Intel helps modernize Vietnam's education system

Intel Semiconductor Ltd Vietnam and Vietnam's Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) have signed an agreement focused on accelerating the MOET's e-learning initiative. The e-learning initiative aims to modernize Vietnam's education system by 2011 and to provide opportunities for the country's teachers and students—especially those in remote and rural areas.

Under the terms of the agreement, Intel and local technology companies will make available 1 million affordable PCs during the next two years. The "Education PC" program's objective is to provide all Vietnamese teachers with a PC with educational software and broadband Internet connectivity.

The MOET and Intel also announced a contest to encourage one million teachers nationwide to create e-learning content. The goal is to stimulate the creation of one million unique e-learning applications. Evaluation will be done by a dedicated contest jury board with the involvement of local education experts. The winner will be announced at the end of the year.

Nguyen Thien Nhan, Vietnam deputy prime minister and MOET minister, and Intel chairman Craig Barrett expressed a shared vision of accelerating Vietnam's information and communication technologies adoption in key sectors, including education, as a cornerstone of the country's strategy for sustained competitiveness in the global knowledge economy. The initiatives they announced represent the acceleration of an agreement Intel and the MOET made in 2007 to increase technology access that advances the quality of education in Vietnam.

"We recognize the value of a technology-enabled learning environment where education is student-centric, and where learning is collaborative and connected," stated Nguyen. "Public-private partnerships, such as those between the MOET and Intel, have strong potential to unlock a nation's talent for sustained competitiveness. We believe today's announcements represent significant cornerstones of Vietnam's future success through technology-enabled education."

"Education is the foundation of a knowledge-based economy," said Barrett. "Nations that invest in education and technology as engines of growth are better positioned to participate in the global economy. With trained teachers, local e-learning content, connectivity to the world's resources, and PCs—Vietnam's youth will have an opportunity to realize the potential of its ideas."

Intel has long worked with governments globally to improve education, health care, entrepreneurship and government services by accelerating accessibility to computers, Internet connectivity and localized Internet content. In Vietnam, Intel has cooperated with the MOET to increase Internet-connected PCs and development of rich, localized content and software applications among local schools, teachers and students. These efforts include the donation of more than 1,900 PCs; training 43,000 teachers to date under the Intel Teach program; and an intention to train an additional 15,000 teachers this year.