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MSU initiates communication programme for students

The Mississippi State University (MSU) of US has initiated a new communication program, named Maroon Alert for the students of the university.

The university is implementing a variety of methods to notify students, faculty, and staff of emergency situations. Soon the university will launch a text message notification, which gives students and employees the option of receiving emergency messages on their cell phones. They also may choose to utilize instant messaging options to receive emergency pop-up messages on their personal computers. It has an emergency web page, which provides continuous updates about the situation with email messages sent to official campus addresses. The new alert system offers announcements on the campus radio station and through other public media outlets.

Jamaica’s e-Learning project on target

The Government of Jamaica is planning to set up the necessary equipment and network infrastructure for its e-Learning project to enhance the teaching/learning environment in the country.

The Ministry of Industry, Technology, Energy and Commerce has commenced the implementation of four of five components targeted in the first year of the pilot phase, which commenced in 31 educational institutions of the country. These include the provision of necessary technology to the Ministry of Education and Youth (MOEY) and to the schools, the development of instructional materials, providing teacher training, and performance measurement. The Ministry has identified a site for the Central Repository for Education Materials (CREM) and is procuring computers for the schools, equipment for CREM, and supporting technologies. CREM will support the electronic access by the school system to educational materials. The Union Cabinet and the National Contracts Commissions have approved a $670 million contract for the installation of networks, air-conditioning units, as well as uninterrupted power supply systems in schools.

Intel to offer Classmate PCs for INR 10,000 in India

Intel Corporation is planning to bring low-cost PCs in the Indian market. Soon the company will bring its Classmate-PC for educational purposes in the range of INR 9,000 to INR 11,000.

Educomp, a K-12 educational content providing company, has developed some of the educational content for pilot tests. The classmate PC is based on Intel's 900MHz Celeron-M processor, which can be used by the school children. Instead of hard disk, the laptop has a flash-disk memory. Around 100 Classmate-PCs would be shipped to India by the end of 2007. Initially, the laptop is being tested in some of the private schools in Delhi.

India to open up education sector to foreign varsities

The Science & Technology Minister of India, Kapil Sibal announced that soon India will open its educational sectors to foreign universities.

The Union Government is concerned on how to actually spread education and allow talents to grow in India. He said that all foreign universities would be allowed in India. He informed that out of 237 proposals, 234 have already been approved by the Government.

Ten colleges of Ranchi (India) will get connected

Soon, ten colleges affiliated to Ranchi University (RU), India, will become hi-tech. The university administration has rooted a proposal, which would be submitted to the state human resource development department, to connect the ten colleges.

According to the proposal, 10 colleges would be equipped with all networking facilities as well as get connected to the university headquarters through the network. Each college will have at least 10 computers with Internet connections. The broadband services would also be made available to the students in these colleges. These college include, Ranchi College, Ranchi Women's College, Marwari College , Jamshedpur Women's College, Co-operative College, Graduate School College for Women in Jamshedpur, Tata College Chaibasa, Women's College Chaibasa, GLA College Daltonganj, and YSN Women's College Daltonganj.

Indian HRD Ministry plans to connect all schools under the Net

The Indian Ministry of Human Resource Development is planning to provide connectivity to all schools and colleges in the country. The ministry has forwarded the proposal to the Planning Ministry for approval.

The cost for providing ICT facility in all 1,81,520 schools has been worked out to INR 24,160 million. While the cost of connecting all 18,000 colleges is expected to work out to INR 40 million a year, in the first phase of the project, ICT facilities may be limited to 50% of schools, that is, 90,760 schools. Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. (BSNL) has agreed to participate in the scheme. BSNL has also offered to give a package for elementary schools that will convert existing dial up connections to broadband connections. In the second phase, the ministry is planning to establish SMART schools across the country. While in the third phase, universalisation of Computer Literacy through the networking of Kendriya Vidyalayas and Navodaya Vidyalayas with neighbouring schools is planned.

Intel signs MoU with Vietnam’s Education Ministry for ICT initiative

Intel Corporation has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Education of Vietnam to jointly undertake an “ICT for Education” initiative, which supports the country's goal to accelerate technology access in education.

According to this deal, the two sides will help local students and teachers to become more competitive in today's knowledge based global economy through acquisition of essential 21st century digital literacy. This initiative is part of the Intel's World Ahead program. The company is working toward building classrooms where PCs can be used as tools for learning, rather than just tools to be learnt.

Mobile phones, tool to learn English

In Malaysia, the mobile phone is not just a tool for communication and news updates but it can also be used to learn languages like English.

While addressing at the Asia TEFL conference in Malaysia, Timothy G. Collins said that a mobile phone can support many kinds of learning, including language learning where learners can see, hear and touch as they press buttons to express their understanding. He said that mobile learning has potential as it offers flexibility of time and space. In conjunction with the conference, Melta and Expomal International Sdn Bhd had also co-organised the first Malaysian International Language Exhibition.

IGNOU offers MBA in Ethiopia

The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) is launching its MBA programme in Ethiopia to promote higher education in African countries.

IGNOU has launched the course as part of the Pan-African E-network project, announced by the President of India, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam during his visit to Johannesburg in 2005. The Indian Government had offered the African Union help in tele-education and tele-medicine capacity building. IGNOU has been selected as the nodal agency for tele-education. Five other institutes, including the Delhi University, IISC Bangalore and University of Madras, are partners in this project.

Educomp acquires Singapore based Ask n Learn

    New Delhi (India) based e-Learning solutions provider, Educomp Solutions Ltd, has acquired Singapore based education technology company, Ask n Learn Inc.

    The company has signed the sale and purchase agreement with a majority of the shareholders to acquire the company. The total acquisition price is Singapore $5.98 million in cash in addition to options worth S$1.05 million. This acquisition will provide Educomp a substantial share of the education market in Singapore and add over 100 schools to its portfolio as well as serve as a platform for penetration into the larger Asia-Pacific region.

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