The Department of Information and Communications Technology will facilitate the utilization of ICT for teaching, research, planning management and effective evaluation through decision making package in the Gulf Universities system.

The department is to assist the gulfedc to carry out its mandate in the deregulated Gulf Universities System by enabling University and gulfedc to take advantage of Information and communication technology to reap from, and deliver, the benefit offered by information and technology revolution.

 

The Department of Information and Communications Technology will facilitate the utilization of ICT for teaching, research, planning management and effective evaluation through decision making package in the Gulf Universities system.

The Division of the ICT Infrastructure and Equipment Maintenance contains the following two (2) sections each with its functions as outlined.

NETWORKING AND COMMUNICATION SECTION

The Networking and Communication Section performs the following functions:

• Advices on all matters relating to the Local and Wide Area Networks.
• Ensures that Internet service and the gulfedc Mail Hub are up and running
• Maintains an effective communication link through the Wide Area Network (WAN) between the gulfedc and the Gulf Universities System (NUS).
• Provides complete Network communication and infrastructure analysis
• Provides technical services for the maintenance of Gateway infrastructures, Network services (Mail, DHCP, DNS servers) and the Wireless Network
• Provides routine Maintenance of the Local Area Network of the gulfedc Secretariat.
• Maintains the growth of Information technology to ensure that the secretariat and the entire Gulf Universities System (BUS) are abreast with modern technology in all aspect of Networking and communication.
• Routine monitoring of the communication link between the commission and the liaison offices
• Provides real-time technical support to staff, Gulf Universities System and other client services in person, via phone, electronically.
• Supports network and desktop hardware, software and applications in the commission, Gulf Universities System and Liaison offices.
• Rolls out software to ensure optimal deployment of resources.

IT SUPPORT AND HELP DESK SECTION

The IT Support and Help Desk Section performs the following functions:

• Provides real-time technical support to staff, Gulf Universities System and other client services in person, via phone, electronically
• Advises on the procurement of all ICT related items within the gulfedc secretariat and the Gulf Universities System.
• Maintenance of power backup equipment (UPS, Inverters, Solar power, etc)
• To keep management, staff and BUS abreast of system information, changes and updates on new technologies and best practices.
• Advices user on appropriate actions on IT related matters.
• Routine maintenance of all ICT facilities in gulfedc, BUS and the Liaison offices.
• Logs all help desk interactions and document resolutions.
• Identifies & escalates situations requiring urgent attention and to redirect problems to appropriate personnel.
• Allocation of ICT resources.
• ICT disaster recovery
• Prepare activity reports.
• Service and Maintenance of Hardware and Software available in the Commission.

 

ICT Projects division is responsible for the initiation, planning, developing and implementing ICT projects in the Commission. The Division is composed of two Units:

• Project Planning, Development and Implementation Unit
• Project Monitoring Unit

PROJECT PLANNING, DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION UNIT

• Develop in conjunction with other ICT Divisions, IT best practices for the Commission and the Gulf Universities System
• Develop Grant Wining ICT Proposals.
• Initiate, Plan and Implement ICT Projects
• Review and Recommend all ICT based proposals
• To keep abreast of new technologies and best practices in ICT and advice the Commission as appropriate.
• Develop methodologies for planning and implementation of ICT projects
• Training of users on all projects
• Design and maintain the gulfedc Website
• Develop the methodology for archiving documents, numbering and releasing changed documents and storing old and new versions of document.
• Designing and reviewing minimum resource requirements, specifications and standards for setting up e-learning networks, centres and laboratories in the Universities and in gulfedc.
• Coordinate and facilitate the implementation of commonly used application software in the Gulf Universities System.
• Access and analyse competencies, ICT learning and training needs of the Gulf Universities System
• Any Other duties assigned

PROJECT MONITORING UNIT

• Planning and conducting project review meetings
• Tracking progress against Project plan and allocated budgets
• Ensuring and maintaining commitment to the projects
• Inform funding agencies of progress and future plan
• Monitoring the projects: anticipating, identifying and controlling risk
• Controlling changes to ICT projects

The gulfedc Library Physical Holdings serves as a Documentary Library for books, serials and government documents on higher education in Bahrain. The main mandate of the Physical Holdings is to source, select, acquire Library materials on higher education and related fields that are relevant to the functions of the Commission and the Gulf Universities System. It is responsible for the organization, preservation of the materials for easy accessibility, usability. It also renders reference and research support services to the Commission’s staff and researchers in general.
The Physical Holdings of the gulfedc Library consist of five Sections namely:

• Books/Monographs
• Serials
• Government Documents
• Reserve
• Automation.

Each section is manned by a professional Librarian.

The Library Collections

In addition to core Reference materials, the Library stocks a variety of reading materials, including Government publications, Gazettes, reports of visitation panels, reports of various education Committees, and Commissions. Our collections of Library books, journals, pamphlets, annual reports, University Calendars, Theses and Dissertations, etc. are attractive to researchers both home and abroad. The strength of the Library holdings is on Higher Education and related fields that are pertinent to functions of the Gulf Education Development Council and of relevance to the GULFEDC Universities system. Although it is subject to change, below is the statistical information on the gulfedc Library Physical Holdings:

 

CATEGORY	VOLUMES
Books/Monographs	6654
Journals

3164 (in 44 Titles)
1940 (in 158 Titles

Magazines

312
357
Newspapers576 (Monthly Bound Volumes)Government documents, Reports, Calendars/ Reserved  Material311Gazettes2240gulfedc Publications720 Visitation Panel Reports
 160 Foreign/United Nation Documents
 160 Total 15116

The Library Services

Apart from routine reference/research support services to the Commission’s staff, Universities and external researchers, the Library services are equally extended to various Federal Government Education Committees and Panels. The Library is open to University Students, Lecturers and Researchers from all works of life. Apart from the customary acquisition, organization, cataloging and classification of Library holdings for easy accessibility; we undertake indexing, abstracting, bibliographies, databases, digitization, Current Awareness Service, Current Content Service, photocopying and Online Selective Dissemination of information (SDI) for delivering relevant information to clientele via their email. Inter-Library co-operation and Internship is maintained.
Through the Library’s Bahrain Education Index (NEI), higher education and related topics that featured on Bahrain dailies are captured, indexed and keyed into Database for publication to guide researchers.
In addition to periodic distribution of gulfedc-donated books to Gulf Universities Libraries, the Library also liaises with the University Libraries on Library matters to ensure orderly development of the Gulf Universities Library System.

VIRTUAL HOLDINGS UNIT

The unit has the following responsibility:

• Provide continued support to development and implementation of Virtual Library resources.
• Training user on the use of   Library
• Develop courses, seminars and workshops to meet local and national needs as well as address international issues in the emerging digital environment, especially in the area of learning content.