AMD's 50x15 Initiative Expands Educational Opportunities in Uganda

AMD'S 50X15 INITIATIVE EXPANDS EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES IN UGANDA

- AMD shows power of the ecosystem approach; Teams with more than 15 organizations to narrow the digital divide in Africa -

SUNNYVALE, Calif. - Aug. 4, 2006 - A consortium led by AMD (NYSE: AMD) today launched three digital inclusion programs in schools in and around Kampala, the capital city of Uganda. As part of the 50x15 Initiative, AMD is collaborating with the Ugandan Government, the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) and 13 additional organizations as part of the company's commitment to connect 50 percent of the world's population to the Internet by the year 2015. Led by African Heads of State and the African Union, NEPAD's e-Schools Programme is aimed at equipping all African schools with ICT tools to ensure African youth graduate with the skills necessary to fully participate in the information society and knowledge economy.

 "It is imperative that we continue to provide our students and teachers with Internet access and computing capabilities to enhance their educational experiences here in Uganda," said Minister of Education Namirembe Bitamazire. "The effects of these deployments will be felt by students and teachers alike immediately. It is our hope that these technology solutions will help empower students with the skills and knowledge they need to achieve great success in the digital world."
      
The AMD-led consortium is responsible for three of more than 100 secondary schools playing host to NEPAD's e-Schools Demonstration Project - a critical initial step in the continental implementation of the NEPAD e-Schools Initiative. The success of the deployments comes as a result of aggregating a complete ecosystem of local, regional and global technology organizations in addition to NGOs and governments that provide hardware, software and infrastructure expertise, complemented by the schools' governing boards, principals, teachers, administrators and students. Through these deployments and the overall NEPAD Initiative, teaching, learning and administration at these schools are all enhanced. Students and teachers are empowered with ICT skills and knowledge and digital resources enable an overall increase in health literacy. The added technology also facilitates increased efficiency in the schools' management and administration systems. READ MORE...