i RENALA, Research and Education Network for Academic and Learning Activities, is the Madagascan NREN (National Research and Education Network). Inaugurated in Toamasina on 7 June 2012, today i RENALA is celebrating its 10th anniversary.
In the presence of representatives of its members (the MESupReS (Madagascan Ministry for Higher Education and Research), the MNDPT (Madagascan Ministry of Digital Development, Digital Transformation, the Postal Service and Telecommunications), higher education establishments, research centres and other private institutions), its partners and digital environment stakeholders, i RENALA marked its 10th anniversary on 18 November 2022, in Sonimmo, Galaxy Andraharo by organising a series of presentations and testimonies. The event was held under the auspices of the Ministry for Higher Education and Research and was sponsored by NIC-MG the Internet domain name registry for .mg, and the Internet service provider TELMA. The session was opened by Mrs Harinaina Ravelomanantsoa, President of the Administrative and Technical Council per interim at i RENALA, and Prof. Julien Salava, Secretary General of the MESupReS.
i RENALA was created in partnership with the Agence universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF), the French NREN RENATER, the Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), the Centre de coopération internationale en recherche agronomique pour le développement (CIRAD), Coopération Française, NIC-MG and TELMA, and is supported by the MESupReS and MNDPT. Its main aim is to support its members in the shift to the BMD system (Bachelor/Masters/Doctorate). Secondarily, i RENALA assists its members in their digital development by offering them services tailored to their needs: videoconferencing, cloud, hosting, security, collaboration, institutional management, digital resources in various research fields, etc.
Today, i RENALA has 29 members, seven partners, over fifteen services and, as regards its throughput, 7 national STM-1 and 3 international STM-1. i RENALA’s projects are of national or international scope. One of its current projects is the connection to the regional research and education network, the UbuntuNet Alliance. Once completed, this project will enable Madagascar to access the various digital resources of the other countries connected to the network.
In its speech, the MESupReS underlined its ongoing support for i RENALA’s development and wished it optimal conditions for its evolution. The morning was punctuated by tokens of appreciation being given to the two ministries (MESupReS and MNDPT), the founding members of i RENALA and its partners.
Find out more about i RENALA’s activities and services by visiting their website: https://www.irenala.edu.mg/EN/
