Nokia partners universities to promote digital skills, innovation

Nokia is set to collaborate with two of the most recognized universities for science and engineering in Ethiopia, the Addis Ababa Science and Technology University (AASTU) and the Addis Ababa Institute of Technology (AAiT), to provide training on the latest technologies and industry trends.

The collaboration is in line with the Ethiopian government’s vision of encouraging the use of ICT to transform the country into a knowledge economy: Nokia is committed to working with Ethiopia to pave the way for world-class telecommunication services with advanced technologies including 4G and 5G.

Nokia signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Addis Ababa Science and Technology University and Addis Ababa Institute of Technology in order to collaborate and provide high-level technical skills to students in line with rapidly changing market needs.

As part of the agreement, Nokia will work with the two universities to provide tailored training and coaching programs and share the latest technical and business practices in the ICT sector in line with global developments and market demands. The collaboration supports the Ethiopian government’s objective of using ICT as an enabler of overall socio-economic transformation.

The collaboration will support the students in acquiring the right competencies and the necessary skills to succeed in a fast-changing labor market. Furthermore, a special emphasis will be put on providing equal opportunities to female students.

The agreement was signed by Dr Esayas Gebre Yohannes, Scientific Director at Addis Ababa Institute of Technology, Dereje Engida, President of Addis Ababa Science and Technology University, and Daniel Jaeger, Head of the Central East and West Africa (CEWA) Market Unit, Nokia.

Dereje Engida (PhD.), President of Addis Ababa Science and Technology University, said: “We are committed to providing a world-class education to our students. Collaboration with Nokia is a crucial initiative in this regard and will allow us to impart the latest technical education and introduce them to global best practices and trends and prepare them for the job market. We are delighted to collaborate with Nokia to expand our teaching capabilities and help build the skills to take Ethiopia forward.”

Dr. Esayas Gebreyohannes, Scientific Director at Addis Ababa Institute of Technology, said: “We are excited to collaborate with global technology leader, Nokia, for the skill development of our students and beyond. We strive to be a top university in Africa and collaboration with Nokia is an excellent opportunity to reach our goals. Through this collaboration, our students will have access to a world leader with proven expertise in the fields of information and communications technologies.”

Daniel Jaeger, Head of Central East and West Africa Market Unit at Nokia, said: “We are excited to support the universities in Ethiopia in their objectives to play a leading role in setting standards in the quality of engineering education, research, innovation and business incubation. We look forward to helping students acquire the necessary skills in the latest technologies, such as 5G, cloud computing and data analytics.”