By : Mohamed Elttar – Ibrahim Ahmed
Microsoft Egypt has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with The American University in Cairo (AUC), with the aim of empowering students to have the necessary tools and experience to strengthen their digital skills and meet the changing needs of tomorrow’s labor market.
Microsoft Egypt Country Manager, Mirna Arif, and Dr. Ahmad Dallal, President of The American University in Cairo (AUC), at AUC New Cairo campus. .
On this occasion, Mirna Arifstated that she was excited to ink the deal with the University, to ensure that students have the necessary skills to fuel their future opportunities and success in an increasingly digital economy. “The need for digital skills has never been more important than it is today,” said Arif. “With the economy becoming increasingly digital, it is clear that those who have the necessary skills will thrive and have lucrative opportunities in this new type of economy. Education institutions must therefore play a key role in leading students and preparing them for the future of work in an ever-changing world.”
It is estimated that by 2025, there will be 149 million new technology jobs in areas like privacy and trust, cybersecurity, data analysis, machine learning and AI, cloud and data roles, and software development, according to Microsoft Data Science.
Some of these jobs are already taking place in Egypt’s startup scene. In fact, figures indicate that at least 562 tech startups were in operation across Egypt as of September 2021, making it the fourth largest startup ecosystem on the continent, behind only South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya. These startups employ almost 13,000 people between them, with e-commerce being the most popular, followed by fintech, according to research by Disrupt Africa.
With more niche startups emerging in specialized sectors such as e-health, ed-tech, logistics, recruitment and AI, jobs will increasingly evolve to accommodate the new roles created by this innovation shift. Acquiring digital skills therefore becomes crucial for ensuring that today’s youths can compete in tomorrow’s job market.
To upskill students, Microsoft will work with the University to develop a comprehensive digital transformation strategy, including: providing digital learning resources for both students and instructors; supporting nontechnical students by offering AI related courses; creating Student Ambassador programs to enable students to make a difference in the world and empower others in the process; and finally, developing global technology programs to give students the opportunity to tackle some of the world’s biggest social, environmental, and health problems by building purpose-driven applications with Microsoft.
“This is a significant endeavor between our two entities to create a framework that would support AUC’s digital transformation strategy and pave the way for more opportunities for innovation” said Dr. Ahmad Dallal, AUC President. “The American University in Cairo has long been a keen leader and advocate for digitization as a driver to enhance and support teaching, research, operations and all aspects of University life.”
Dallal also emphasized that AUC’s vision is to strengthen partnerships with technology leaders such as Microsoft. “The role of this MoU is to cement this partnership and leverage what it brings to both parties and our educational mission.”
Microsoft will continue to collaborate with more learning institutions, private corporations and government agencies to accelerate digital transformation and innovation in Egypt, and empower organizations to harness the power of technology. This initiative is in line with Egypt’s Vision 2030 of preparing for a knowledge and innovation-based economy that is already taking shape today.
