Ermias Dagne , Ph.D.,

Associate Professor of Chemistry,

Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia

(chemistry@padis.gn.apc.org)

I am indeed pleased to have been invited to contribute a paper to the first EthCITA electronic conference on impact of e- mail and electronic networking on research and related activities in Ethiopia.

I am one of the frequent users of the e-mail service installed in my university. Checking messages and responding to them is now a daily routine. We receive messages from many parts of the world. These messages are of various contents. Some are simple contacts of personal nature but most deal and relate to research work and scientific information. Drafts of scientific papers are communicated for comments and finalized through e-mail exchanges. We have been able to write proposals and progress reports through e-mail exchanges. In short e-mail makes it possible for us to interact in a meaningful way with scientists from afar.

Recently I was in Germany for a 3 month research fellowship. From there I was sending and receiving messages on a daily basis with my coworkers in Addis. They would type and transmit all fax and other messages received in my office in Addis. They would also inform me of the progress they make in their work. I would then respond to them, and pass on instructions on how the various correspondences would be handled. From my office in Addis the responses are mailed. In a way email makes it possible for one to continue on one's work from one's office although one is thousands of kilometers away. When I came back to my office I was able to continue on my work, as if there was no gap.

We are thankful to members of the Ethiopian community in the USA for the continued interest and support to improve electronic networking. This is a noble endeavor and the EEDN (Cleo) community deserves a warm applause.