Tie-up to devise new programme in Gulf region
Proposed curriculum will be offered in both English and Arabic languages
Dubai: ICDL GCC Foundation, the governing body and certification authority of the International Computer Driving Licence (ICDL) programme in the Gulf region and Iraq, has announced that it has recently partnered with Michigan State University (MSU) Dubai to establish a new ICDL Certified Training and Assessment Centre at MSU Dubai, offering specialised IT training programmes for educators and students in higher education.
The agreement was signed by Jamil Ezzo, Director General of ICDL GCC Foundation, and Dr Brendan Mullan, Executive Director of MSU Dubai during a ceremony held at the MSU Dubai campus.
ICDL GCC Foundation and MSU Dubai have also agreed to collaborate in developing the curriculum for a new ICT programme, which will be offered in both Arabic and English.
The new training centre will offer two certificates: the ICDL certificate for participants who complete and pass the test of the seven-module basic ICDL programme; and the Instructional Technology Certificate for participants in an eight-module programme wherein educators will learn how to integrate ICT and the latest Web 2.0 technologies such as blogs, podcasts, wikis and Google tools into their curricula to satisfy the requirements of the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE).
"The participation and contributions of the education sector is crucial in strengthening ICDL's campaign to promote IT literacy. The establishment of a new training centre at Michigan State University Dubai is a key strategic breakthrough that underlines that impact and importance of the ICDL program in complementing the existing IT curriculum of leading academic institutions.
"We believe that this new partnership will help draw greater attention and support from leading academic institutions towards our efforts to enhance the IT competency of all members of the society," said Jamil Ezzo
Commenting on the partnership, Myra Khattab, Programme Manager at MSU Dubai said: "In line with our continuing pursuit of excellence in the classroom, we intend to leverage ICDL's expertise and extensive resources in developing customised IT literacy and training programmes for students and educators."
