Alioune Badara Camara, may his soul rest in peace, was a friend of education and lifelong learning, which he supported and exemplified. When at the International Development Research Center (IDRC), he supported research across Africa on teachers and students creatively and strategically use technologies like computers and internet and mobile phones to change teaching and learning, making it more active and engaging and more up to date. He supported the Education Research Network for West and Central Africa (Ernwaca) in working with hundreds of researchers and policymakers. As important as the IDRC grants were the expertise and experience he willingly shared, in a spirit of dialogue and partnership, of co-construction.

He supported studies on opportunities for youth employment in formal and informal sectors of the economy created by liberalization of the telecommunications sector. He supported research and reflection on understanding and preventing phenomena such as cybercrime that appeared with the increased availability and use of information and communication technologies in Africa.

Understanding the importance of the research mission of the university, he supported research and action on understanding and improving the governance and management of research in West and Central African universities. He did not support research in ivory towers but research processes that were open and participatory and engaged with the communities around them. He worked unfailingly toward the creation of the West and Central African Research and Education Network (Wacren), incubated beginning in 2006 at the Association of African Universities, to interconnect universities and other educational institutions so as to share and thus reduce costs of internet connectivity.

Filled with generosity and enthusiasm, Alioune was also always measured, informed, practical and wise. Alioune may have been up there in years, but as Olivier Sagna* attests, he was never out of touch or out of date. Not only did he keep an eye (or two or three) on folk from younger generations and advise them, but he learned from them. He challenged us to be innovative and pertinent. He could already see the future and constantly rolled up his sleeves to work collaboratively to bring it about. We cannot email him or phone his mobile number. Alas. A brother and a friend to so many. We learned so much with Alioune. Condolences to his wife and children, spread out from Canada to China, with West Africa as their rallying point.

*See http://osiris.sn/Alioune-Badara-Camara-1951-2014-Un.html for obituary by Olivier Sagana of the Observatoire sur les Systèmes d’Information, les Réseaux et les Inforoutes au Sénégal (OSIRIS).