UNU-IIST is one of the Research & Training Centres (RTC) of the United Nations University (UNU). It is fundamentally concerned with the software technology needs of developing countries and is the first international institute devoted to this subject.

Motivation

Although the growth of computer usage in developing countries is quite high, most of them urgently need the establishment or expansion of both basic and advanced training, development and research facilities. Thus there is at once a lack of available software professionals for industrial growth and a chronic shortage of educators and trainers of the professionals of the future.

In addition, most developing countries have few software companies and little experience in industrial software development. Local software development is essential in developing countries, not only to establish and strengthen local industry but also to provide software in local languages and with cultural features adapted to the specific needs and conditions of each country.

Although the knowledge and competence gaps between industrialized and developing countries may be substantial, UNU-IIST can help specialists in developing countries reach state-of-the-art levels in software technology.

Further, UNU-IIST can help developing countries to establish or improve their training, development and research capabilities and to forge cooperative links, not only between themselves but also with developed countries.

Foundation

UNU-IIST formally came into being on March 12th 1991, with the signing in Macao of agreements between the UNU, the Governor of Macao, and the Governments of Portugal and the People's Republic of China. It is financed by a fund of US$30 Million contributed to the UNU Endowment Fund in respect of UNU-IIST.

The Governor of Macao has further provided generous support in the form of special operating contributions, as well as premises, furniture and fixtures. Macao was particularly generous in its provision of UNU-IIST's permanent premises from March 1999.

UNU-IIST commenced operations on 2nd July 1992.

Organisational Structure

UNU-IIST's organisational structure is shown in the figure.

Aims and Objectives

UNU-IIST assists developing countries in meeting needs and in strengthening indigenous capabilities in three activity areas:

• development of their own and exportable software,
• university education curriculum development, and
• participation in international research.

Through the above, UNU-IIST expects to propagate use of as sophisticated a variety of as advanced software as reasonable.

UNU-IIST helps to bridge the gaps between theory and practice, university and industry, consumer and producer, and industrial countries and developing countries. It aims with great specificity at developing and disseminating enabling technologies and empowering and building-up capacities.

A UNU-IIST `Credo' could be enunciated as:

• UNU-IIST is a cradle for educating young university computing scientists and industry programmers and software engineers above post-graduate level.
• UNU-IIST offers a showroom for demonstrating paradigmatic approaches to application modelling, requirements engineering, programming, software engineering and software technology management techniques and tools.
• UNU-IIST serves as a bridge for enhancing co-operation between industrial and developing countries in the area of software technology.
• And UNU-IIST constitutes a channel for bringing achievements of developing countries to international attention.

UNU-IIST interfaces with a number of UN agencies and international financial agencies concerned with development.