Off the wire
• Roundup: Bangladesh's huge exodus from cities ahead of Eid-ul-Aza gets into full swing  • Weather forecast for world cities -- Sept. 10  • Weather forecast for major Chinese cities, regions -- Sept. 10  • Vice Premier attends opening ceremony of Schwarzman College  • Xinhua China-related world news summary at 0930 GMT, Sept. 10  • Morocco on maximum security alert during Eid al-Adha celebrations  • Youth killed by security forces in Indian-controlled Kashmir  • Top news items in major Kenyan media outlets  • Namibian president defends trip overseas  • Substitute developed for cancer-resisting Tibetan herb  
You are here: 　 Home

Int'l symposium pushes for ICT education, training to boost development

Xinhua, September 10, 2016 Adjust font size:

More than 400 global entrepreneurs, experts and policy-makers have pledged continued commitment to education and training in ICT to help countries achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by leveraging major digital technology transformation.

The delegates who attended a three-day meeting in Nairobi on Friday said the commitment recognized the vital role of human capacity building in realizing 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

"Tech start-ups and SMEs are a vital part of today's fast-moving ICT ecosystem and can serve as a major driver of economic growth," International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Secretary-General Houlin Zhao said at the closing ceremony.

"Kenya's success in nurturing a thriving ICT innovation culture is making it a model to follow for other developing countries looking to harness ICTs as a development catalyst," Zhao added.

Francis Wangusi, Director General of the Communications Authority of Kenya called on participants to "take full advantage of the wealth of knowledge and experience from the symposium, and the key focus areas for ICT capacity building identified in order to drive the digital revolution forward."

The symposium was attended by ministers, directors-general, regulatory authorities, academics, entrepreneurs, and students from around the world, who engaged in discussions on future priorities for capacity building, new skills requirements in a fast changing ICT environment, and new ways of learning in the digital era.

"This capacity building symposium marked the start of an important discussion on new skill requirements in the digital era, particularly in the context of working towards achieving the UN's Sustainable Development Goals," said Brahima Sanou, Director of ITU's Telecommunication Development Bureau.

The focus on digital entrepreneurship also saw a group of young innovators take the stage during the symposium to present ground-breaking ICT innovations and show how these could improve the delivery of education and training. Endit