• Submitted by: admin
• Camagüey
• Computers and Internet
• Business and Economy
• Science and Technology
• 07 / 21 / 2007

One can remember the arrival in the 1980s of the famous CID 201-B computer, the size of an enormous closet but with 6 KB of memory in the FORTRAN language. To use it, it was necessary to have more than will, because buttons and keys were everywhere, and it booted up with thunderous sound, without mentioning the number of times that it had to be reprogrammed.

Then there came the CID 300, with more features and two languages: FORTRAN and COBOL. These allowed for greater and more complex «development», even though they both were at that time «the best of the best» in technology.

After that, there came the first intelligent keyboards, and from that moment on, there came generation after generation of PC, until now, where software is the key.

Since the Faculty of Computer science was created nine years ago at the University of Camaguey, a new era has begun for the unlimited computerization of this educational center and other institutions in this province.

HERE TO STAY

Founded less than a decade ago and with four graduating classes having completed studies in informatics, the Faculty of Computer Science is not only growing in the number of graduates "now with more than 150 young people" but also in the production of software aimed at meeting the needs of the University of Camaguey and other institutions in the region.

«After three years since its founding, it has assumed the greatest responsibility for developing software in the province,» explained Faculty Dean Dr. Luis Corrales Vazquez to JR.

«Sueño de colores (Dream of colors) and Fantasia de colores (Fantasy of colors) were the first programs of this amazing scientific effort that were developed in our labs aimed at education. Then, based on their success, this work was extended to other teaching levels.

«Both of these first programs were designed with the double objective of encouraging arts appreciation in children and promoting the use of informatics, including theoretical classes, games with which the students could practice what they learn, and special programs for teachers to assess their students performance.»

" Did software development begin to take off from that moment on?

"Currently, we are talking about more than 30 programs that have been registered and applied to practical applications. The Facultys policy is to carry out research that could have first a regional impact, including at the University, and then a national or international impact.

«We have approached the institutions of the province with this policy, and thats the way the different research work has unfolded, in correspondence with companies computerization needs.»

"What are the most important projects designed by the Faculty?

"There are many ones, such as those for Bioinformatics, Hydraulic Resources, and ETECSA; but for the Faculty, the most important project was the one designed for the Meteorology Institute in the province; it received an award from the Science Academy.

«Time saving was one of its contributions. We reduced the continuous work of the specialists in updating of data for weather forecasts from eight to two hours with the implementation of this program.»

" What are future plans?

"Were very busy now with medical sciences. We are recovering images for teaching and have entered the program of energy saving, among others directly related with the diploma work of our students. All this work is aimed at providing solutions in both production and services.

"What are the benefits of software development to the University of Camaguey?

"There is an interrelation with the rest of the faculties since our designs are aimed at solving the main problems of the faculties and in this way, we can also reach the needs of the province. Informatics provides the software and in the rest of the faculties research is being computerized.

«The most important link is the one materialized with the Department of Economy, where the software makes the work and flow of information easier in the chain of information. However, we are working hard to completely computerize the university.

«Now we have finished a program for the control of the attendance and the evaluation of students. All that complicated and thorny work we have just made automatic. We will test it next semester and later expand it across the entire university. It is based on a program that automatically eliminates the intermediate steps and the human errors that pop up every day. »

"What are the existing challenges?

"Subjects change constantly, therefore; a professor from our faculty can be outdated in six months time. This science changes at the speed of technologies, and if you dont update frequently you will fail as a professor and as a professional.

«The curriculum is designed so the students learn to learn, which is the most important thing here. They start learning with software and they end up creating software. If you cannot achieve that goal, you are wasting your time. »

Source: By Yahily Hernandez Porto and Yusvel Nieves Machado, Juventud Rebelde