Developing the future

PA 207/09 - Pioneering software developed by The University of Nottingham is being used to help tackle areas of inequality in an African country by turning knowledge into practice. Xerte — a powerful suite of freely available online tools — has been used by RTI International, to support a crucial project on improving standards of local governance in Morocco. Lead developer Julian Tenney, recently attended the 2009 e-learning Africa Conference, in Dakar, Senegal where the project and Xerte's contribution were highlighted. "A lot of work's gone into not just developing these tools, but making them as relevant to as many people as possible," says Julian. "To see them being used in this particular context was both surprising and extremely gratifying. "And now that we've launched the online toolkits version of Xerte, I'll be very interested to see what other innovative uses it will be put to." RTI International is one of the world's leading research institutes, dedicated to improving the human condition. With projects in more than 40 countries, and a staff of more than 2,600, RTI offers innovative research and technical solutions to governments and businesses worldwide in the areas of health and pharmaceuticals, education and training, surveys and statistics, advanced technology, democratic governance, economic and social development, energy, and the environment.