ICDL GCC Foundation, HP to announce strategic partnerships in support of regional educational reform at BETT Middle East

This new partnership combines the strength of two leaders in independent yet relevant industries to bring digital proficiency and technology to a wider reach.

The partnership announcement will be unveiled during the BETT Middle East Exhibition which will be held on the 21st and 22nd of November 2010, at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, HP will be present at stand E80 and ICDL GCC at stand C30, where they both plan to present to visitors including; educational policy makers and authorities as well as schools and universities a brief on the joint initiatives and efforts being carried out by both organisations in support of the education sector.

The HP and ICDL partnership is based on the success being witnessed in Egypt in applying the ICDL programme, where 2.5 million individuals are receiving ICDL training, testing, and certification based on a protocol and collaborative effort between the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), Ministry of State for Administrative Development, Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, and Ministry of Education, with the support of the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). HP's role in this project is its set up of a network of 100 ICDL training and testing centres all over Egypt; also covering remote areas to help develop ICT skills among government employees, teachers, and students.

Jamil Ezzo, Director General of ICDL GCC Foundation, said, "HP and ICDL have each led the progression in their own field - ICDL in spreading digital literacy and HP in providing a computer on every desk. Our partnership with HP is based on a shared vision - to ensure that technology is understandable as well as affordable by everyone. We call on all organisations and companies that are looking to succeed in their fields to take on a role in supporting initiatives that bring benefits to the community and the general society specifically in the field of education. Our ethos to maintain vendor neutrality has not and will not change. We invite all industries, particularly the IT industry to join initiatives that lead to improving the quality of education and spreading digital literacy as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility. Today we recognize HP as one of the technology industry leaders and welcome our partnership with them in pursuit of ICT skills for all."

Steefan Van Waes, Education Manager Middle East HP, said, "We are proud to associate our name with the ICDL program due to its popularity and renowned certification. We recognise that in order to maintain our status as a global technology leader we have to continually do more at the community level by empowering individuals with ICT skills that can play a significant part in their professional and personal daily life. Hence, to show our commitment in supporting various initiatives that lead to bridging the digital gap, we are introducing 'e-Learning Nuggets', which is mapped to the ICDL syllabus, allowing students to develop their ICT skills in a simple, interactive manner that will result in a fun educational experience."