December 12, 2013 21:37:37pm GMT
During the vice president of education, Anthony Salcito’s visit to
Tunisia, Microsoft announced the official launch of its Student Advantage
programme on the continent. In an intimate meeting with students from various
regions across the country, Salcito unveiled the components and benefits of
this new programme.
With Student Advantage, qualifying institutions that subscribe to
Office 365 ProPlus or Office Professional Plus for all staff and faculties can
also provide students with access to Office 365 ProPlus at no additional cost.
Office 365 ProPlus includes all the familiar and full Office applications:Word,
Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Access, Publisher, InfoPath and Lync,which
can be locally installed on up to five devices and are available offline.
“Students use Microsoft Office every day to complete their most
important academic tasks. Having access to Office 365 will allow them to not
only become familiar with the technologies they will find in the workplace, but
to also have skills that are now essential to employers,” Salcito said.
The programme will be made available in Senegal, Ghana, Ivory Coast,
Nigeria, Cameroon, Kenya, Angola, Zimbabwe, Cape Verde, Rwanda, Mauritius,
South Africa, Tunisia, Algeria, Libya and Morocco and reasserts Microsoft’s
commitment to participate in the modernisation of teaching methods and improve
the employability of youth.
As part of his visit, Salcito also presented the opening speech at the
second day of the African Ministerial Forum, which is focused on the
integration of ICT in education and training. Salcito explained the importance
of integrating the tools of digital technology to develop a high quality
education experience. He also emphasised the important role Microsoft plays in
this area as a strategic partner,giving students the opportunity to access
modern learning tools, realise their potential and integrate successfully into
business life.
“Africa has huge potential for bolstering the economic development of the
region. The students are
the main leaders of this mission, which is why it’s so important to give them
the opportunity to acquire 21st century skills,” Salcito said. “Microsoft
provides teachers and students with access to new technologies, but also
supports the integration, mastery and development of ICT for all school
levels.”
The Forum was also an opportunity for Salcito to exchange ideas with
the ministries of education from various African countries, as well as witness
the signing of a partnership agreement between Microsoft and the Association
for Education Development in Africa (ADEA). This collaboration aims to share
knowledge and best practices around the integration of ICT in education, and
promote expansion projects and initiatives that will accelerate the development
of education and training in Africa.
Salcito also paid a visit to the president of Tunis –El Manar
University, to reaffirm Microsoft’s commitments to promoting access to
technology and supporting educational innovation.
Microsoft’s corporate commitment to youth in Africa underpins many of
its regional programs, including YouthSpark and the 4Afrika Initiative. Both
programs share common goals, including improving access to technology, boosting
skills and igniting African innovation for the continent and the world.
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