(MENAFNEditorial) RAMALLAH, Palestine
Birzeit University has joined SAP's globally acclaimed University Alliance Program (UAP)as it seeks to ramp up its output of graduates capable of succeeding in thriving technology sectors across the world.
Supported by sustainable development catalyst Deutsche Gesellschaftfür Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the Palestinian IT Association of Companies (PITA), the initiative is set to provide Birzeit University with the tools and resources needed to teach students how IT technology can empower individuals, enable integrated business processes and inspire strategic thinking - vital skills that will figure prominently in Palestine's on-going development.
SAP's UAP has to date signed 27 institutions across Middle East and North Africa (MENA), and the company aims double that figure within the next four years.
Supporting existing business, engineering and IT programs, the UAP provides hands-on experience ofkey SAP technologies, including enterprise resource planning (ERP), and puts theory into practice through demonstrations, case studies and research.
"Palestine needs innovative partnerships between academia and the private sector that provide students with a solid, practical and forward-looking foundation to succeed in the job market," said ," said Dr. Safa Nasser Eldin, Minister of Telecommunications and Information Technology.
"Technology, will be hugely important in this respect. Whether it is mobility, the cloud, in-memory computing or day-to-day business essential like Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), these are all essential skills with multi-industry appeal, and nobody is better placed than SAP to educate our students in these areas."
The program will be delivered at Birzeit University's Najjad Zeenni Information Technology Center of Excellence (NZITCE), which was established to promote research and development, innovation, training and consulting services in Information technology field and to form a bridge between the university and the local community.
"Birzeit University is all about developing the most valuable resource society can have –people", said Prof. Khalil Hindi, President, Birzeit University.
"To do that consistently and with lasting effect, we need to produce educative outlets that are stimulating and attuned to the needs and best practices of businesses and institutions worldwide. In SAP we have found the ideal partner to provide insights that will help our students make meaningful impressions well beyond the confines of the classroom. This is a hands-on, empowering initiative, and we are tremendously excited to get started."
With a history dating back to 1924, Birzeit University is the first institution of higher education to be established in Palestine.
Currently hosting more than 9,000 students, the University offers undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate degrees through its eight faculties: Arts, Commerce and Economics, Engineering, Sciences, Law and Public Administration, Information Technology, Nursing and Allied Health Professions, and Graduate Studies.
In addition to its academic programs, the University features institutes, centers, and programs designed to develop and support community-oriented programs that contribute to sustainable development in Palestine.
Support for the University comes from numerous Palestinian, Arab, and international institutions, foundations, and individuals.
"Birzeit University has always been at the vanguard of educational excellence this part of the world, producing talented students with the determination to improve society in both Palestine and beyond," said Amr Ghoneim, Managing Director – North Africa & Levant, SAP MENA.
"SAP's UAP fits perfectly with this enduring and admirable ethos, providing a unique springboard for cutting-edge skills and knowledge suited to influential employment across multiple sectors."
Andreas Baldwin, Director Alliances Sales, SAP MENA, added:
"We have already pre-qualified a number of promising local IT companies across Palestine for partnership with SAP, and many will no doubt go on to recruit students from Birzeit University as they learn how to deliver our projects on time and to budget. Collaborations of this nature are one of the most important ways we expand our ecosystem and, judging by the talent I have been privileged to witness to date from both students and local businesses, the future is rife with potential."
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