Microsoft and Unesco team up on education

The Unesco-Microsoft Task Force on Higher Education and ICT will work on guidelines for the use of computer technology in education

Microsoft and Unesco are teaming up to advise governments on the best way to integrate IT into educational curriculums.

The two organisations announced at the Unesco World Conference on Higher Education that they will form the Unesco-Microsoft Task Force on Higher Education and ICT, which will work on guidelines for the use of computer technology in education.

"We believe that technology has a vital role to play in building up 21st century skills, broadening access to education and personalising the learning experience to adapt teaching to the unique needs of each learner," said Michael Golden, corporate vice president of the Education Products Group at Microsoft.

"This programme makes technology resources more accessible than ever before to governments and students across the world. We will continue to support Unesco and our newly formed Unesco-Microsoft taskforce in every way we can."

The taskforce will consult with experts and industry stakeholders to develop a plan for integrating computing technology into education programmes with a focus on secondary and tertiary educational institutions.

"Higher education is increasingly strategic for building up skilled workforces in countries," said Nicholas Burnett, Unesco assistant director-general for education.

"Our focus has been on ensuring that tertiary institutions address the key long-term requirements of our increasingly knowledge-based societies, and that students today are best equipped to drive and support economic growth and to address major development challenges from education to health to the environment.

"Through the creation of the Unesco-Microsoft taskforce we will help mobilise critical strategic resources to better assist ministries of education worldwide."