SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION AND DEVELOPING NATIONS 148 GLOBAL AGENDA 2004 Remy Steinegger/SWISS-IMAGE.CH 148 GLOBAL AGENDA 2004 lmost four years ago, the world community agreed on eight ambitious Mil- lennium Devel- opment Goals to complete by 2015. By work- ing together and taking advantage of technology offerings, we can not only achieve these goals, but per- haps even exceed them. We can make measurable strides in global health toward ending extreme poverty and hunger while at the same time reducing child mortality rates, improving mater- nal health and reversing the spread of HIV/Aids, malaria and other infectious diseases. We can bring about remarkable improvements in the lives and prospects of people worldwide through education by providing opportunities for every child, pro- moting gender equality and empowering women. At the same time, we can also create a global framework for development that ensures environmental sustain- ability. However, success in these areas depends on unprecedented coop- eration and determination at every level on a global basis. It also requires that those who benefited most from the industrial economy of the 20th century ensure that the rest of world participates fully in the 21st century’s information, or knowledge, economy. It is our responsibility to encour- age and stimulate progress – which, I believe, is largely made possible through the widespread application of networking tech- nologies and solutions. This success will be measured by greater access to education, higher productivity for organizations, governments and countries on a global basis, and increased stan- dard of living worldwide. replicated and implemented across not just Jordan, but in other coun- tries in the region, and then to implement it on a global basis. To date, the leaders in Bahrain, Oman and the United Arab Emi- rates have already requested simi- lar initiatives in their own countries. We are making true progress. Cisco’s participation in the JEI is a natural progression of our Networking Academy Pro- gramme. Networking Academies are the heart of a comprehensive, global blended learning pro- gramme that enables people around the world to obtain the skills they need to succeed in this global information economy. The programme started in 1997 as a high school networking cur- Technology has the power to change the lives of people in the poorer parts of the world, says John Chambers – giving access to education, health and commerce, and transforming living standards and the economic prosperity of developing nations. But it requires partnerships between business and governments to harness that power and turn promise into progress How technology A Technology – a tool for equality and education Last year, His Majesty King Abdul- lah II of Jordan said: “The capaci- ty of the Arab economies to grow must increase if they are to absorb the expanding labour force. Growth is also essential in meeting important social goals – reducing poverty, improving the quality of life, enhancing health and more.” To help address those needs, in June 2003 Cisco and His Majesty King Abdullah II participated in the launch of the Jordan Educa- tion Initiative (JEI), in partnership with two dozen World Economic Forum members. The goal of this project is to cre- ate a model for effective internet- enabled learning that can be
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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION AND DEVELOPING NATIONS
148 GLOBAL AGENDA 2004 Remy Steinegger/SWISS-IMAGE.CH148 GLOBAL AGENDA 2004
lmost four yearsago, the worldcommunityagreed on eightambitious Mil-lennium Devel-opment Goalsto complete by2015. By work-
ing together and taking advantageof technology offerings, we can notonly achieve these goals, but per-haps even exceed them.
We can make measurable stridesin global health toward endingextreme poverty and hunger whileat the same time reducing childmortality rates, improving mater-nal health and reversing the spreadof HIV/Aids, malaria and otherinfectious diseases.
We can bring about remarkableimprovements in the lives andprospects of people worldwidethrough education by providingopportunities for every child, pro-moting gender equality andempowering women. At the sametime, we can also create a globalframework for development thatensures environmental sustain-ability.
However, success in these areasdepends on unprecedented coop-eration and determination at everylevel on a global basis. It alsorequires that those who benefitedmost from the industrial economyof the 20th century ensure that therest of world participates fully inthe 21st century’s information, orknowledge, economy.
It is our responsibility to encour-age and stimulate progress –which, I believe, is largely madepossible through the widespreadapplication of networking tech-nologies and solutions. Thissuccess will be measured bygreater access to education, higherproductivity for organizations,governments and countries on aglobal basis, and increased stan-dard of living worldwide.
replicated and implemented acrossnot just Jordan, but in other coun-tries in the region, and then toimplement it on a global basis.
To date, the leaders in Bahrain,Oman and the United Arab Emi-rates have already requested simi-lar initiatives in their owncountries. We are making trueprogress. Cisco’s participation inthe JEI is a natural progression ofour Networking Academy Pro-gramme. Networking Academiesare the heart of a comprehensive,global blended learning pro-gramme that enables peoplearound the world to obtain theskills they need to succeed in thisglobal information economy.
The programme started in 1997as a high school networking cur-
Technology has the power tochange the lives of people in thepoorer parts of the world, saysJohn Chambers –giving access toeducation, healthand commerce,and transformingliving standardsand the economicprosperity ofdeveloping nations.But it requirespartnershipsbetween businessand governmentsto harness thatpower and turnpromise intoprogress
How technology
A
Technology – a tool for equalityand educationLast year, His Majesty King Abdul-lah II of Jordan said: “The capaci-ty of the Arab economies to growmust increase if they are to absorbthe expanding labour force.Growth is also essential in meetingimportant social goals – reducingpoverty, improving the quality oflife, enhancing health and more.”
To help address those needs, inJune 2003 Cisco and His MajestyKing Abdullah II participated inthe launch of the Jordan Educa-tion Initiative (JEI), in partnershipwith two dozen World EconomicForum members.
The goal of this project is to cre-ate a model for effective internet-enabled learning that can be
EDUCATION AND DEVELOPING NATIONS SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
GLOBAL AGENDA 2004 149GLOBAL AGENDA 2004 149
riculum in the United States, andhas grown to provide online andinstructor-led training and hands-on laboratory exercises to over400,000 active students in morethan 10,000 academies in 150countries.
Recognizing that strong globalcommunities are good for every-one, including businesses, Cisco’sNetworking Academy courses aretaught in nine languages aroundthe world. Knowing also that acountry’s economy thrives bestwhen all its citizens can partici-pate equally in its rewards, many
Cisco Networking Academiesstress opportunities for women.
In Jordan, for example, Cisco ispartnering with UNIFEM, underthe patronage of Her MajestyQueen Rania Al-Abdullah, toincrease the number of workingwomen in Jordan. Of the 600 stu-dents who have enrolled in one ofJordan’s 10 Networking Academiesto date, nearly two-thirds arewomen.
Technology – a tool forcommerce and economic growthTechnology will change manyaspects of our daily lives, includingincreasing the productivity andstandard of living for communitiesand countries on a global basis. Thisprovides communities with the abil-ity to improve dramatically educa-tion and healthcare at all levels.
According to the Bureau of Eco-nomic Analysis (BEA) and Bureauof Labor Statistics (BLS), whenproductivity of a country increasesat 1% per year, the standard of liv-ing doubles every 70 years.
If it is driven at 3%, the standardof living doubles every generation.This means that our children willhave twice the standard of livingthat we do. If productivity is drivenat 5%, which I believe is attainablefor many countries around theworld, the standard of living dou-bles every 14 years.
In the United States currently, ithas been proven that there is adirect one to one correlationbetween the percentage of capitalexpenditures on information tech-nology and productivity increases.If you look at these two correla-tions over time, without exception,they are occurring on a globalbasis.
Information technology is amajor educational and economicengine not only in the Middle East,but also in eastern Europe as else-where. In Hungary, for example,where the economy has been one
of the fastest growing in centralEurope for a decade, technologyenterprises account for a quarter ofthe country’s industrial output.
Information technology can alsohelp expand the reach of smallbusinesses. Technology leveragedby the Rural Women’s AssociationProject, for example, has enabledwomen raising high-quality chick-ens in a poor area in the NorthernProvince of South Africa to findcustomers in nearby higher-income communities.
Technology – a tool for humanhealthIn terms of global healthcare offer-ings today, the gap between thedeveloped world and the world’sleast developed countries is tragi-cally wide. However, the potentialfor technology to bridge that gap isnearly limitless.
While daunting logistical chal-lenges still remain – making life-saving products such as cleanwater, vaccines, drugs and medicalequipment accessible around theglobe – making life-saving infor-mation available in real time, toanyone worldwide, is within ourreach.
We need partnership and coop-eration to make this a reality, andwe have already made progress.This past year, the World HealthOrganization (WHO) launched theWorld Health Academy, an onlineprogramme, to develop ways to useinformation technology to preventdisease, improve care, promotehealth and make health informa-tion accessible, simple and afford-able to as many people as possible.
The World Health Academyincludes 48 hours of e-learningcurriculum, targeted at eight- to25-year-olds, in nutrition and foodsafety, substance abuse, and theconnection between healthy behav-iour and blood safety.
Welcomed by the governmentsof Egypt and Jordan, WHO is pilot-
ing the programme in some 20Egyptian and 20 Jordanian schoolsduring the 2003-2004 school year and expects to expand it toadditional schools in each regionas well.
WHO developed the curriculum,and Cisco is providing the equip-ment, along with its e-learningexpertise and technology. The proj-ect is still in its pilot stage. But ourhope is that a successful initialdeployment will lead to its furtherimplementations in other develop-ing regions such as the African con-tinent.
Technology and education – thegreat equalizersThe internet and education are thetwo great equalizers in life. Work-ing hand in hand, they providegreater access to educationalopportunities for individuals,communities and nations, whichin turn affect the standard of living and economic prosperity ofcountries.
With the increasing emergenceof visionary and supportive gov-ernments, the world can lookforward to continued progress in harnessing the productivitybenefits from technology forgreater educational, health andgrowth opportunities for peopleworldwide. GA
can lift the world
CV JOHN CHAMBERSJohn Chambers is president and chiefexecutive officer of Cisco Systems.
His Majesty King Abdullah II IbnHussein at the launch of the JordanEducation Initiative in Amman,June 2003
