Education and Training News Microsoft Research Chair and Microsoft Software for Higher Education Students Microsoft Research Chair and Microsoft Software for Higher Education Students
- 03/10/2008A Memorandum of Understanding between Microsoft and the Portuguese State was signed on 3rd October 2008 at a ceremony at the Lisbon Centro de Congressos presided over by the Prime Minister, José Sócrates, and attended by the CEO of the Microsoft Corporation, Steve Ballmer. This includes, among other measures, as regards the Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education:
- The creation of a Microsoft Research Chair, with financial support from this company as foreseen under the Science and Technology Foundation (FCT) Guest Chairs Programme, which was launched in May 2008 at the Science 2008: More Scientists for Portugal (text in Portuguese) session.
- Reduced cost licenses for a wide-ranging software package for higher education students and professors including scientific, technological, engineering, mathematics and design tools, Windows, Office and other production tools, in cooperation with Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC) with the objective of supporting and promoting the use of advanced computing tools in higher education.
With the setting up of this Guest Chair, Microsoft joins the ranks of enterprises that have already agreed to fund Guest Chairs with FCT co-funding since the respective programme was launched four and a half months ago. These include the enterprises Martifer Innovation and Management, Nokia-Siemens Networks, Delta Cafés and Alcatel-Lucent.
The Memorandum of Understanding also foresees other collaborations between Microsoft and the Portuguese State: training of civil servants, Simplex in local government, support for the adoption of SOA (Service Orientated Architecture) in managing shared services, I.T. security, disaster response preparation, support systems for police investigations on child exploitation, support for start-ups enabling software to be used free of charge, basic software suite for the Magalhães computer and corresponding technical support, personal clinical file support platform, support for ICT academies and internships, design and implementation of programmes and resources for students and teachers in the 1st cycle of elementary education relative to using ICT in an educational context, as well as providing production tools for the creative arts industry.