UNESCO Partners with Intel Pakistan to Boost Socio-Economic Growth through Digital Literacy

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Intel Pakistan and UNESCO Islamabad have signed a Letter of Intent(LOI) to enable social change and build human capital in underserved communities in Pakistan.
Under the scope of this LOI, UNESCO Islamabad will utilize Intel education content for pilot e-learning material used in schools; conduct pilot professional development courses based on Intel Teach Program, link Intel® Easy Steps and Intel® Entrepreneurship Basics course content to local UNESCO website.
Intel & UNESCO will explore advocacy of these initiatives for the benefit of public sector education and relevant government departments.
Country Manager, Intel Pakistan, Naveed Siraj appreciated the collaborative approach agreed upon between the two organizations.

“We are delighted to join hands with UNESCO to address the most critical need of the country; to improve access to education and raise literacy levels through the innovative use of technology.
Intel’s engagement with UNESCO will ensure broader digital inclusion of rural communities & greater economic opportunities for our youth who can utilize newly acquired IT skills to transform their lives”, he said.

Intel® Teach Program offers K-12 teachers a curriculum designed specifically for their needs. Teachers learn how, when, and where to incorporate technology tools and resources into their teaching. They are able to learn to create assessment tools and align lesson plans with learning outcomes & act as agents of change better equipped to prepare their students to face the challenges of the 21st century workforce.
Intel® Easy Steps course is designed for adults in underserved areas who find themselves at a disadvantage due to lack of access to proper training on the basic use of computers. Intel Pakistan and UNESCO Islamabad will integrate Intel Easy Steps Course content to help learners become capable to compete in the digital world.
Intel® Entrepreneurship Basics (E-Basics) Course develops knowledge of fundamental concepts associated with initiating, developing and running a business. Intel & UNESCO will encourage innovation and entrepreneurship as drivers of sustainable growth by leveraging Intel® E-Basics & providing the youth opportunities to develop solutions for relevant social problems.
Speaking at the occasion, Dr. Kozue Kay Nagata, Country Director, UNESCO, said that UNESCO and Intel have joined hands by signing a global framework agreement for carrying out common projects to achieve their common strategic objectives. She appreciated that areas identified for joint cooperation will help bridging the digital divide and promote the effective use of ICTs to support universal access to education, the delivery of quality learning and teaching, equity in education, the professional development of teachers and more efficient education management and governance.
In Pakistan, she said, there is a huge potential for ICTs to bring about the much required qualitative improvement in the system and support the universal access. So far, she said, the use of ICTs in Education is limited. It needs to be mainstreamed in the public sector education system to help Pakistan accelerate its pace for achieving its education and literacy targets. She emphasized that the cooperation between UNESCO and Intel in Pakistan will help build the demand for ICTs in Education and will build the capacities of teachers and teacher educators.
Intel Pakistan and UNESCO Islamabad look forward to continue their efforts to promote sustainable development, growth and prosperity in the field of education, helping Pakistan to produce the next generation of innovators.