文(Text)／技術合作處暑期實習生　白恩霞
圖(Photos)／公共關係室　吳靜怡

國合會於1998年創設「國際高等人力培訓外籍生獎學金計畫」，與國內大專院校合作設立全英語教學的大學、碩博士學程，提供全額獎學金及多元專業課程，鼓勵發展中國家優秀具潛力的學生來華求學。

The TaiwanICDF’s Technical Cooperation Department has always been committed to promoting the economic development of partner countries, whether that is achieved through agricultural projects or through information and communication technology (ICT). This summer, in order to share Taiwan’s e-government experience and ICT capacity, two representatives from Belize’s Central Information and Technology Office were invited to Taipei to study ICT. Through June and July, Database Administrator Francisco Gonzalez and Software Developer Kylon Neal worked at HyWeb and learned about Java software. After a successful two months, they both achieved their goal of getting their license, and left Taiwan as Java 7 Oracle Certified Associates.

The original plan was for the two to study for the Java 6 OCP (Oracle Certified Professional) exam, but Francisco explained that they decided to change course and learn about the newer Java 7 program because the old software was outdated. This significantly impacted their learning, he said, because “you can’t just immediately jump into the certificate exam for the professional; you have to do the associate first. So that’s what we basically did, prepared for it, and we also covered all the topics for the OCP exam.”

The trip was a part of the ongoing Belize Electronic Licensing and Permitting System (BELAPS) project that began in 2013. The first stage, which was completed last December, was to integrate the customs quota system with the Belize Bureau of Standards’ Supplies Control Unit System, in order to find a way for them to share data. After the successful completion of stage one, the team began moving forward with the next phase project. The goal is to create a “one-stop shop” for the public and companies to buy licenses from the government online, explained Francisco. The BELAPS project will integrate different parts of the government that are in charge of licensing, creating a more efficient process.

Familiarity with Java Supporting Maintenance and Improvement

Ongoing maintenance was a crucial factor in the decision to come study Java, because they needed to be able to maintain and improve their supplies unit control application. HyWeb was the company that developed the framework for the application as well as the next stage of the BELAPS project, so coming to Taipei was a unique opportunity for Francisco and Kylon to learn about the program. Francisco said that “the goal of the trip was to familiarize ourselves with the Java program so that we can maintain and improve the application.”

This was the first time that representatives from Belize have come to Taipei to study ICT; in the past, a teacher had flown to Belize to provide similar training, but it was later decided that there would be several advantages to moving the instruction over to Taiwan, and both Kylon and Francisco agreed that it was a great experience. The two said that they were prepared to learn and had spent hours each day reading Mala Gupta’s guide to preparing for the OCA (Oracle Certified Associate) exam. Their instructor was Mr. Vincent Yeung, a senior engineer at HyWeb. Francisco explained that Mr. Yeung “basically went over the notes, explained stuff to us, gave us examples, gave us exercises — if we had questions he would go over them with us. He would take time out of the course to go over stuff we didn’t understand.”

One of the advantages was that they were able to fully immerse themselves in their studies. Kylon said that he had more time to spend learning about Java. “We have more time because we are not with family, we are not with distractions, and we’re more open to learning,” he said. With the extra time to immerse themselves in the Java program and the diligent instruction of Mr. Yeung, they were able to ascertain a full understanding of the OCA program. Both agreed that it was a worthwhile experience that they would recommend in the future.

Expanding Knowledge through Further Training Sessions in Belize

Facilities for studying Java and other components of ICT in Belize are scarce. The Central Information Technology Office, where Kylon and Francisco are employed, offers some training to the community, to different departments within the government, as well as the private sector. However, this is one of the few examples of ICT education in Belize. To teach more members of the office about Java, Mr. Yeung will be travelling to Belize in August for scheduled training sessions. Francisco and Kylon said that they will be assisting him for the first week and a half to two weeks to help their colleagues catch up with the Java fundamentals and Java basics.

In between learning about OCA, Francisco and Kylon found time to experience Taiwanese culture. They agreed that the most memorable experiences were going to the top of Taipei 101 to see the view of the city and trying stinky tofu for the first time; both impressionable and uniquely Taiwanese. Upon returning to Belize, Francisco and Kylon will have the chance to apply what they have learned here in Taiwan, and even continue to study Java and upgrade their certificates.

相關連結

國合會系列專訪: 貝里斯中央資訊科技辦公室主任Michelle Longsworth

貝里斯資通訊計畫

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• Update: 2022/06/03
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