Artificial Intelligence for Development 
Document No: AID/newsletter/1 
Last Modified and by whom: 22/10/90 kk  
Distributed on:  22/10/90 
 
   Artificial Intelligence for Development 
Newsletter Number 1 October 1990 

This newsletter is being sent by both electronic and paper mail. If
you no longer wish to receive it, or have any contributions or
comments on its content, please contact KK by any of the normal
methods. If you would like a copy of the literature database (which is
in BibTeX format but perfectly comprehensible to ordinary folk) or
have anything to contribute to it, please mail ER. Addresses are at
the end of this document. 

  Next meetings: 
The next meeting will be on    Thursday November 1st  at 5.30pm in
room F10 of the AI Department. Please arrive promptly so that we can
let you into the building. The meeting will take the following form: 
  
  Matters outstanding from last meeting (workshop etc.)
  Short presentation on    ``A Cost-Effective Computational Diagnostic
Aid for Zimbabwe Nurses'' 
  Discussion of presentation
  Software demonstrations
  Retire to a local hostelry (optional)
  enumerate 

On    Thursday January 10th 
Robert Muetzelfeldt will speak on    ``A knowledge-based land use
allocation program - potential for development''  and give a software
demonstration. 

On    Thursday March 7th 
Dan Walker will speak on     ``The representation of indigenous
ecological knowledge about agroforestry'' .

On    Thursday May 2nd 
Teresa Anderson will speak on    ``AI for Rural Electrification in Nepal:
Experiences with laptops, 14000 feet up in the Annapurnas''   and give
a software demonstration. 

  News from around the world 
SUN MICROSYSTEMS SIGNS FIRST DISTRIBUTOR AGREEMENT IN AFRICA 
(OK, I know it's a bit out of date, but I just thought I'd start this
section and see if anyone had any news...)  
 
CASABLANCA, Morocco --May 9, 1990-- Sun Microsystems today announced
that it has appointed Casablanca-based Universal Computer as its first
distributor in Africa.  The agreement will allow Universal Computer to
distribute Sun's hardware and software products throughout Morocco.
Sun France, a subsidiary of the company, will oversee the relationship
with Universal Computer as well as all additional market development
for Sun in Africa. According to Sylvain Idy, distribution director for
Sun France,  "Universal Computer has the expertise to help us gain a
foothold in the  Moroccan market and will be a valuable partner as we
seek to establish  Sun's presence in Africa."  Universal Computer is a
leading distributor of high-technology products in Morocco.  The
company distributes computer hardware and application software,
primarily for CAD, GIS, architecture and commercial markets. According
to Mr. Moussaria, general manager of Universal Computer, "Sun's
arrival in Morocco represents a tremendous opportunity for computer
users in research, industry and management to access the best computer
technology." Idy estimates the size of the computer market in Africa
at approximately 500 million dollars for 1990.  As one of the more
industialized African countries, Morocco's demand for computer
products has increased roughly 25 percent annually, representing a
substantial opportunity for both Sun and Universal Computer. Sun
Microsystems, Inc., headquartered in Mountain View, Calif., is a
leading worldwide supplier of network-based distributed computing
systems, including professional workstations, servers and UNIX
operating system and productivity software.
 
For reader inquiries, telephone 1-800-821-4643 outside California.
Inside California, call 1-800-821-4642.  
Press Contact: Karen Rohack (415) 336-7841

  Journals 
The following journals might be of interest to members of the group.
Samples for perusal are available in the AI for Development `library'
(aka filing cabinet) in room F12 of the AI department at 80 South Bridge.
  
  AI Applications in Resource Management  (Darwin Library, K.B.)
  AI and Society 
  African Technology Forum
  Appropriate Technology
  Computers in Africa
  Information Technology for Development
  enumerate 

  Coming Events 
Again, these are all very soon. If you have any information on events
that would be of interest to the group please tell us.
  
 [3rd International Symposium on Artificial Intelligence:]
Applications of Engineering design, Manufacturing and Management in
Industrialised and Developing Countries,
22-26 October 1990, Instituto Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores de
Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico. 
   Contact:  Hugo Terashima, Program Chair, Centro de Intelligencia
Artificial, ITESM, Sucursal do Correos ``J'', C.P. 64849, Monterrey,
N.L. Mexico. 
e-mail ISAI@TECMTYVM.MTY.ITESM.MX 
KK also has a copy of the call for papers.
 [Southern Africa Computer Show:]
 1-3 November 1990, Harare Sheraton, Harare, Zimbabwe. 
   Contact:  Computers in Africa, 21 Mill Lane, London NW6 1NT,
phone 071 794 5308, FAX 071 435 3607. 
 [Information Technology in Support of Economic Development:]
9-12 December 1990, Khartoum, Sudan. 
More details available on this one from ourselves or Computers in
Africa (as above). 
   Contact:  Professor W. W. Cotterman, Computer Information
Systems, Georgia State University, PO Box 4015, Atlanta, Georgia
30302-4015, USA. 
  description 

  Contact Personnel 
Software library:       
Howard Beck   
Artificial Intelligence Applications Institute    
University of Edinburgh 
80 South Bridge   
Edinburgh EH1 1HN   
031 650 2747   
hab@uk.ac.ed.aiai   
 
Newsletter, overall co-ordination,meetings:   
Kathleen King 
Department of
Artificial Intelligence  
University of Edinburgh   
80 South Bridge 
Edinburgh EH1 1HN 
031 650 2726 
kk@uk.ac.ed.aisb 

Contacts and Funding:       
Robert Muetzelfeldt   
Department of Forestry and Natural Resources     
University of Edinburgh   
Kings Buildings   
Mayfield Road    
Edinburgh   EH9 3JU   
031 650 5408   
R.Muetzelfeldt@uk.ac.edinburgh   
 
Literature resource and bibliography:    
Ehud Reiter 
Department of Artificial Intelligence 
University of Edinburgh 
80 South Bridge 
Edinburgh 
EH1 1HN 
031 650 2728 
reiter@uk.ac.ed.aisb 

Mailing Lists:     
Mandy Haggith    
Department of Artificial Intelligence   
University of Edinburgh   
80 South Bridge   
Edinburgh   
EH1 1HN   
031 650 2721 
hag@uk.ac.ed.aisb