The UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education (UNESCO IITE) published the Insight Report on ICT in Higher Education and TVET in the Middle East and Pakistan “Talent Ecosystem for Digital Transformation”. The Insight Report was developed with the support of Huawei Technologies and substantive inputs provided by national experts.
The new publication critically reviews the status of ICT-related higher education and technical and vocational training in ten countries — Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates — and lays the foundation for the future ICT talent development programmes. Some of the countries consider ICT as a promising way to diversify their economies, while the others attempt to use it as a means for economic recovery.
Modernising education systems and upgrading ICT infrastructure has become one of the national priorities across all surveyed countries, as the availability of proper infrastructure and qualified human capital are pivotal for achieving Sustainable Development Goals, in particular such outcome targets as – equal access to technical, vocational and university education (SDG 4.3); relevant skills for decent work (SDG 4.4); gender equality and inclusion (SDG 4.5).
The Report outlines national policies and strategies for higher education and TVET, especially those focused on the use of ICT in education. The Report summarizes considerable achievements in ICT talent development and key challenges and highlights the importance of developing ICT talents and creating relevant ecosystems to enhance ICT skills of youth and adults and to expand their access to career opportunities in the digital world. The Report is concluded by case studies on innovative initiatives and collaboration projects, including those aimed to cope with education disruption due to COVID-19 pandemic, and recommendations on cultivating talents for national digital economies.
The publication “Talent Ecosystem for Digital Transformation: Insight Report on ICT in Higher Education and TVET in the Middle East and Pakistan” is available in English at UNESCO IITE website.