Emirates College for Advanced Education (ECAE) and Amazon Web Services (AWS) have announced a collaboration to shed light on the importance of introducing new tools in the education industry and utilising innovative technologies and solutions in education through joint studies, research, workshops, events and conferences to discuss the trends, opportunities and challenges in the digital economy.

The world of education and learning systems are in need of innovation through skills’ development that nurture new ideas and technologies in the academic field. Recent AWS Global Digital Skills Study found that found that more than 85% of individuals who take the time to learn new skills are more efficient at their jobs and have greater personal satisfaction, and 80% report greater employability.

Innovation and digitalisation has become the new trend in the education industry, especially after the pandemic. Due to the accelerated pace with which developments in ICT are taking place, digital society and digital economy have generated specific challenges in the field of education. 

Dr. May Altaee, Vice Chancellor of Emirates College for Advanced Education said: “ECAE puts all of its efforts to lead educational transformation and develop effective teachers in the UAE. Building these kinds of collaborations between our partners and strengthening our relationships will enable knowledge exchange and best practices to ensure our education sector is equipped with best-in-class professionals who produce future-ready students.”

As part of its efforts to achieve the aspirations of its wise leadership and strengthen the UAE education system, Emirates College for Advanced Education offers a variety of accredited academic and professional development programs that address the evolving requirements of the education sector in UAE, such as, Master of Education and Innovation and Postgraduate Diploma in Education.

The AWS capacity-building initiative, in cooperation with ECAE, focuses on teachers’ empowerment. It is committed to deliver the resources educators need to prepare students for in-demand roles through multiple programs to help students and graduates develop their skills and to provide those digital tools in a responsible and accessible manner that can meet the needs of all its diverse learners.

AWS Academy: Provides ECAE with a free, ready-to-teach cloud computing curriculum that prepares students to pursue industry-recognized certifications and in-demand cloud jobs.

AWS Educate: Cloud computing can open the door to exciting opportunities in technology or business. AWS Educate offers hundreds of hours of free, self-paced online training resources and the opportunity for hands-on practice on the AWS Console.

AWS Re/Start: A full-time instructor-led 12-week upskilling/reskilling program that prepares learners for entry level cloud computing roles. The mission of the program is to provide skills and support employment to unemployed and underemployed individuals. The program curriculum covers IT foundations, cloud foundations, and soft skills. By the end of the program learners will acquire an AWS Cloud Practitioner certificate.

AWS Programs for Research: Students, educators, and researchers are key drivers of technological innovation. AWS Cloud Credits for Research & AWS Research Cloud Program will enable ECAE move its research or teaching endeavors to the cloud and innovate quickly and at a lower cost. 

Wojciech Bajda, Director Public Sector Middle East and Africa, AWS, said: “AWS is pleased to join ECAE in its innovative work using technology to create a world where education is always available, personal, and lifelong for everyone. Our partnership is driven by a new vision for the future of education that harnesses the power of cloud computing to expand access to educational resources, improve student outcomes and help tomorrow’s business leaders, engineers, builders, and entrepreneurs gain the skills they need to add value in the workplace.

Ignite the Entrepreneurial Mindset

The AWS Startup team stands to support entrepreneurship in the MENA region and will be supporting ECAE by providing access to the AWS Activate Founders program for all the participating startups. The program provides access to free tools, resources, and expert support, startups to quickly get started on AWS, go to market faster, and lower costs. This program will also include free AWS credits of AWS Support credits to all participating startup that are formed within ECAE. Additionally, all the selected startups will be eligible for AWS Activate program.

Curriculum Development

While public sector organizations are adopting a digital-first strategy, the biggest inhibitor to cloud adoption is the lack of requisite skills. To this end, AWS will collaborate with ECAE to develop a Cloud Curriculum to deliver on the capacity-building plan.

Curriculum Development via AWS Education to Workforce Solutions

The AWS Education to Workforce (E2W) solutions support institution’s planning, designing, and building a program of study. The E2W Solutions team will work with ECAE to co-design comprehensive certificate, diploma, or degree programs integrated with the institutions’ curriculum, and aligned with the cloud competency framework.