Page 87 - SAMENA Trends - September-October 2022

REGIONAL & MEMBERS UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

Report by UNESCO IITE and Huawei Highlights the Vital Role of ICT in Higher

Education in the Middle East

A joint report by the UNESCO Institute for
Information Technologies in Education
(UNESCO IITE) and Huawei has revealed
the importance of developing ICT talents
and creating relevant ecosystems to
enhance ICT skills in the Middle East and
expand access to career opportunities in
the digital world.
Titled: "Talent Ecosystem for Digital
Transformation: Insight Report on ICT
in Higher Education and Technical and
Vocational Education (TVET) in the Middle
East and Pakistan", the joint publication
aims to provide evidence about the
capacities for ICT talent development and
recommendations for decision-makers
and other stakeholders on strengthening We also realize that our partners and the the region are bearing fruit. The report
the digital skills required for employability communities we serve have prioritized revealed that female enrolments grew at
in the digital era labor market. The report environmental protection. Huawei's an annual rate of 5.1% in Saudi Arabia from
covers Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, digital power solutions can drive green 2012 to 2018, whereas female students in
Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE development through promoting renewable Qatari public higher education institutions
and Pakistan. Commenting on the report energy, electrification of transport generally outnumbered their male
launch, Mr. Tao Zhan, Director of UNESCO and greening of digital infrastructure counterparts. In public higher education, the
IITE, said, "UNESCO has identified ICT as a to cut carbon emissions," Mr. Wang ratio reached 322 to 100 in the 2019–2020
tool for accelerating the progress towards added. Higher education and TVETs are academic year. Digital transformation is
the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), considered significant enablers of digital conditional on the availability of advanced
including equitable access to quality transformation and vital components of ICT infrastructure and high connectivity
education for all. The report highlights how national visions and strategies for economic in many countries in the region. Mobile-
joint efforts by governments, universities, development by most of the countries. cellular subscriptions rate is high across
international organizations, and the Therefore, modernizing education systems the region: 186 per 100 inhabitants in the
business community can have a lasting and upgrading ICT infrastructure have UAE, 159 per 100 inhabitants in Kuwait,
impact on the region's socio-economic become national priorities across all 132 per 100 in Qatar and 124 per 100 in
transformation." Mr. Shunli Wang, Vice surveyed countries. Proper infrastructure Saudi Arabia. Countries in the region have
President of Huawei Middle East, said, "As and qualified human capital are pivotal for prioritized collaboration to fast-track ICT
the report shows, ICT is a powerful tool to achieving SDGs. This focus is reflected in talent development, with Huawei leading
facilitate social impact. We are proud to the ever-increasing number of institutions talent development efforts in the region
see countries in the region prioritizing ICT offering ICT-related studies. For example, among ICT private enterprises. In Saudi
skills development to drive sustainable 23 universities and colleges (out of 30 Arabia, Huawei backs the Saudi Talent
growth. Public-private partnerships are higher education institutions) in Oman Enabling Program (STEP) to nurture 10,000
key to achieving ICT talent-nurturing goals. admit students to ICT-related majors. local talents by 2023. In Oman, Huawei
In collaboration with our partners and In Iraq, 12 vocational schools offered operates ICT academies at Sultan Qaboos
customers, Huawei will continue to play computer and information technologies University and the University of Technology
its role in enhancing ICT skills across the courses during the 2018–2019 academic and Applied Sciences. Huawei has also
region and preparing the youth for the future year. In Pakistan, the government has set run an ICT Academy at the University of
of work." "The report also demonstrates a up the Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU), Bahrain, aiming to train more than 500
direct link between ICT talent development the Virtual University of Pakistan (VU), and students per year in such technologies as
and digital transformation. Huawei, the Information Technology University to cloud computing and AI. Huawei runs the
therefore, remains committed to providing promote ICT in higher education and TVET. ICT Competition "Seeds Program for the
the latest technologies and expertise to Equal access to technical, vocational, and Future in Jordan" to stimulate innovative
advance digitization across the region, university education is one of the pillars of thought, accelerate integration with
while working with partners to ensure the SDG 4. Data shows efforts taken to address advanced technology and upgrade the
talent is available to drive digitization. gender inequality in higher education in skills of university students.

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