ONE of the world’s largest information and communication technology companies, Hewlett Packard (HP) is taking technology to South African institutions of higher learning with a view to improve students’ technological advancement as well as uplifting people’s general living standards.
HP Chief Executive Officer for South Africa, Oliver Fortuin, said his company had implemented a successful technology for Teaching Grant at the University of Free State (UFS) with a view to create opportunity for new models of success on campus.
He said this would be achieved through integrating mobile technology into classroom setting.
“This initiative is aimed at improving teaching and learning experiences, through the innovative and effective application of mobile technologies. HP South Africa has always been committed to promoting empowerment and ascribes to the underlying principles of Broad-based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) initiatives as the key to realising our full potential as a company and as a business imperative.” said Fortuin.
The HP boss said the task was always to address pressing social and economic needs when donating products and resources.
He added: “We are proud to be part of the initiative that aims to bridge the digital divide in our communities as well as transforming teaching and learning in the higher education environment”.
The University of Free State’s Institute for Education and Planning official, Cobus van Breda, said about 65 percent of
“We are very honoured to be one of the institutions to be offered this grant. The project will not only serve as an opportunity for students and facilitators to ‘re‑invent’ learning and teaching but will also benefit students and facilitators in the sense that they will be exposed to the effective use of computer technology in the teaching and learning of Science,” said van Breda.
“We are grateful to HP for the sponsorship.”
The initiative at FSU is not the first of its kind. HP embarked on similar initiatives at other 15 universities across Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), where they provided HP Mobile Technology for Teaching grant for equipment and cash valued at approximately USD$ 100,000.
HP invited selected universities to submit proposals, in which they had to explain how they would utilise mobile technologies in the redesign of university courses.
HP, a renowned IT company, has a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure.
It is among the world’s largest IT companies, with revenue totaling $110.4 billion for the four fiscal quarters ended April 30, 2008.—
Savious Kwinika
