TEDxGurgaon - Osama Manzar - 2/27/10

Osama Manzar is a convert social entrepreneur spearheading the mission to overcome the information barrier between Indias rural sector, and the so-called developed society, through Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF) the not-for-profit organisation founded to accomplish the mission; http://www.defindia.net

In 2003 he launched Indias first ever award for choosing the best e-content practices in India and South Asia. Osama is the Chairman of the Manthan Award South Asia for Digital Inclusion for Development; http://www.manthanaward.org. Manthan Award has more than 1500 best e-content practices in its nomination bank.

He has authored titles like: e-Content: Voices from the Ground (http://www.econtentworldwide.org); Internet Economy of India; Indias Best e-Contents, and Development & Digital Inclusion.

Manzar is e-Content Expert for India for World Summit Award (WSA), Grand Jury Member and member of Board of Directors; http://www.wsis-award.org; In addition, Manzar has been Jury Anchor for the Dataquest e-Gov Champion Award, India, and for Bahrain e-Content Award, Sri Lankas e-Content Award .

He has been a part of the Professional Social Entrepreneurship Program by Social-Impact International; http://www.social-impact.org.

He has worked through Computerworld as assistant editor, head of Interactive Media Division of Hindustan Times and started a software company 4Cplus, for media publishers and quit the same to get into social entrepreneurship through DEF.

He is a physics graduate and post graduate diploma in Journalism. He was awarded a joint Chevening/Young Indian IT Professional Programme 2002 Scholarship by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to study Advanced IT Management Programme at Manchester Business School, University of Manchester during 2001-2002.

Osama Manzar has been involved in the last 15 years in various level of research work, including resulted in publications/Reports like:

Educational Technology in India 2005
Development & Digital Inclusion Cases from South Asia
ICT in Education Toolkit
and several others.

Osama has a credit of covering at least 100 ICTD cases in India and South Asia, has traveled more than 1000 villages in India and South Asia, including 18 countries.

About TEDx, x=independently organize event

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self- organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x=independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)

Category:

Education

Tags:

• TEDxGurgaon
• Osama
• Manzar
• TEDx
• Gurgaon
• India

[ravighate]

Mr Osama Manzar is the only ICT advocate/activist in the country.

[abhishekdel]

Mr. Osama has made many relevant points here. Even in my student life I see, how we don't record our lectures and the same lectures are repeated year after year, projectors lie unused and we have stuck to our chalk and board only.

Thanks to youtube though, NPTEL has been doing some phenomenal work.