UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura announced granting Egypt the 2008 UNESCO King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa Prize for the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in Education.
Dr. Hoda Baraka, first deputy to minister of Communications and Information Technology, won the prize this year for her distinguished efforts in implementing and putting into action a number of national initiatives in the use of ICTs in education. On top of which is the Egyptian Education Initiative (EEI) launched under the auspices of Egypt's First Lady.
The official awards ceremony will be held mid January, 2009 at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris.
The prize aims at rewarding individuals, projects and activities utilizing ICTs for improving education and performance in the field.
The award comes as recognition of the contributions of Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and Dr. Baraka's efforts in the field.
Dr. Baraka was selected based on the recommendation of an international jury which meeting this year was held in Bahrain for the first time. Winners have been chosen among 67 projects presented by researchers, scientists, experts and research centers representing 47 member countries.
Dr. Baraka is also a Professor at Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University. She has over twenty five years of extensive experience as consultant in the field of the utilization of ICTs for community development and the development of public and private sectors. Her consulting achievements include: policy development, infrastructure development, ICT for community and sustainable development, Human Resource Development, Capacity Building and Training. She currently leads a number of developmental national initiatives in diverse fields.
About UNESCO Prize for the Use of ICTs in Education
The UNESCO King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa Prize for the Use of Information and Communication Technologies in Education rewards projects and activities of individuals, institutions, other entities or non-governmental organizations for excellent models, best practice, and creative use of information and communication technologies to enhance learning, teaching and overall educational performance.
About EEI
The Egyptian Education Initiative (EEI), launched under the auspices of Egypt’s first lady, Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak, in May 2006, is a progressive model for reforming Egypt’s education system through a public-private partnership between the government and the World Economic Forum.
