Ukraine

IREX (the International Research & Exchanges Board) is the premier US nonprofit organization specializing in higher education, independent media, Internet development, and civil society programs in the United States, Europe, Eurasia, the Near East, and Asia.
Since its founding in 1968, IREX has supported over 15,000 students, scholars, policymakers, business leaders, journalists, and other professionals. IREX serves as a major resource for universities, governments, and the corporate sector in understanding international political, social, economic, and business developments.

IREX has received grants from the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) to administer the Internet Access and Training Program (IATP) in three regions of Eurasia: Western New Independent States, Central Asia, and the Caucasus.

The goal of IATP is to promote and support democracy, public-private sector partnerships, and civil society by linking the communities of Eurasia to the global information infrastructure. IATP provides a unique opportunity for alumni of US government exchange and training programs and other target audiences to receive free and open Internet access helping to foster continued information sharing, network building, communication, and collaboration with their American and Eurasian counterparts.

Initially launched in 1995, IATP has expanded operations in its second stage into 10 countries of Eurasia including Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. IATP seeks to empower end-users by providing opportunities for them to publish information on the World Wide Web, develop Internet-based resources, obtain useful on-line information, and create sustainable non-commercial Internet networks. Offering an array of services, IATP helps to increase local capacity of individuals and institutions to creatively use Internet applications as educational and professional tools.

In Ukraine IATP has developed the network of centers enabling alumni of US government exchange programs and other target audiences to have free and open Internet Access and various Internet/Computer trainings. IATP also supports non-commercial Internet initiatives through open small grants competitions. Detailed and up-to-date information about the project can be found at the web site http://iatp.org.ua
One component of IATP in Ukraine is "Civic Education Network" initiative, which aims at fostering civic education development through Internet technologies. For further information about the Civic Education Network please visit the web site at http://iatp.org.ua/cen/; CEN was funded from 1999 to 2001.
Now in its fourth stage of development, the Internet Access and Training program, funded by ECA and administered by IREX, has opened 25 centers in 25 oblasts of Ukraine. All of the centers are providing open Internet access and free computer and Internet trainings and workshops.

For more information about IATP and its centers in Ukraine, please contact:

Colin Guard - Regional Program Manager for Eurasia guard@iatp.org.ua, tel. (044) 537 0604
Maria Makovska - Deputy Regional Manager for Western Eurasia (Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine) maria@iatp.org.ua, tel. (044) 537 0604
Bogdan Mykytsey - IATP Ukraine Country Coordinator MVbogdan@iatp.org.ua, tel. (044) 599 1412
Olena Chupryna - Program Associate chupryna@iatp.org.ua, tel. (044) 537 0604
Dmitriy Ryabichenko - Training Coordinator dr@iatp.org.ua, tel. (044) 599 1412
Sergiy Negodyuk - System Administrator petr@iatp.org.ua, tel. (044) 537 0604