KIGALI, RWANDA and MENLO PARK, CA -- (Marketwire) -- 02/12/13 -- Carnegie Mellon University in Rwanda ("CMU-R") has been awarded a grant from Ricoh Innovations, Inc. ("RII") to advance research on information and communication technology ("ICT") for healthcare in developing countries. RII is a Silicon Valley-based subsidiary of Ricoh Company, Ltd, the leading provider of digital office solutions, and develops innovative technologies and new business opportunities for Ricoh. CMU-R is a collaboration between Carnegie Mellon University and the Government of Rwanda to build ICT capacity in Rwanda and throughout East Africa through graduate education and research. In partnership with the Government of Rwanda, it is the first U.S. research institution to offer engineering graduate degrees in Africa.

The unrestricted grant will be used to support the research of CMU-R's Assistant Professor Hedda Schmidtke and Scholar-in-Residence Suzana Brown in the area of ICT for healthcare. CMU-R has identified ICT for healthcare as a principal research thrust because of the profound impact that advances in this sector can have in developing countries. Creative innovations that address the needs of developing countries have the potential for significant impact because of the growing demands on limited, expensive medical resources.

"We are delighted to receive this grant from RII," stated Bruce Krogh, director of CMU-R. "It makes it possible for our faculty and students to launch new research into ICT innovations that will significantly improve healthcare in developing countries like Rwanda, particularly through the use of mobile technology."

In February 2012, RII established a subsidiary in Bangalore, India to combine market-oriented technology development with regionally optimized research to pioneer new business tailored for emerging countries throughout the world. Ricoh also recently announced its financial endowment and industry partnership for the creation of a design and innovation center at the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar.

"We are proud to support this important research in Rwanda," stated Dr. Nikhil Balram, president and CEO of RII. "RII is working to advance Open Innovation in emerging countries through collaboration between industry and researchers, yielding both technological and academic advances. The research carried out at CMU-R has the potential to improve the way healthcare is delivered not only in Rwanda, but throughout the world."

CMU-R plays a significant role in the Government of Rwanda's vision to create a regional Information and Communication Technology ("ICT") Center of Excellence in Kigali, and to establish ICT as a major component of a knowledge-based economy. CMU-R began offering the Master of Science in Information Technology (MSIT) program in August 2012, and is currently accepting applications for admission to the MSIT program in August 2013.

About Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon (www.cmu.edu) is a private, internationally ranked research university with programs in areas ranging from science, technology and business, to public policy, the humanities and the fine arts. More than 11,000 students in the university's seven schools and colleges benefit from a small student-to-faculty ratio and an education characterized by its focus on creating and implementing solutions for real problems, interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation. A global university, Carnegie Mellon's main campus in the United States is in Pittsburgh, Pa. It has campuses in California's Silicon Valley and Qatar, and programs in Asia, Australia, Europe and Mexico. The university is in the midst of a $1 billion fundraising campaign, titled "Inspire Innovation: The Campaign for Carnegie Mellon University," which aims to build its endowment, support faculty, students and innovative research, and enhance the physical campus with equipment and facility improvements.

About Ricoh Innovations
Based in California's Silicon Valley, Ricoh Innovations, Inc. ("RII") develops innovative technologies and new business opportunities for Ricoh Company, Ltd. RII was founded in 1997 as a subsidiary of Ricoh, growing out of the California Research Center established in 1989. RII is home to world-class technologists with a broad set of competencies in areas such as intelligent sensors, computational optics, mobile visual communication and cloud-based collaboration. Completing the team are experienced ethnographers with deep insights into user and customer experience, and creative designers with a fundamental understanding of user interfaces and industrial design. RII's focus is to realize The Infinite Network -- RII's vision of a seamlessly connected world of people, objects and information. To learn more about Ricoh Innovations, Inc., visit http://rii.ricoh.com.

About Ricoh
Ricoh is a global technology company specializing in office imaging equipment, production print solutions, document management systems and IT services. Headquartered in Tokyo, Ricoh Group operates in more than 200 countries and regions. In the financial year ending March 2012, Ricoh Group had worldwide sales of 1,903 billion yen (approx. 23 billion USD).

The majority of the company's revenue comes from products, solutions and services that improve the interaction between people and information. Ricoh also produces award-winning digital cameras and specialized industrial products. It is known for the quality of its technology, the exceptional standard of its customer service and sustainability initiatives. Under its corporate tagline, imagine. change. Ricoh helps companies transform the way they work and harness the collective imagination of their employees. For further information, please visit www.ricoh.com/about/

Add to Digg Bookmark with del.icio.us Add to Newsvine