KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia -- 19 June 2000 -- The APDIP-Cisco Networking Academy Program won in the Education Category of the Stockholm Challenge Award 2000, a non-profit initiative of the City of Stockholm in partnership with the European Commission. The prestigious award recognizes information technology projects that have generated benefits for people and their communities.
The APDIP-Cisco Networking Academy Program is an innovative partnership between the UNDP's Asia-Pacific Development Information Program (APDIP) and Cisco Systems, Inc., the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet, to bring Internet education to students in developing countries in the Asia Pacific region.
Currently operating in nine developing countries - Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Fiji, India, Mongolia, Nepal, Papua New Guinea and Sri Lanka - the programme provides students with advanced IT skills to benefit from the enormous opportunities created by the Internet while creating a qualified talent pool for building and maintaining networks.
In naming the APDIP-Cisco Networking Academy Program as a winner, the judging panel of the Stockholm Challenge Award said: "A major challenge for developing countries is the effective mobilisation of their significant intellectual resources, often unfulfilled through lack of educational opportunities. This innovative program is tackling precisely this problem through a global network of true local value. The graduates have the double benefit of supporting their home nations' educational development as well as their ability to participate in the global information economy."
Gabriel Accascina, Regional Coordinator of APDIP in Kuala Lumpur, was in Rome when the Award was given and commented: "This is a significant recognition of the model partnership between the public and private sector that APDIP and Cisco have pioneered with the Networking Academy programme. It not only reflects UNDP's aim to provide sustainable capacity building in this important sector, but also marks a significant milestone in providing our member countries with the most advanced technology training there is."
"We are extremely honoured to have the prestigious Stockholm Challenge Award bestowed upon the program. It's a recognition that the Cisco Networking Academy Program is making a difference in society and is creating opportunities for individuals and whole economies in the Asia Pacific region. Our partnership with UNDP-APDIP in this program and in other community projects such as NetAid are making good strides in bringing the power of the Internet into every corner of the globe and levelling the playing field for developing countries," said Richard Freemantle, Senior Vice President, Asia Pacific Theatre, Cisco Systems.
The Stockholm Challenge Award 2000 drew 612 entries from every part of the world in seven categories; Public Services and Democracy, Culture and Entertainment, Environment, Equal Access, Health and Quality of Life, Education and New Economy. Evaluation was based upon four criteria; Innovation, User Need, Sustainability and Transferability. The single most important criterion is the benefit the project can bring to individuals, society and the environment by using inspirational approaches within the local context.
Besides the academies under UNDP APDIP, the Cisco Networking Academy Program is also running in 3,695 educational institutions in 64 countries around the world.
About APDIP
Based in Kuala Lumpur, APDIP is the UNDP information technology programme in Asia Pacific, serving 42 countries. Countries in this region are implementing and relying more and more on the Internet and information technologies for their social and economic development and to create new opportunities. In response to these needs, APDIP conducts highly specialised Seminars to answer specific needs and addresses important issues such as: IT-related policies; infrastructure building and funding, and socio-economic issues such as IT in health, education, environment; security, e-government, tele-working, etc. APDIP provides technical assistance in wiring countries to the Internet, and has recently connected Bhutan and East Timor, among others. Other activities include web hosting services to development organisations, technical and engineering services to governments, and a news service on Internet Governance. APDIP is implemented by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS). News and information is available at www.apdip.net.
About Cisco Systems
Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet. Cisco news and information are available at www.cisco.com.
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