SPWC 2016 and Cyber-security Workshop 2016 with Software Foundation.
First Prize for Personal Essay on Impact of Technology: Maxim Shipitsyn, Year 1 at American Private Christian School, Year One, Tablet by Vodafone and 50 Dollars by Software Foundation
Second Prize for Research Note on Artificial Intelligence: Nicholla Chan, Year 13 at Yat Sen Secondary School, Tablet by Digicel and T-Shirt
Third Prize for Short Story on Future of Technology: Yash Parmar, Year 13 at Penang Sangam High School, Tablet by Digicel
Software Foundation thanks the major Sponsers for the event which are Standss and Skyward Industries. The event will again take place from July to October 2016.
Press Release: Book Launch by Dr. Rohitash Chandra
“Being at Home: Poetry, Philosophy and Expressions” by Dr. Rohitash Chandra was launched on 22nd August at Vineyard Palace Suva through Software Foundation Press. The book was launched by Hon. Jone Usamate, the Minister for Health.
“The theme and subject of the book is in general about sprituality. It highlights some of the areas in humanism, sprituality and meditation with poetry, notes and essays. This book has been inspired by mystical traditions such as Yoga, Vedanta, Zen, Taoism, and Sufism which have meditation as the common ground. “ Hon. Usamate highlighted during his speech.
Speech by Hon. Jone Usamate about “Being at Home”
South Pacific Writing Competition: Advancement of Software and Technology
The Software Foundation Fiji presents South Pacific Writing Competition on the theme of“Advancement of Software and Technology”. The competition is open to everyone in the following categories:
- Primary Schools
- Secondary Schools
- Tertiary Education Institutes
- Open Category
Theme: “Advancement of Software and Technology”
Topics:
- Free and Open Source Software
- Software for Education
- Computer and Information Literacy for Schools
- Software for Business and E-commerce
- Software in Science and Engineering
- Mobile Computing, Smart Phones– Impact and Social Issues
- The Effects of Social Networks
- Online learning
- Software and Information System for Hospitals
- Software for the elderly, special needs and disabled community
- Software Security, Virus and Spam-ware
- The Future of Software and Technology
- Artificial Intelligence and Robotics
- Health and Medical Informatics
- Environmental Informatics and Climate Change
- Wearable Computing
- Big Data and Cloud Computing
- GPS Location Based Services and Society – Friend or Foe
- Open topic (Any topic relating to the theme)
Medical Informatics Survey
Survey for Medical Practioners in Fiji
This survey is being conducted to find out the current state of Health Information Systems in Fiji. The results will be utilised to ascertain if there is a need to upgrade/change the current Health Information Systems used in Fijian Government Hospitals. The results will be used to establish if the people of Fiji are ready to have a web based/online Electronic MedicalRecords System that can be accessed online through computers or smartphones in any government hospital or any location in Fiji
The sogo link for medical practitioners in Fiji:
http://www.sogosurvey.com/k/SsQWYWRsVsPsPsP
Contact: Ms. Swaran Ravindra, MSc Student, School of Computing, Information and Mathematical Sciences, University of the South Pacific.
Email: swaran_ravindra@yahoo.com
All information gathered will be treated as highly confidential. Participants do not need to reveal their names. Ministry of Health Ethics Approval/FNRERC# 2014.31.FNRERC.24.NW
Moodle Elearning should aid teachers
Dr. Rohitash Chandra
President, Software Foundation
ISPs to Compensate Customers
Software Foundation Fiji is requesting Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in Fiji to compensate for poor quality of internet and downtime.
Summer of Code: Programming Competition
Software Foundation hosts SUMMER of CODE programming competition for secondary schools and tertiary institutes.
C++ Programming Language will be used. The
competition also has a open category.
Regulations
- 6 weeks of resources and online training given and available from April 1st 2015.
- Registration fees to be paid when registered to Software Foundation bank account
- A team of 2 – 5 members including the teacher who will only assist in the competition, but will have access to all resources.
- Each school can have several teams.
- Open Category will restrict 2 members per team.
- All training will be done through Moodle online learning. If resources are given, then 2 hours per week meeting will be arranged in Nausori-Suva and Lautoka for support.
Categories
- Secondary School
- Tertiary Institutes
- Open Category
Registration
- 50.00 per team. USB of Software and Videos will be given to each team upon registration.
- Email list of team members with their email addresses to Software Foundation Secretary: Mr. Ravishel Naicker, secretary@softwarefoundationfiji.org in order to register. Bank details will be given in order to make payment. Once payment receipt is emailed, then registration will be confirmed and Moodle access will be given.
- weblearn.softwarefoundationfiji.org will be used to give materials for competition
- Introduction of the competition will be given first week of December at USP Laucala.
- Registration Deadline is 25th November.
Contact
More details can be given by Software Foundation Vice President, Ms. Swaran Ravindra, vp@softwarefoundationfiji.org
Prizes
- Certificate of Participation
- Special prizes (TBA)
Programming Competition Panel of Judges
- Dr. Rohitash Chandra, President of Software Foundation
- Dr. Nicholas Rollings, Associate Professor in GIS at University of the South Pacific
- Dr. Anurag Sharma, School of Computing, Information and Mathematical Sciences, University of the South Pacific
- Dr. Akash Dutt Dubey, School of Mathematical and Computing Sciences, Fiji National University
- Prof. Shaukat Ali, School of Science and Technology, University of Fiji
- Ms. Swaran Ravindra, Vice President, Software Foundation
- Mr. Shivanesh Lal, Software Foundation
- Mr. Faraaz Mustapha, Software Foundation
- Mr. Eric Arifanata, Solomon Islands Chapter Coordinator, Software Foundation
- Mr. Gary Wong, Graduate Programmer, Artificial Intelligence and Cybernetics research Group, Software Foundation
- Mr. Ratneel Deo, Graduate Programmer, Artificial Intelligence and Cybernetics research Group, Software Foundation
- Mr. Ravishel Naicker, Secretary, Software Foundation.
