Microsoft to train 50,000 IT teachers
ISLAMABAD, Sept 19: Information technology company Microsoft has decided to make substantial investment in the country and it would train 50,000 teachers in the field.
Sources said on Thursday that Microsoft’s regional executive Emre Berkin, Middle East regional director Mohammad Kateeb and general manager of the south Gulf subsidiary, Abdullah Almulla, recently discussed the details of the proposed investment with President Gen Pervez Musharraf.
Information Technology minister Awais Leghari and Education Minister Zobaida Jalal were also present during the meeting.
Sources said Microsoft had proposed 32 initiatives in different areas, including the provision of 100 labs in public schools with personal computers and servers. The purpose is to offer all of the company’s technology for the consumption of all public sector education entities, invest in development of IT curriculum for college and university level and promotion of Pakistan and its IT industry in the global and regional IT market.
The company has agreed to focus on infrastructure development to enable e-governance and e-readiness of government with key applications, IT education and capacity building, and promoting the local IT industry and partners to raise their profile and create economic activities in the country.
The purpose, sources said, was also to assist the private sector in the development of the IT industry targeted towards building a strong software and services business for Pakistan, impacting the drive for automation in the government sector and helping the cause of education, particularly in IT.
The company, sources said, would shortly sign an agreement with the government for at least five years to provide its entire software technologies with perpetual ownership to the public sector.
It would also establish 100 networked computer laboratories with the capacity for 17 seats, they said. The company will help in making computers available and affordable to the masses with the latest technologies under an initiative called “IIm PC”.
Source: Dawn
Date:9/20/2003
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