Participants from African Regional Research and Education Networks (RRENs) and National Research and Education Networks (NRENs) had the opportunity to attend and actively participate in the TNC24 which was held from 10-14 June, 2024 in Rennes, France. The conference venue was The Couvent des Jacobins, Rennes Convention Center which is an authentic, historic region, known for its exceptional architectural, cultural and culinary heritage, located at the northwestern end of France, Brittany. TNC24, short for “Terabit Networking Conference 24,” is the largest research and education networking conference organised by GÉANT which is the collaboration of European National Research and Education Networks. This year, the TNC24 was hosted by the RENATER, the French National Telecommunications Network for Technology, Education and Research.
The TNC24 was organised around the theme “Rendezvous à Rennes” which means going beyond a mere creation of space or location of a gathering, but bringing diverse community together – whether in person or online – to reconnect, to revitalise, and to regain balance. The CEO of GÉANT, Erik Huizer, in his opening remark welcomed the participants from all walks of life and reminded them to exploit the dynamic and rich culture presented by the community through diverse networking, exchanging of ideas and learning from one another. The attention of the excited audience was captivated through a thrilling presentation on “Brilliant Failures: Working together, failing together, learning together” by Paul Iske (Maastricht University) who noted that failing is not only inevitable, but also an essential learning process.
TNC24 created a unique collaboration environment for the participants ladened with variety of breath-taking presentations on emerging technologies including network automation, security, eduroam and high-performance computing. Representatives drawn from African RRENs and NRENs actively participated in the IoT Innovations, Trust & Identity, CEOs Track, Emerging NREN Programme and African Innovations sessions. The end of the well-thought-out conference was marked by a mind-boggling presentation on the future of computing by Nataliya Kosmyna (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). It was a wakeup call on how we can create new way of interfacing with the computers around us for the betterment of humanity.
UbuntuNet Alliance for Research and Education Networking, West and Central African Research and Education Network, Arab States Research and Education Network, South Africa Research & Education Network, Kenya Education Network, Research and Education Network of Uganda, Zambia Research and Education Network, and Tanzania Research and Education Network were in attendance. The big question that should be in the minds of the participants is: How will the unique experience from the TNC24 shape the direction and quality of the research and education in your RREN or NREN?
As the dust settles on the well-organized, deeply informative and well-attended TNC24, the focus shifts to the UbuntuNet-Connect 2024, the regional conference organized by the UbuntuNet Alliance for Research and Education Networking for Eastern and Southern Africa. The conference is planned for October 31 – November 1 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. For more information including conference sponsorship and early-bird registration, please visit: https://ubuntunet.net/uc2024/. All are welcome!