Wednesday, July 6, 2011

IBM, UG sign collaboration agreement

The University of Ghana and IBM have signed an agreement to foster new entrepreneurial approaches to education and research and development (R&D) to support the adoption of new technologies such as cloud computing and business analytics.

As part of the agreement, the two parties will work together and share insights and experiences in areas of mutual interest, which will include the establishment and development of educational programmes and curricula to strengthen skills in information technology and improve access to education - especially in remote areas of the country.

IBM will also provide its technology experts to the university to assist with guest lectures and the roll-out of technical courses.

The agreement, which was signed in Accra at the University of Ghana by Dr. Mark Dean, Vice President and IBM Fellow and Prof. Ernest Aryeetey, Vice-Chancellor, University of Ghana, underscores IBM’s commitment to Ghana and the importance of information technology in the development of the country.

“By leveraging cutting-edge technologies, the University of Ghana has a real opportunity to develop in key areas such as education and R&D, which can play a key role in increasing Ghana's competitiveness in a global economy,” said Joe Mensah, Country General Manager, IBM Ghana.

“Ghana has a long history in mining and agriculture and has recently discovered oil and gas on its shores. IBM's Smart Solutions can enable Ghana's industries optimise their operations and ensure efficient extraction of these valuable resources,” Dr. Dean stated.

Since 2008, through its Corporate Service Corps programme, IBM has assigned five teams (47 employees) of employee-volunteers from more than 20 different countries on one-month assignments in Takoradi and Kumasi.

The teams of some of IBM’s top performers have worked on projects aimed at narrowing the digital divide between rural and urban areas and accelerating the adoption of Information and Communication Technology in the country.

Earlier this year IBM’s consultants worked on a pro bono basis with the Electricity Company of Ghana, the Tema Technical Institute and the SOS Children's Village. The projects were tailored to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the three institutions by utilising the latest technologies and business processes.


Global Collaboration


From August to October 2010, two students from Ashesi University participated in an IBM student project called “Smarter Global Collaboration.” The project involved establishing a virtual team of four university students from Ghana and Germany. The goal of the team was to identify key factors and process steps that influence the success of transnational collaboration in mature and growth markets.

Faculty Support
In late 2010, Ghana Telecom University College received an Open Collaborative Research(OCR) award. The financial award supports strategically important, highly-collaborative research projects between IBM and leading universities across a wide range of areas within computer science, engineering, mathematics and other disciplines where open collaboration can accelerate innovation.

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