Microsoft and Partners Launch Jordan School Technology Innovation Center

The Microsoft Corporation, along with its partners, Hewlett Packard, Intel Corporation, and Cisco Systems, officially launched the Jordan School Technology Innovation Center in Amman. This center is the first of its kind in Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa, and aims to promote the effective use of information and communication technology (ICT) in education. The center is a result of a long-term partnership between the international IT companies and the government, with the goal of providing lifelong learning opportunities for Jordanian citizens and contributing to the development of the ICT economy.

Key Takeaways:

• The Jordan School Technology Innovation Center is a fully interactive demonstration facility for educational institutes in the region to test new technologies before making decisions to acquire.
• The center provides services and tools for teachers to enhance their use of ICT in their classrooms and curricula, including training and equipment.
• The center is part of the Microsoft Partners in Learning initiative and is a positive proof point of the company's commitment to working with Jordan to support digital inclusion and ICT-based entrepreneurship.
• Cisco Systems has already been working closely with the government on the Jordan Education Initiative, an ambitious e-learning project that is poised to be an educational model in many other nations.
• The center's location in Amman is part of a broader plan to create six centers across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, with locations in Jordan, Egypt, Northern Ireland, the Czech Republic, South Africa, and Belgium.
• The centers aim to demonstrate how technology can create a richer, more inspiring, and more effective learning environment.

Statistics:

• The center is the first of its kind in Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa.
• The six centers planned for the region will be located in Jordan, Egypt, Northern Ireland, the Czech Republic, South Africa, and Belgium.
• The centers will be created in cooperation with local authorities, similar to the Amman center.
• The Jordan School Technology Innovation Center serves as a venue for best practices and innovation in using ICT in teaching, providing information, training, and equipment for teachers.

Sources:

• Star AMMAN (Star) - Article on the launch of the Jordan School Technology Innovation Center
• Speech by Minister of Education Khaled Touqan, as reported in the article
• Quotes from Microsoft Senior Vice President Jean-Philippe Courtois, HP Education Manager Clifford Harris, Intel Middle East Education Manager Bassem Nasir, and Cisco Systems Director of Operations for North Africa and Levant, Yasser Elkady, as reported in the article
• Jordan Press & publishing Co. - Publication date listed in the footer of the article, 2003