Wednesday, 28 November 2012
PM Tours Microsoft IT Academy, Innovation Center
Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan visited today the State Engineering University-located Microsoft’s IT Academy and Innovation Center. The Prime Minister was briefed on the ongoing activities and the student-developed innovative programs.
Academic institutions around the world were said to be following the Microsoft IT Academy program in an effort to propose educational projects for Microsoft-developed IT technologies. In this way, institutions may be recognized by the Microsoft brand, get comprehensive training programs, software and resource permits for students and teachers. In addition, communities and businesses benefit from the services of highly skilled and capable workforce.
The Academy is going to host training programs intended for the engineering university’s teaching staff and students, based on Microsoft-provided programs, materials and methodology.
The Academy has arranged to place orders from a number of local IT companies. All the students of the Academy can sign in free of charge for software and teaching materials available under the DreamSpark program.
The Microsoft Innovation Center was co-founded in May, 2011 by Microsoft, the Government of Armenia and the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Enterprise Incubator Foundation and the State Engineering University of Armenia. The Center is unique in its format and meaning as in the region.
The objective is to set up new companies and create innovative products and solutions through enhanced creativity, culture of innovations and greater access to new technologies.
Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan instructed those concerned to get acquainted with the student-developed innovative projects and, if possible, apply them in the services provided by State agencies.
For example, one such program offers to send SMS-borne notices to those drivers responsible for offences recorded by street cameras and speedometers. The Premier suggested that the project should be forwarded to police authorities for consideration. The head of government singled out another project, which helps to identify the composition and the level of water pollution by means of special equipment.
The center has been established to provide comprehensive support to more than 50 companies. It has incubated 15 teams so far, one of which is registered as a start-up company and was successfully engaged in the activities based on the latest Kinect technology of Microsoft.
The Center has had over 1600 beneficiaries under its capacity building component during the first year of operations. 50 long-term courses have been organized involving 600 students and IT specialists.
5 idea-generation competitions have been held in the period under review, including the “Your phone, your apps” online contest, thanks to which Armenia boasted an unprecedented growth in student add-ons ensuring it the 2nd position in the Central and Eastern European region.
