Over 150 government officials and academics in Azerbaijan are taking part this week in two United Nations organized training programmes to develop national capacities to use information and communications technology for development (ICTD)
The Asian and Pacific Training Centre for Information and Communication Technology for Development, (APCICT), a regional institute of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), is partnering with national development stakeholders in Azerbaijan to launch ICTD capacity development initiatives targeting government officials and youth.
The first capacity building workshop on 6 and 7 February in Baku, organized by the Civil Service Commission under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan with the support of APCICT, covers the APCICT flagship capacity building programme “Academy of ICT Essentials for Government Leaders” (Academy).
A senior-level briefing session engaging over 150 policymakers, this morning introduced the Academy programme, which has been rolled-out in 22 countries in the Asia-Pacific region since 2008. A number of high-level dignitaries attended and addressed the opening of the session, including Mr. Elmir Valizada, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Communication and Informational Technologies, Mr. Gulu Novruzov, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Education, and Mr. Bahram Khalilov, Chairman of the Civil Service Commission under the President of Azerbaijan.
Participants are also taking part in a specially designed tutoring session, simultaneously interpreted from English to Azerbaijani, to help them serve as resource persons delivering Academy training content in Azerbaijan as well as translators localizing the Academy modules into the Azerbaijani language.
“Azerbaijan’s enthusiasm to organize unique capacities building experiences that reach a wide range of stakeholders demonstrates the country’s commitment to using ICT for sustainable and inclusive development,” said Dr. Hyeun Suk Rhee, Director of UN-APCICT/ESCAP, opening the workshop.
On 8-10 February, APCICT will organize a Training of Trainers Workshop in partnership with Azerbaijan’s Qafqaz University. Over 30 professors and educators from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan will attend the workshop which also launches the APCICT capacity building programme “Primer Series on ICTD for Youth” (Primer Series). The workshop will provide training on Primer 1: “An Introduction to ICT for Development” designed to give students an introductory overview on the use of ICTs to meet socio-economic development goals.
“In an increasingly digital and connected world, nurturing and developing the ICT capacity of the next generation of leaders is essential,” said Dr. Ahmet Sanic, Rector of Qafqaz University. “We are very pleased to be partnering with APCICT in this very important initiative.”
The Primer Series is part of the APCICT flagship capacity building initiative engaging youth, “Turning Today’s Youth into Tomorrow’s Leader Programme”. The Primer Series aims to enhance university curricula that lack adequate content on ICT for development and provides a tool to help educators deliver ICTD capacity building education in institutions of higher learning.
Primer 1 will also be launched on the APCICT Virtual Academy, the Centre’s online, distance e-learning platform during the opening session of the training workshop. The online version of the Primer is designed to reach youth anytime and anywhere.
For more information on the Academy Briefing and Tutoring Session, click here.
For more information on the launch of the Primers Series, click here.
