Education and Training News News
- 1st European e-Skills Week: Activities Sponsored by UMIC - 05/03/2010
1-5 March 2010 was a week chosen as the 1st e-Skills Week by the European Commission to carry out awareness-raising activities to promote the importance of developing Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) skills. This initiative was launched by the Directorate-General for Enterprise and Industry of the European Commission and involved around 20 countries. Three key messages were proposed for this Week: The contribution of ICT to employability, the attractiveness of ICT careers, and the role of ICT in business competitiveness. - SAS and LPI Join the ICT Academies Promoted by UMIC in Higher Education Institutions - 05/03/2010
As part of the initiatives taken in the 1st e-Skills European Week, the Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC) signed on 9 March 2010, in the School of Education of the Polytechnic Institute of Santarém, two new protocols to pursue the implementation of the ICT Academies in Higher Education Institutions initiative launched in 2007. These protocols are designed to foster in institutions of higher education opportunities for professional training in areas of Information and Communication Technology (ICT).
- 1st European e-Skills Week - 01/03/2010
1 March 2010 marked the opening of the 1st e-Skills Week, to take place between 1-5 March. This was launched by the European Commission to carry out awareness-raising activities to promote the importance of developing Information and Communication Technological (ICT) skills. The initiative was launched by the Directorate-General for Enterprise and Industry of the European Commission and involves around 20 countries. Three key messages have been proposed for this Week: the ICT contribution to employability, the attractiveness of ICT careers, and the role of ICT in business competitiveness.
- SAP joins UMIC-promoted Higher Education ICT Academies - 14/09/2009
The Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC) and SAP, which has just launched its program of University Partnerships in Portugal, signed a collaboration agreement on September 14, 2009 that aims to provide specific training and certification in the Higher Educational ICT Academics promoted by UMIC in SAP commercial applications used in Portuguese companies.These cover a broad spectrum of applications, particularly in the commercial areas of accounting, finance, Human Resources management, operational management, supply chain management, marketing, business strategy and information systems.
- 1 Million Laptops Provided by the Programs e.escola, e.professor, e.oportunidades, e.escolinha - 27/07/2009
On the 27th of July 2009, in presence of the Prime Minister, José Sócrates, it was organized a ceremony to commemorate the delivery to students, professors and trainees of 1 million laptops by the programs e.escola, e.professor, e.oportunidades and e.escolinha, just two years after the first two programs were initiated in June 2007 and a year after the launching of the e.escolinha program.
The programs e.escola, e.professor and e.oportunidades were created to facilitate the purchase of laptop computers with mobile broadband connections, respectively to 5th to 12th grade students, teachers of primary and secondary schools, and trainees in the New Opportunities Program with acquisition costs of 150 euros and a monthly subscription of mobile broadband access for 15 euros, with more favorable conditions applying to students who receive social support. The program e.escolinha has the objective of facilitating the purchase of Magalhães Computers by primary school students, the Portuguese Low Cost Computer Designed for Students of the 1st to 4th grades.
- e-University: Laptops for higher education students and teaching staff - 26/05/2009
On 27th May 2009, a ceremony was held at 11 am at the Pavilhão do Conhecimento in Lisbon where Toshiba Portugal, together with the enterprises Prológica, Microsoft and Autodesk, and with Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC), launched the Toshiba e-University Programme to facilitate the purchase of laptops by higher education students and teaching staff.
This initiative wraps up the actions planned in 2008 between Toshiba Portugal and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education in the scope of the Toshiba Research and Learning Network.
The computers that are formatted for the Toshiba e-University Programme are equipped with specific software. It will be possible to purchase these computers at a lower cost using the guarantor-less bank credit system, with mutual guarantees, which has been in place in Portugal since 2007. The Santander-Totta bank was the first bank to join the Programme, which is open to participation from other banks.
- UMIC Facilitates Use of Internet Spaces by Universities of the Third Age - 21/05/2009
In the scope of the official commemorations for the National Day of the Universities of the Third Age, RUTIS - Universities of the Third Age Association Network and Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC) signed a Cooperation protocol on 21st May 2009 at Fundão Universidade Sénior, located next to the Fundão Pavilhão Multiusos. This protocol foresees UMIC’s support for the bodies responsible for Internet Spaces so that Universities of the Third Age may use these spaces to hold Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) classes on a timetable to be arranged in each case, and for spaces with access to computers and the Internet to be included in Universities of the Third Age that meet the conditions set out in the Internet Spaces Network.
- Sun Microsystems Joins the ICT Academies Promoted by UMIC in the Higher Education System - 17/05/2009
Sun Microsystems Portugal and Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC) signed a Cooperation protocol on 18th May 2009, at the Instituto Superior Técnico (IST)’s Taguspark Campus to implement the ICT Academies collaboration scheme launched by the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Government and Sun Microsystems in February 2009.
- Meeting with the International Distance Learning Panel - 15/01/2009
On 15th January 2009, the President of Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC) met the international panel mandated by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education with conducting an assessment and coming up with recommendations on distance learning in Portugal, chiefly to reveal the backbone infrastructure aspects available for distance learning in Portugal after actions promoted by and with funding from Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC) and operated by the FCCN – Foundation for National Scientific Computation, which are currently forerunners in terms of what is happening in European countries:
- Toshiba Research and Learning Network - 06/10/2008
A ceremony was held on 7th October 2008 between 11am and 12pm at the Pavilhão do Conhecimento, Parque das Nações, Lisbon, presided over by the Minister for Science, Technology and Higher Education, José Mariano Gago and attended by the President and CEO of TOSHIBA, Atsutoshi Nishida, where a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Science and Technology Foundation (FCT), Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC), Ciência Viva – National Agency for Scientific and Technology Culture, and Toshiba-Portugal regarding an investment by Toshiba in Portugal of roughly 1 million Euros over 3 to 5 years, shared out between the following actions:
- Microsoft Research Chair and Microsoft Software for Higher Education Students - 03/10/2008
A 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:
- Portuguese Low-Cost Computer Developed for 1st-Cycle Students - 30/07/2008
A Portuguese consortium, JP Sá Couto – Prológica, in partnership with the multinational company Intel, has launched a new laptop computer based on the 2nd version of Intel’s Classmate (see product brief). The launch took place on 3 April 2008, and the laptop has been specifically designed for the education market. 30% of the new computer’s technology will be Portuguese in the 1st production phase and by the end of the year, all technology included will be Portuguese, with the exception of Intel’s microprocessor.
The computer, named the “Magalhães”, will be manufactured in Matosinhos by the consortium JP Sá Couto-Prológica and may be exported to Africa, Latin America and Europe. The computer is Internet-enabled, has an autonomy of six hours, is shockproof and waterproof, operates on an Intel-Celeron M processor at 900 MHz, runs the Windows XP and Linus operating systems, has 512 MB RAM memory, a 30 GB hard disk, 9-inch screen, weighs 1.4 kg and is estimated to cost 180 Euros to produce.
- Cisco Opens Centre in Portugal and Joins UMIC-promoted Higher Education ICT Academies - 08/05/2008
Cisco System’s Hércules Centre at Lagoas Park, Porto Salvo, was officially opened at 11 a.m. on 9th May 2008. This signifies an increase in the company’s presence in Portugal with 150 new highly-qualified technological posts This centre will provide trained support to Cisco Systems Inc.’s operations in Europe, replacing and expanding services that were previously provided from the Netherlands.
- Protocol to facilitate Autodesk software use in Higher Education - 14/12/2007
A protocol to facilitate Autodesk software access and use in universities and polytechnics was signed yesterday, 13th December 2007, by the Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC), the FCCN – Foundation for National Scientific Computation and Autodesk – the global leader in 2D and 3D software for the processing, construction, infrastructure, media and entertainment industry sectors. This protocol was signed under the scope of UMIC’s e-U Virtual Campus project, for which the FCCN is responsible for the operational element, and plans to make various applications available via the Autodesk Campus Licenses programme under very favourable conditions.
- Protocol on ICT Academies signed with Microsoft Portugal - 26/11/2007
A presentation of the Microsoft IT Academy Programme will take place on 30th November 2007 from 2.30pm to 4.45pm at the Hotel da Lapa, Lisbon. The session will conclude with the signature of a collaboration protocol between Microsoft Portugal and Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC), in the scope of the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Portuguese Government and Microsoft in 2006. This will target the promotion and creation of ICT Academies, where the emphasis shall be on vocational ICT training, taking on board Microsoft IT Academy initiatives in Portugal.
- EU Competitiveness Council Meeting approves e-Skills Conclusions - 23/11/2007
Conclusions concerning e-skills were approved at the meeting of the Council of the European Union group on 22nd November 2007 in Brussels, following the Commission’s publication E-skills for the 21st Century: Fostering Competitiveness, Growth and Jobs of 7th September 2007, which was prepared by a working party where Portugal was represented by Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC).
- Online Teaching Methods and the Current Labour Market - 03/11/2007
The Public Meeting of the Open University’s “Online Teaching Methods and the Current Labour Market” International Advisory Board will be held on 12th November 2007 at 3pm in the Fundação das Comunicações’ Auditorium in Lisbon. The main aim will be to demonstrate the relevance of online teaching methods to gearing up what universities offer to the emerging needs of an increasingly more flexible and complex labour market.
- High Level Meeting on Modernising Europe's Universities - 28/10/2007
The High Level Meeting on Modernising Europe’s Universities will be held on 6th November 2007 at the vice-chancellor’s office of the Universidade Nova de Lisboa under the Portuguese Presidency of the EU. The meeting continues with the political objectives that have been laid down since the March 2000 Lisbon Council and are based around political commitments made at European level, namely at the Informal Summit of Heads of State and Government at Hampton Court, United Kingdom, in October 2005, where the relevance of further education, research and innovation to the EU’s competitiveness was pointed out.
- 2007 Lisbon eLearning Conference - 10/10/2007
The 2007 Lisbon eLearning Conference will be held on 15th-16th October 2007 at the Lisbon Congress Centre.
- Debate on Innovation, Learning and Development - 14/09/2007
A Debate on Innovation, Learning and Development organised by INA – National Administration Institute will be held on 17th September 2007 from 9.30 am to 12.30 pm in the Eunice Muñoz Auditorium, Rua Mestre de Avis, Oeiras. It is aimed at central and local Public Administration heads and middle management, as well as their technological partners and entities from the tertiary sector.
- 1st semester results from the UMIC-Autodesk Portugal protocol - 09/08/2007
As reported on 05.01.2007, Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC) and Autodesk Portugal signed a protocol on supplying free Autodesk Student Version software licenses for use on personal computers belonging to students, teaching and administrative staff and researchers from the universities and polytechnic institutions covered by the e-U Virtual Campus initiative. The protocol also provides for access to a series of extra features when the various higher education institutions’ domains are authorised on the Autodesk University Portal (Student Community & Design Community).
- Free Autodesk software for Higher Education students, professors and researchers - 05/01/2007
Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC) and Autodesk Portugal signed a protocol on supplying free Autodesk Student Version software licenses for use on personal computers belonging to students, teaching and administrative staff and researchers from the universities and polytechnic institutions covered by the e-U Virtual Campus initiative. This UMIC-sponsored initiative covers almost all higher education institutions in Portugal and involves wireless networks, turning the entire higher education system into a single virtual campus and making a wide range of services, content and applications available.
- National Education Debate - 08/08/2006
Take part in the National Education Debate (text in Portuguese).
The Portuguese Assembly has decided to promote a National Education Debate in conjunction with the Government to mark the twentieth anniversary of the publication of the Education System Basic Law (1986-2006). The National Education Board has been tasked with organising this debate. In addition to meetings in different locations around the country, the debate will also be held via an electronic Internet forum at www.debatereducacao.pt (in Portuguese) until 30th November 2006.
- All state schools in Portugal with broadband Internet access - 29/01/2006
All state schools now have broadband Internet access as of the end of January 2006, following a process in the Alentejo in the Oriola 1st cycle middle school in the Portel municipality, which now has a broadband Internet connection.
- Purchasing computers made easier for families with students - 15/12/2005
As foreseen in the Connecting Portugal Programme, which was approved by the Government in July 2005, the State’s Budget for 2006 fixes income tax breaks for computer, software and terminal equipment purchases of up to half the purchase price up to a maximum of 250 Euros.
Purchases carried out from 1st December 2005 for students or families with students in any type of education are eligible.