THE CHALLENGE OF IMPLEMENTING AN AFRICAN PROGRAM IN INFORMATION-SCIENCE - TRARECON

A brief account of the antecedents of the new Africa Regional Centre for Information Science (ARCIS) puts the subject of the paper in its proper perspective. Promoting goodwill within the academic environment at Ibadan for the novel ideas enunciated by ARCIS constituted the most formidable challenge of all. Other crucial aspects of the challenge included raising funds for the Centre's establishment and development in a depressed economy; training prospective academic staff; and sustaining the cause Of ARCIS in the face of powerful and persistent opposition. The rationale for the Centre's emphasis on public service is explained, followed by highlights of the MInfSc degree programme and the criteria for selecting students. Finally, the paper looks optimistically ahead to ARCIS making its contributions towards the production of a new breed of African information professionals.