Covid-19: UNESCO partner with Chinese firm to support e-learning

Chinese telecommunication firm Huawei has teamed up with UNESCO to support e-learning initiative currently being implemented as coronavirus continues to trouble the world.

Through its Huawei ICT Academy Kenya, the tech firm has teamed up with experts from UNESCO, and university professors to launch a program known as Learn ON. Recently, the group held Webinar for Online Higher Education which encompassed a workshop discussed to how to carry on with studies despite barriers brought by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The company provides resources for online learning has Sh500 million budget for the Huawei ICT Academy Development Incentive Fund (ADIF), which will be used for charity work. The company says that it targets more than 100 online Train the Trainer (TTT) programs in which it expects to train 1,500 between April and December in 2020. This it expects to translate into churning 50,000 graduates.

The Director of UNESCO Regional Office for Eastern Africa Ann Therese Ndong-Jatta lauded the program saying that its results will be crucial for Africa’s education sector.

"The seminar opened up possibilities on responding to the challenges of engaging teachers and professors during this period of Covid-19 especially in Africa for learning to continue. The successful experiences shared and the commitment of Huawei to work collaboratively towards advancing digital solutions and tech4all skills give hope in building resilient education systems now and beyond Covid-19," she said.

Huawei’s regional CEO based in Kenya Stone He said that there also other ICT-related programs such as training in Artificial Intelligence, which the company offers alongside other partners.

“We have also collaborated with ICTA on training DigiTalent interns in AI, Cloud Computing and Cyber Security, aiming to equip the Kenyan ICT leaders of tomorrow with latest technologies in the industry,” he said.