Kent State University operates on a much broader scope than many may realize.
Reaching beyond the university’s eight-campus system, The Division of Information Services (IS) serves people from the city of Kent to countries around the globe. Our successes have positioned us as a resource to assist other institutions with the planning of their IT infrastructure and operations.
IS, along with OARnet and HEAnet, has partnered with university representatives from Bangladesh as they set up a new country-wide university network, the Bangladesh Research and Education Network (BdREN). BdREN will connect 48 universities nationwide to one another and to universities, research institutions, and libraries globally.
Since 2013, IS has hosted several training sessions for BdREN staff and conducted site visits for members of both the Bangladesh government and World Bank, the project’s primary investor.
“Our training sessions and site visits have given our division the opportunity to share ideas with institutions we normally wouldn’t have the opportunity to work with,” Phil Thomas, network design architect for Kent State, explains. “Our efforts to help drive BdREN’s final solution have mutually benefited everyone involved.”
Earlier this year Thomas, who has been involved in implementing the BdREN project since the beginning, visited Bangladesh to review the organization’s progress and make recommendations for ensuring the BdREN network operates efficiently. As a result, IS was able to conduct additional training for engineers from Bangladesh universities who have not yet integrated BdREN services. To date, 32 universities are benefitting from the expanded access afforded by the new nationwide network.
Our participation in setting up BdREN continues our passion of connecting members of Kent State to other universities and opportunities worldwide. These connections are part of a global movement to expand access to shared resources, encouraging international discourse and discovery between universities and researchers.
For additional information on BdREN visit www.bdren.net.bd.