January 27, 2003

When world leaders gathered for the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Cisco CEO John Chambers was on hand to discuss, among other things, the important role companies can play in building a stronger global community. Constituting the foundation of this community, Chambers believes, are education and the Internet. Chambers had this to say regarding Cisco's corporate citizenship initiatives and what Cisco is doing to bring the IT skills of the future to students around the world.

How is Cisco focusing its corporate citizenship these days?

Corporate citizenship is integral to Cisco's culture in good times and bad so we are active in a number of areas. This includes an ongoing drive to institute "green" practices throughout the company, company-wide strategic giving programs like the Cisco Foundation as well as a myriad of individual efforts like food drives.

We're always looking for ways to leverage our expertise in technology for the betterment of the community. For example, through our "e-NGO" initiative we are helping non-profit organizations use the Internet and other productivity-increasing tools of technology to improve their ability to serve their constituents. This includes work with America's Second Harvest and Nethope, a technology consortium for international nonprofits like Care and Save the Children.

But one of the programs we're most proud of is the Cisco Networking Academy. I truly believe that education and the Internet are two great equalizers in life and the Networking Academies are succeeding everyday is teaching students around the world the skills they need to join the information age and to help their communities.

How would you characterize the Cisco Networking Academy?

It's a comprehensive, global e-learning program that teaches the Internet technology skills needed to prepare students for the 21st century work force.

It began in 1997 as a high school network support curriculum and has developed into a worldwide educational program. Today, it offers students an opportunity to pursue IT curricula through online instructor-led training and hands-on laboratory exercises.

Cisco recognizes that stronger global communities are good for everyone, including businesses, and the Cisco Networking Academy is one way we've been able to put this philosophy into action.

How successful have the Networking Academies been?

Phenomenal. In just five years we've achieved success far beyond what we could have hoped. We have 10,375 Academies spread across all fifty US states and in 149 countries, territories, and entities. There are more than 385,000 active students, and classes are taught in eleven languages.

In fact, our global reach is one of the factors that points to the Academies' success. In Nazareth, Israel, Jewish and Arab teens study together at the Cisco Networking Academy. In October 2002 two instructors started teaching at the first Network Academy in Afghanistan, at the University of Kabul, with twelve students. This effort was also supported by the Cisco Foundation, which donated twelve computers - the first PCs ever at the university.

And just as important as our global reach have been our efforts towards gender equality. Three of the twelve University of Kabul students are female. In Jordan, under the patronage of Queen Rania Al-Abdullah, ten Academies have opened, enrolling more than 600 students - of whom 63 percent are women.

You mentioned partnerships. What kinds of organization does Cisco partner with, and what role do they play in Cisco's corporate citizenship?

One of Cisco's strengths is leveraging our business partnering skills and Internet expertise in the area of philanthropy, and these partnerships are essential to our outreach efforts.

Our partnership with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) is thriving despite the hardships of the region. Through six Academies located in West Bank, Gaza, Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria, we are teaching 431 students, 37% of whom are female.

In other instances, some of our Cisco Ecosystem partners work with us to expand the Cisco Networking Academy curriculum and the technology and techniques to deliver it. We also work with the UN and other agencies to enable people in developing countries to have access to the Internet and education through initiatives like NetAid, the Academies, and the gender initiative with UNIFEM (United Nations Development Fund for Women).