Missouri rolls out 'Elevate America' programme

US state Missouri has partnered with Microsoft to offer free training on Microsoft software to Missourians seeking to improve their job skills, reports Ozarks First.

The Microsoft Elevate America programme will provide nearly 25 000 vouchers for special e-learning programs on Microsoft products like Outlook and Excel.

Missouri Governor Jay Nixon says the Missouri Department of Economic Development's division of workforce development will administer the programme.

The African Virtual University (AVU) has unveiled the first ever open and distance e-learning centre at the University of Zambia (UNZA), says The Post Zambia.

AVU Rector Dr Bakary Diallo explains that under the newly-unveiled programme, UNZA needed to adapt its existing programmes and deliver its own e-learning programs.

Officiating at the unveiling of the distance e-learning centre at UNZA, Dr Diallo said the programme would focus on the use of ICTs both in and across the curriculum, with a particular focus on mathematics and science education.

The weekly newspaper Times Higher Education has chosen Thomson Reuters exclusively for data for its World University Rankings publication after ending the deal with QS which it used for the last six years, states Computing.co.uk.

It is reported on its Web site that the magazine is developing a new rankings methodology in consultation with its readers and Thomson Reuters for publishing top universities, leading institutions in specific subjects and so on for the upcoming edition.

Editor of Times Higher Education, Ann Mroz, says with the newspaper's rankings becoming influential, it recognises its responsibility to produce the most rigorous and transparent table. "So we're delighted to have an agreement with Thomson Reuters to help us achieve that."