#TEDxAlger - An Insider’s notepad scratches–(MR. Abdelhakim BENSAOULA)

Continuing the #TEDxAlger articles’ series concerning the TEDx held in the Higher School of Computer Science E.S.I. (ex: I.N.I.), Algiers.

11H11:
Zaki the host introduced to us someone; he called him “The Violin’s little man”. This young musician was no one but a student from the very same College where the event took place.

11H12: The student started playing some music.
11H15: Music stopped
As aforesaid in the first #TEDxAlger blog entry, the TEDx Day was divided into 4 themes, 3 speakers per each theme. As Mr. Mustapha FERFARA (The stock exchange’ guy) couldn’t come due to his work, there were only 2 speakers for the “Entreprendre en Algerie” part. After the music break, they passed to the next topic “Entreprise et Tech” (Business and Tech).

II. Entreprise et Tech (Business and Tech)

                 1. Abdelhakim BENSAOULA

Holder of many patents, some of them within projects with: NASA, NSF, US-AF and US-NAVY, Mr. Abdelhakim BENSAOULA is a Houston university graduate and he’s, actually, a professor at Aboubakr Belkaid university, Telemcen.


11H16:
- He studied Science and materials.
- During his studies, he started working with special people (he didn’t mention who are these SPECIAL People!), who design toys (I guess weapons or something like that, ‘cause he didn’t mention what’s these toys are, either!). One day he had to visit a partner company that has a good reputation in its field. These people’ job is designing TOYS and work on a prototype; afterwards they sell it to large companies for the mass production. He said:

“When I followed the address, I was expecting the headquarters to be a big structure or a skyscraper. But, I was shocked! It was just a 200m² flat. There weren’t many people there on the staff, Just 3 researchers and an assistant. This company has a turnover of tens of million dollars, simply because they have the knowhow! They have no stock, their job is: idea --> conception --> prototype; this is the real Entrepreneurship”

- He said, aloso:

“Afterwards, I got my diploma; But, I have never stopped studies”

11H21: Entreprise (Business)
- To be a successful entrepreneur:

· Never fear risks; have the initiative spirit, but say patient; see opportunities where people see impossibilities; hate routine; break the rules and swim against the stream.
· You can either satisfy a need in the market or just create a new one.
· Know 50% and learn the remaining 50%.

-Many successful businessmen have been asked: “what was the problem for you?”, they answered: “if I had just more time, I could do a lot more”. Hence, it’s not money the big issue in the success equation, but it’s TIME.
- The main scheme for a student to concretize his business is as follows:
Idea --> Team-->Share ambitions --> work on the idea -->Business plan--> fix any problem found--> launch your business with less money!
- Most of the largest Technology companies started with a budget of less than $2000!
- Take risks, there lies disguised opportunities. (I add something on this. I don’t know if you ever read Napoleon Hill’s books, ‘cause if you really want to think like successful business Gurus, I, strongly, recommend to you: “Positive Mental attitude” and “think and grow rich”. Besides taking risks and having faith, the thing all successful men through history’s pages had, is: “Something more”. I recall the story of an engineer –circa early 20^th century-who created an instrument to detect Oil in earth’ depths. He tried to sell it to Oil companies but they all refused it. During his journey back from Texas to his home town –Philadelphia if I’m not mistaken- he had to switch the train in Oklahoma. There something strange happened, his instrument started acting weird, and since he was frustrated and angry he took it and smashed it into pieces. A couple of months later, the Top news were: Large Oil fields discovered in Oklahoma!!! He just didn’t give it the last push. )
- He said:

“Take care of your dreams and they’ll take care of your later.”

11H30: Mr. Abdelhakim BENSAOULA left the stage

I’m done with the third speaker (Mr. Abdelhakim BENSAOULA). I’ll go for the next one (Mm. fadhila BRAHIMI) to-morrow in shaa Allah.
Peace out,

#TEDxAlger - An Insider’s notepad scratches–( Mm. Hind BENMILOUD )

 
I. Entreprendre en Algérie:

             2. Mm. Hind BENMILOUD

She is the first Algerian lawyer specialized in IT and cyber-criminality. She is also the president of the Algerian association of franchise.
 


10H01 :
- She studies computer science in the past, she even had a 9 months internship programming in COBOL. But, she converted to Law.
- She raised the question: Why is it hard to start business in Algeria?
- She started in 1991/1992, the very same period when terrorism started in Algeria. But Algerians defied it; they continued living their lives as normally as possible.
- She also said that in the Algerian (The comment of Majda showed me that I had misintrepreted what Mme.Hind BENMILOUD said,hence I apologize for this, but I keep the answer, not as a response for her, but for others') Foreign media they show only the Joumoua’a prayer (The Friday’s Prayer) rather than business and every day’s life’ issues. (Here I completely disagree! We are Muslims; they must show Friday’s prayer on TV, like they must also broadcast the Athan –the prayer call-. But, we also must not care less about science, politics, business, economy and daily life challenges. Most of people see it in Black& white. They’re either thickheaded fanatics or shallow-minded laics! Why can’t we just adopt the Malaysian model, where both Technology and religious principles are in harmony?!! Why just France, France and France?! If we have defects in Algeria, if we suffered from terrorism, if we’re still locked inside a black box of inferiority it’s because the Ignorance of those ruling over us and the isolation of the rich business people from their surroundings. We should stick to our OWN culture, religion, customs, language and characters. We have never been French and we will never be. There’s no pride in following everything people from the other side of the Mediterranean do, and there’s no respect for someone ashamed of his own gigantic cultural legacy. There’s a huge difference between openness and Mutation. I find it shameful for people living in Algeria not speaking a word in Arabic or Berber!! I cannot imagine a German who speaks only English, or an Indian speaking only Urdu while living in his homeland! Someone who doesn’t respect his own roots, culture and principles isn’t worth of respect. Social engagement is not only Charity! It’s promoting your native language, social values, philanthropy and welfare. It’s beyond material benefits or short-term consequences. Islam’s N°1 rule is the Nia = Intention. If the deed is only for boasting of showing off, it’s not accepted. What company accepts to do the good just for the sake of good; not just to LOOK GOOD?! )
10H05:
- She created her own Law firm.
- She has been a victim of an assassination attempt.
- She left Algeria and settled down in Tunisia. There she discovered the field of Business Law.
- She gained experience in Tunisia and decided to come back to Algeria.
- She said: “although I’m a jurist, I passed through the warrior’s path, it took me 2-to-3 months just to start my own firm; so, how would it be for a fresh graduate?!!”
- We’re living in a very difficult business context.
- The government vouchsafed many advantages for Foreign investors. But, investors didn’t play it right. They didn’t bring the knowhow to Algeria. Instead, they flew away with colossal amounts of money to their homelands, and as a result the Algerian government took steps backwards.
10H08:
- A couple of months ago, no one could foresee the Tunisian revolution. But, it did happen! In Algeria, We did it in October 1988. 20 years later, I’ve never been so uncomfortable, but yesterday when I met up with Youth in ETIC, I said: “There’s still Hope.”
10H10:

Mm. Hind BENMILOUD jumped off the stage.
My impressions:
- She was a bit more pessimistic about the Algeria economic status quo. I, myself, am skeptical, but what I wanted from this #TEDxAlger is to sweep away my fears, and build a positive state of mind, concerning the Algerian business opportunities by listening to older generations. But, if they have no faith in the future, what are we, the youth of today, expected to do?!! A Big question mark popping up from my head…
- Always, the same remark: The identity crisis! No word has been spoken in Arabic or Berber, the two official languages of the SOVEREIGNTY of Algeria. As long as we are considering Arabic as the cause of our decadence, we’ll always stay in the tail of the nations’ caravan. No plausible argument could be given upon this matter. e.g. Finnish, which is a young Asi-oralic language, could evolve, dramatically , in 60 years and be a language of technology. Nokia is just one example; China could launch its satellite’s when it used Chinese in Technical universities; Iran could acquire the nuclear High technology thanks to its language, and the list long…
I’m done with the second speaker. I’ll go for the next one to-morrow in shaa Allah.
Peace out,

#TEDxAlger - An Insider’s notepad scratches

Notice: The #TEDxAlger was a 100% French event. Hence, you’re going to come across atypical translated phrases from French to English. Notify me if there’s any anomaly.

The first Algerian TEDxAlger organized by mere students (Our fellow colleagues & friends in ETIC club) took part in the Higher School of Computer Science E.S.I. (ex: I.N.I.). There were different- if not contradictory-opinions about this event. I’ll write a blog entry about each speaker and what did he/she said according to my timeline. I’d also include some subjective critics between parentheses (and they are not just for the sake of criticism: p )
First off, the name: “TEDxAlger”! The TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design) we all know and the “x” for independently organized, followed by the name of the city hosting the event, which is here “Alger”. Alger for the non-French speaker is Algiers the capital of Algeria. It was my very first remark since I heard of the event. Why “Alger”? Why not الجزائر (Al Jazair- the Arabic name of “Algiers”-), or “Algiers” the English name to stick to the universality of the event. But, sincerely, I didn’t expect the event to be 100% in French. Come on, I don’t think TEDxBeijing would be in Japanese or TEDxBogota would be in Zulu! I’ll come to this point when I finish u the series.
10:30 -->10:40
Ismail Chaib (iChaib on twitter) the Founder of ETIC club, an E.S.I. alumnus and a student in France, had the opening word, where he introduced Entrepreneurship and Change, and asked the question: “Why not?”. He said that it’s time for us to jump into the caravan to Baghdad of technology now, and It’s a must not a choice.

10:40-->10:44
A video about TED story and how it all started.
The day has been divided into a series of 12 presentations. Each 3 speakers talked about a theme, as follows:
 

Entreprendre en Algérie
Speaker	Mr. Abdelkader Aissaoui
Speaker	Mr. Mustapha Ferfera
Speaker	M. Hind Benmiloud
Entreprise et Tech
Speaker	Mr. Hakim Bensaoula
Speaker	M. Fadhila Brahimi
Speaker	M. Nesma Houhou
Success Story
Speaker	Mr. Hassan Khelifati
Speaker	Mr. Merzac Bagtache
Speaker	Mr. Akim El Sikameya
Entreprendre pour changer le monde
Speaker	Mr. Rabah Ghezali
Speaker	Mr. Hadj Khelil
Speaker	Mr. Abdelkader

 
I. Entreprendre en Algérie:
      1. Mr. Abdelkader Aissaoui:
A veterinarian by training, Mr. Aissaoui is the founder and CEO of Renault Trucks Algeria in 2002, the only subsidiary of trucks of a European manufacturer operating in Algeria. An entrepreneur at heart, Mr Aissaoui also has several business’ assets.
 
10H46 :
- He told us about his son’s birthday and that we should say every 3 minutes “You’re great, papa”, and we did it with enthusiasm :)
- He Introduced the CEA (Création d'Entreprises à l'Algérienne = Creating business the Algerian way ).
He said that there are 3 Actors in this equation:
This trinity is: The Individual, the Environment and the Company.
- A Company is like a train. People see it running, but few of ‘em have the change to get in.
- Studies and money aren’t enough to be a successful entrepreneur. You should have the HUNCH
- It’s hard to start your own business in Algeria due to the bureaucratic issues.
He went through the most important phases of the openness of the Algerian market:
In 1994:
He got his diploma, the very same year when Algeria became opened to importation (I don’t see importation and reselling as something beneficial for a country lacking,dramatically, the knowhow). At that time the market was almost virgin, and everyone has a place.
In 2000:
The government launched the programs : housing & work for everyone. So, no need for great ideas. All what you need is just be “inserted” (I don’t know how to be inserted in such market where the barons and high-profile entrepreneurs are monopolizing the game!!)
In 2005:
Cars’ market boom! No need for philosophy, creativity and bright ideas. Just sell –or resell- cars, there would, for sure, someone who buys. (Always no knowhow involved).
In 2011: Crisis!
 
-The market in Algeria is still virgin as a mermaid:
· 96% of the Algerian population is living in 10% of the country’s surface.
· One Sole Highway
· One single train!!
There are huge opportunities especially in the domains on civil engineering.
(I keep asking: Sahara got everything to be a second Eldorado or Huston! Gas, Oil, Gold, Water, Uranium, Silicon, etc.!!! why isn’t it so?!)
He finished with both of the Individual and the environment. He passed then to the COMPANY.
- The company undergoes three phases during its lifecycle:
Creation -----> Life -----> Death
· Creation: The Company is like a baby. It falls ill, it cries, it p*sses (The public laughed out loud), etc. the entrepreneur should do whatever it takes to gain experience. He must work 8 days per week (off the record: he said you should create a day between Fridays and Saturday). If you have the chance, the company evolves to phase two. It’s the growth or the company’s Life where it stands on its feet, gain its pace in the economical map, etc.
· Life: once the business is running, it’s no longer 1+1=2. But, it turns into 1+1=3 [You+ the Company+ The dynamic that keeps the development jamming gears spinning ]
· Death: It’s crying, tears , mucus and everything bad :p
 
- In Algeria: 100% of companies are familial (these statistics don’t seem to me accurate), there is no solid model or pattern to be steered by.
- How to guarantee your company’s life? He left the question unanswered or I simply didn’t hear the answer (I doubt if I couldn’t answer! I was writing down everything from timing to the audience’s applauses).
- He finished with a quote that I wrote only its first phrase :-(

“An ordinary chap who walks ,…”

 
 
My impressions:
- The speech was too vague, no detailed information on how REALLY succeed in a blurry (the opposite of transparent) market as the Algerian one, where Barons are taking over the greasy market shares, the rest fight over the crumbles.
- He didn’t introduce himself well (a typical Algerian defect. We tend to talk with others for hours without even telling our names –or basic information- or ask for the others’ name).
- I don’t think ReSelling is something Miraculous in a very rich country like ours. For me if there’s no added value or a knowhow acquired, it’s not real Entrepreneurship. ReSelling is just trabando on large scale (trabando is the parallel market where kids and poor people open up tables of small commerce, like selling cigarettes, shoes, underwear, socks, etc. ).
11H00: The speaker jumped off the stage, we applauded :)
Zaki Hamouli, the Animator, said: “Well Said, Papa!” and we laughed on it
I’m done with the first speaker. I’ll go for the next one to-morrow in shaa Allah.
Peace out,

The First Algerian #BloggingDay

 
We are already in INSIM (The Higher International Management Institute), Hydra, Algiers, waiting for the first Algerian blog day to start. There are plenty of Algerian bloggers (They write in Arabic, French and English) & a couple of journalists. The guys here seem to have something up their sleeves. Can’t wait for the starting gunshot…
The event’s twitter hash tag is #bloggingday (for those who want to follow the event’s stream)

#DZBlogDay, One day, One Nation.

The beginning egg was a mere idea; the egg hatched giving birth to a mature idea, and then turned into what’s baptized: “DZ Blog Day” or “the day of Algerian blogging” that would bring myriads of Algerian bloggers together,-in spite of their different opinions, backgrounds, styles and languages-, to discuss about a sole topic, everyone treating the matter from his own viewpoint like any other blog post. The only particularity is: This blog entry would be posted in the same day as many other ones, and this day is the very 01/15th/2011, the first DZ Blog Day ever.


To participate, one should write a blog entry about “Education and instruction” in its different reincarnations: within the familial circle, in the streets’ labyrinths, in the corridors of schools, to the universities’ amphitheatres, etc.
Education problems, they don’t lack us! All what one needs to do is, digging for a problem, talks about it, exposes it, maybe it falls like an autumn leaf between the palms of the one who has the key to solve it.
Why?
One might wonder, why? What’s all this for? The main purpose is the attraction of the public opinion (particularly Mass media) to a topic being spoken about by numerous fellow bloggers in the same time. The secondary aim is: introducing the term:”Blogging” to the Algerian laymen - that may have no clue about it-, vulgarize the concept and clear the ambiguities about it.
Even if the “DZBlogDay” didn’t make the media buzz till now, locally, it would leave a footprint on the universal blogosphere’s track, and enrich the actual web content. Still not everything, yet! The most important thing is gathering Algerian bloggers under the same umbrella (peculiarly, ‘cause they are dispersed here and there, everyone in his ivory tower talking a different language) to show unity, and be the good example of the youth today (the majority of Algerian bloggers are young folks).
Where and how?
The Algerian Website “Bloginy” (A blogs’ aggregator) powered by Benguella Riad adopted the idea and gave it a special corner in the website, hence even if you don’t have your personal Blog you can post here: http://www.bloginy.com/feeds/dzblogday. You’d find there Blog posts related to the event and all articles published in the different blogs.
If you are a facebooker, you can join the DzBlogDay group to confirm your participation and know who are taking part that event here.
You can also follow updates through twitter here: @dzblogday.
Official website: www.dzblogday.org



If you are an Algerian Blogger or want to interact with society’s issues - whether you’re a blogger or not-, we want to hear your voice rising in January 15^th, 2010…
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An atypical translation of the article (DZ BLOG DAY يوم واحد، مجتمع واحد) posted by Seifo

Higher studies in Algeria, Stop the Brains’ massacre!!

I’ve talked about this, endless times, and will always do, as long as it’s letting my heart bleed pain. It’ll cost me too much virtual ink to write about this issue, but I’ll just spill what comes to my mind first. “Be spontaneous!”, One of life’s best mottos ;-)
During my years of higher studies, and since the day I got the baccalaureate* I’ve got a new ‘hobby’, that I can practice once per year: Watching the results of baccalaureate each year, and identify some of the top ranked laureates, then examine them how would they turn out in the university –More accurately, the place I study in, that requires high score, and it’s not something to be proud of, as you’ll read later!-. Each time I see them walking in front of me I feel sorry for this country, and for these youngsters, who, a couple of months ago, were in the television sitting beside the president and had interviews on the newspapers, talking about their dreams, about being Astronauts, prestigious nuclear scholars, etc –I wanted to be a Bus Driver in my childhood, what I failure am I!! hehe-. Afterwards reality’s punches them from the 7 sides ( the cube has 7 sides in my universe-city): 
-The hell like students’ dorms, the food quality that even cats complain about (You ask, why do I mention food at first?! Hell yea! “A hungry man is an angry man!” as the common saying goes)
- The quality of lectures and the professors- few of ‘em are excluded- is too mediocre,
- The exams: in one word “sabotage”!
Anyway, university in Algeria is like a kindergarten for adults. They all study, but a few succeed, literally! Because, they all get the diploma to be able to have a NO-JOB.
Back to the primary idea, I’ll highlight one of the aspects of the crime committed against Algerian fresh raw grey matter.
You are an excellent student in high school, a bit over the average IQ. You got a good mark in the BAC. Now, the first thing that will baffle you is: what will you pick as a studies’ field? Asking this question reveals the uncertainty led by the lack of orientation. How come, an ‘A’ straight student doesn’t know what will choose in university as a branch?!! The bitter answer:”All the roads take to nowhere!”
You picked a major, something like: Pharmacy, medicine, computer science, engineering higher schools, etc. here starts the disappointment, and you’ll start seeing life as it is and not as it’s shown on TV. The rest of the story couldn’t be narrated, but lived.

The most important thing I noticed on the Algerian educational system, is what I call the “Salmon’s Journey”* that students undergo during their years of study, from the beginning till graduation. They make their way through all the difficulties, like swimming against the stream,  many of them break down, give up and the minority makes it!
In the college where I do study for example, more than 300 pupils (amongst the top ranked pupils in the country) enter the first year but only less than 150 graduate ?! What a crime against innocence, society and the humanity. Without exaggerating, It really is! Students come full of energy, strength and mentally healthy (sometimes not :p), and end up having bellyaches, a self-hate or a will to leave this country (I can tell that 90% apply for post graduation in France and more than 60% really go there. Scary, but who gives a damn!). It’s a dramatic leak of valuable human resources that this country is strongly in need for.

Figure -1-*

And then, a jerk pops up on TV, boasting, and tells us: “we are the only country providing free education in the world!” I’ll answer him: “look rascal! You’re not paying it off from your mother’s purse!”.
Let’s take Denmark for instance:
“Government-funded education is usually free of charge and open to all.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_Denmark
I won’t mention Norway, Finland, France, germany, etc. or maybe they are,all , from another world, because we are in the third! Ironically, I’m sorta starting believing in this.
Last and not least I’ll say like  Friedrich Nietzsche :

in large states, public education will always be mediocre, for the same reason that in large kitchens the cooking is usually bad.

 
You may get bored or think I’m pessimist, I'm not! I'm full of hope and concern, but not now.

****************************************************************
Figure -1-*: The process of transforming bright minded youth into donkeys in the ,so called, higher education institutions in Algeria.
*For no Algerians, baccalaureate is the high school graduation exam. You must pass it to enter university, and the better your mark is, the more choices you get to enter your favorite institution.
* In late winter or early spring, the ocean-dwelling salmon migrate to return to the streams and rivers in which they were born. Oftentimes these fish return to their natal rivers in groups called runs. The journey is a dangerous trek, but they can be seen jumping upstream in some places, just to return to the exact place where they first hatched. Predators---most notably bears---oftentimes await the returning salmon and prey on them as the fish navigate jumps and shallow places.