Abstract:

Use of Virtual Laboratory for Distance
Scientific Research Collaboration in Africa

Prof. G. Olalere Ajayi
Department of Electronic & Electrical engineering
Obafemi Awolowo University
Ile-Ife, Nigeria

The economic recession in African countries of the 1980-1990 decade has led to inadequate funding of scientific research in many African Universities.  Part of the consequences of this is the migration in form of Brain Drain of many scientists from Africa to Europe, USA and other parts of the world.  The devaluation of the currencies of the  African countries has  created  difficulty in the acquisition of  scientific equipment even for normal research activities and in particular when the state of the art scientific research work is involved.

The virtual laboratory which has been described as "electronic work-space for distance collaboration and experimentation in research or other creative activity to generate and deliver results using distributed information and communication technologies."  And in another vein the collaboratory has been described as the "centre without walls," where users can "perform their research without regard to geographical location-- interacting with colleagues, accessing instrumentation, sharing data and computational resources, and accessing information in digital libraries." Thus, the virtual laboratory can provide facilities for distance research collaboration,  using the powerful tools offered by the information communication technology. 

The paper gives  an overview of virtual laboratory tools  which can be used for distance  research collaboration such as south-south, and south- north collaboration.  In addition, the taxonomy of virtual laboratory tools is given.  Some case studies of scientific research collaboration  using virtual laboratory technology are discussed  in the paper.

Finally, the Central Laboratory concept of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria, is discussed.