Eastern Cape premier Nosimo Balindlela has toured Fujitsu Siemens Computers` factory in Germany, in a trip aimed at augmenting the region`s partnership with the company.
The province has a 12-year partnership with the German province of Lower Saxony. The partnership was initially formed to assist the Eastern Cape to set up its provincial administration.
However, it has since grown to include projects in e-learning, cooperation in sports, support for the 2010 FIFA World Cup preparations, vocational training projects, as well as partnerships in arts and culture.
The premier is leading a delegation of members of the executive council (MECs), including finance MEC Billy Nel, local government MEC Thokozile Xasa, education MEC Johny Makgato, speaker of the provincial legislature Noxolo Kiviet and other senior government officials.
Promoting e-learning
Last week, Balindlela met with Fujitsu Siemens president and CEO Bernd Bischoff at the vendor`s Munich headquarters.
"We are here to show our commitment to the partnership in order to promote e-learning and the development of an integrated ICT solution for the province," she said.
The private-public partnership has seen Fujitsu Siemens deliver servers to further education and training (FET) colleges in the region. These will help to establish the backbone of the project.
The company is working with local supplier e/t/s didactic to deliver the next phase of the project: specific software and training for teachers.
Additionally, 16 FET lecturers have attended a three-week course on e-learning and e-education. These lecturers have now returned to the province and will transfer their skills to their colleagues, says the premier`s office.
At the beginning of next month, the lecturers will participate in an online e-conference to discuss issues and ideas that they have developed since the course.
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