Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) today announced it is partnering with the Tshwane University of Technology in South Africa to promote education and research in the field of telecommunications and signal processing.
Alcatel-Lucent has entered into an agreement with the University to fund the appointment of a 'Chair' to facilitate the project at the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT).
In terms of the signed agreement, Alcatel Lucent will finance the Chair to the amount of R500 000 per year. The Chair will supervise post-graduate students in telecommunications and signal processing, which is an area where skills are needed in the ICT sector.
The Alcatel-Lucent and TUT partnership is intended to increase the skills base in the telecommunications space in South Africa. This skills development programme comes at a time of skills shortages in the ICT industry, and this programme is intended to help eliminate the skills shortage in the country.
"The Alcatel-Lucent and TUT partnership is one of our efforts to help improve the quality of telecommunication studies, and to augment the skills base in the industry," said Mervin Kamoetie, CEO of Alcatel-Lucent's activities in South Africa.
He added that the initiative would not only have a positive impact on skills development in the country but also have a significant contribution toward elevating the country's economy in the long-term. This project is part of Alcatel-Lucent's corporate social investment programme which places education high on its agenda, with a view of developing talent and creating a pool of skilled professionals to draw from.
The project is expected to run for two years, with annual reviews on its progress. The university will bring, to the collaboration, experience, infrastructure and will provide tertiary training and will conduct research of an outstanding quality in the field of telecommunications and signal processing.
This joint project is not only intended at broadening the skills base in telecommunications but also to serve as a research lab that will ensure that students of this discipline are equipped with the relevant and practical study information that will in effect have a positive and significant input towards developing the quality of skilled professionals in the ICT industry.
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Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) provides solutions that enable service providers, enterprise and governments worldwide, to deliver voice, data and video communication services to end-users. As a leader in fixed, mobile and converged broadband networking, IP technologies, applications and services, Alcatel-Lucent offers the end-to-end solutions that enable compelling communications services for people at home, at work and on the move. With operations in more than 130 countries, Alcatel-Lucent is a local partner with global reach. The company has the most experienced global services team in the industry, and one of the largest research, technology and innovation organisations in the telecommunications industry. Alcatel-Lucent achieved revenue of euro 17.8 billion in 2007 and is incorporated in France, with executive offices located in Paris. For more information, visit Alcatel-Lucent on the Internet: http://www.alcatel-lucent.com
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