International Workshop on ICT and Education Held in Finland

800,000 cities and villages and around one billion people still lack connection to any kind of ICT – Abu-Ghazaleh

HÄMEENLINNA, FINLAND --- Mr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, chairman and CEO of the Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Organization (TAG-Org), has called for the establishment of an educational fund, for the purpose of investing in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) facilities in countries that need it.

Abu-Ghazaleh also stressed on the need for building educational capacity and capability for sustainment, by working in cooperation with governments, institutions, and international organizations in order to promote lifelong learning; enhance cultural exchanges; increase economic growth and political stability; and foster global business and IT in the context of the changing global environment.

These remarks were made in a speech delivered by Abu-Ghazaleh at the International Workshop on Ubiquitous ICT for Sustainable Education and Cultural Literacy convened in Hämeenlinna, Finland.

The two-day workshop was organized by the University of Tampere, the German-Jordanian University and HAMK University of Applied Sciences, in cooperation with the Finnish Ministry of Education, the Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Organization, the Finnish National Commission for UNESCO and other parties.

The venue aimed at enhancing scientific collaboration among intellectuals for global education and open civilizations; promoting public awareness on challenges and opportunities in ICT technologies for the betterment of societies; and creating a continuous dialogue and coordination process among stakeholders on education to improve teaching and learning.

The TAG-Org Chairman elaborated that what is needed is a driver in developing sustainable projects involving educational institutions, governments, investors and other stakeholders, bringing together all the ICT-based needed resources for enhancing the global context of education and culture.

“About 800,000 cities and villages and around one billion people still lack connection to any kind of ICT, and have remained locked out of the digital revolution with no access to information, communication, education, and commercial resources available on the Internet,” Abu-Ghazaleh added.

Therefore, “we need business initiatives rather than assistance policies and advice, and ICT-based implementations for enhanced connectivity in poor areas, increased economic competitiveness, and a powerful ground for leaders and responsible bodies to accelerate the diffusion of ICT across communities and nations making possible a better future for our next generation,” Abu-Ghazaleh commented.

He concluded by expressing TAG-Org’s commitment to work closely with universities, governments, businesses, and other stakeholders, within the Arab countries, saying that the Organization will bring together the right mix of partners suitable for implementing an ICT-enabled environment and setting up capacity-building programs in each country.