HP doubles awards in education grants across Europe, Middle East & Africa

The number of grant recipients has doubled this year, marking an expansion of the grant program to Central & Eastern Europe and Africa.

The Technology for Teaching grants enable universities to pioneer the use of mobile technology in education and explore ways to redesign core courses in maths, science, business and engineering using mobile technology. The grants contribute to embedding technology in the classroom, improving the exchange between teachers and students.

The institutions chosen this year to receive HP Mobile Technology for Teaching Grants will be given a standard package: classroom sets of HP Tablet PCs, HP printers, cameras and projectors, as well as stipends and wireless technology for faculty use. The grant awards also support the participation of a faculty representative at the annual HP Technology for Teaching Worldwide Higher Education conference, to be held in early 2007.

The recipient universities will become part of a larger community of practice, joining faculty from around the world in exploring innovations in teaching through the effective use of technology. For HP, these grants are a catalyst for ideas that can lead to improving student success in higher education.

"Research has shown that technology has the potential to transform education when integrated with emerging models of teaching and learning. When used appropriately, computer technology stimulates increased teacher-student interaction and encourages cooperative learning and problem-solving,"

said Samer Karawi, Marketing Manager, Enterprise and Corporate Communication HP Middle East.

The HP Tablet PCs will allow students who are developing software applications for use in the healthcare environment to test their applications in real, clinical settings. Software developed specifically to support the handwriting and INK annotation capabilities of the HP Tablet PC will become part of the overall campus telemedicine pilot system.

From 2004 to 2006, HP has contributed a total of $36 million in Technology for Teaching Grants to more than 650 schools worldwide. Over the last 20 years, HP has contributed more than $1 billion in cash and equipment to schools, universities, community organizations and other non-profit organisations around the world.
Since the inception of the HP Technology for Teaching initiative, grant recipients have reported a positive influence on teaching and student learning as a result of the program. For example, students at the National University of Ireland have used HP technology to build an industry standard internet auction site and have been awarded a grant for a second time this year.

For 2006, the two recipient universities in Middle East and North Africa include:
• Cadi Ayyad University, Faculty of Sciences Semlalia, Morocco
• Mansoura University, Egypt

The grants run for 12 months, and at the end of this period, the universities continue to use the equipment they have received and can re-apply to have the grant extended. In addition, HP is encouraging grant recipients, past and present, to form a community of practice by holding conferences and organising online sessions with grant winners and education experts.

"One of our goals is to make the projects sustainable. We also want to create a closer relationship among the university recipients," explains Karawi. "So each year, HP hosts the HP Technology for Teaching Worldwide Higher Education Conference, bringing together grant recipients from around the globe."