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Afghanistan
   
Afghan Computer Science Association(ACSA)

 

Afghan Computer Science Association (ACSA) established in 1999 is a growing Information Communication Technology (ICT) professionals association that is having an outstanding experience in project initiation, project management and implementation, concept development, and institutional build-up in the ICT sector. ACSA aims to promote and develop ICT as a tool towards the development of Afghanistan and strengthening its economy. It is providing a platform for the exchange of ideas on ICT as a development tool and an enabler through organizing meetings and seminars, awareness campaigns, lobbying and advocating other ICT related programs. 

 
 

The goals and objective of ACSA are to:

 
  • Lobby for standardization, partner in policy making and support the ICT regulatory efforts
 
  • Facilitate the professional advancement of experts engaged in ICT and relevant occupation
 
  • Create awareness among people on the latest revolutions and most recent technological developments
 
  • Promote knowledge on application of ICT in various fields
 
  • Promote women involvement in ICT providing gender balance
 
  • Support the endeavors ensuring that the people have wider access to ICT
 
  • Provide a platform for exchange of ideas in the field of ICT applications
   
 

ACSA is building a network of ICT professionals and entrepreneurs while building the capacity of young people to take on be leadership roles in the national ICT development strategies through effective plans and programs. It has successfully initiated numerous projects that are considered to be of significant impact in the local ICT bustle.

 

                                   

Team's Achievement in the Project

 
  • Afghanistan Localization Program (ALP)
 

 Afghanistan Localization Program (ALP) is a project of Afghan Computer Science Association (ACSA) in collaboration with the Ministry of Communications and Afghanistan academy of sciences, including senior individual scholars. ALP is working on Localizing software systems into Afghan local languages. Our research and development includes collation, development of character set and other language standards, fonts, lexica, spell checkers, grammar checkers, search and replace utilities, technologies for content development e.g. OCRs (Optical Character Recognition system), speech recognition systems, text-to-speech (TTS)  synthesis, speech to text (STT) conversion and machine translation.

 
Currently ALP has two running projects.
 

          PanL10n

 

This project concentrates on basic as well as advanced aspects of localization, starting from the development of a standard Keyboard Layout to advanced Natural Language processing. The project revolves around three major components:

 
  • Local Language Content and Development
  • Localized Technology Development
  • Training and deployment of the Technology developed
 

          Microsoft Localization Program (MSL)

 

The aim of the Microsoft localization is to provide the non-English speaking people of Afghanistan with the software tools in their own language to enable and empower them to have access to the Information Communications Technology (ICT) means and to support them to better understand and use the tools. 

MSL is Localization of Microsoft Windows and Office programs (started September 1, 2004) in partnership with Microsoft Corporation, the Ministry of Communications (MoC) Afghanistan, and United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Afghanistan.

 
  • National Computational Language Seminar (NCLS)
 
  • Internet Policy and Regulatory Reforms (GIPI-AF)
 
  • Formation of National ISP Association of Afghanistan
 
  • National ICT Conference of Afghanistan
 
  • Formation of National ICT Association of Afghanistan
 
  • Youth Employment Network (YEN) Afghanistan
 
  • ASCA Junction
 

 

 

   
Goals During Second Phase

 
  • Development of KB for XP and Vista
 
  • Localized URL for Pashto
 
  • Development of Pashto Font

 
  • Localization of SeaMonkey

 

Team Members and their Designations
   
 

Rafiqullah Kakar, Project Leader

 

Habibur Rahman Najiullah, Senior Software Developer

 

Maiwand Wardak, Software Developer

 
 

Abdul Majeed, Software Developer

 

Sharifullah Mahboob, Linguist

 

M. Majawer Zyar, Senior Linguist

 

Mohammad Munir Paykan, Calligrapher