The press conference on annual evaluation of Memorandum of
Understanding between Ministry of Education of Slovak Republic,
Cisco Systems and Slovak Saving Bank
“Seven years of Cisco Networking Academy Program in Slovak Republic”
Minister of education Mr. L. Szigetti gave thanks to Cisco Systems for the perfect
cooperation…..
On June 15th, 2006 an important press conference organized by Ministry of Education of the
Slovak Republic in co-operation with Cisco Systems and Slovenska sporitelna (Slovak Saving
Bank) took place in Carlton hotel in Bratislava.
The press conference was organized on the occasion of annual evaluation of Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) between Ministry of Education of the Slovak Republic, Cisco Systems and
Slovenska sporitelna with participation of the VIP representatives of mentioned institutions: Mr.
Laszlo Szigetti, Minister of education of the Slovak Republic, Mrs. Regina Ovesny-Straka, the
Chairman of the Board of Directors and General Manager of Slovenska sporiteľna and Mr. M.
Rebroš, CM Cisco Systems Slovakia (see picture 1). The invitation accepted Mr. Ivan Mikloš,
Minister of finance of Slovak republic too as well as VIP representatives of academy sphere and
other partnership institutions and media.
Picture 1: I. Miklos, L. Szigetti, R.
Ovesny-Straka, M. Rebros and
F. Jakab (AAM).
Within the press conference was
highly
appreciated long-term
extraordinary
three
cooperation
institutions
based
of
on
innovative non-profit partnership
of public and private sector and
on
principles
of
common
advantages that is markedly
supporting the most successful global e-leaning activity was evaluated by all conference
participants, especially by minister of education.
This superlative partnership and acquisition from the NetAcad program for building of knowledge
economics in SR was especially appreciated by I. Mikloš, Minister of finance (Picture 2)
„We see the back up of NetAcad program as a special investment to development of young
generation. Passing this program means important building-up to practice life and invaluable
competition advantage on the job market for students of high schools and universities. We are
very glad that this courageous and ambitious step is successful“, said Mrs. Regina OvesnyStraka, from Slovenská Sporiteľňa.
Acquisition of program NetAcad for academic sphere in SR was appreciated with official thanks
to Cisco Systems and Slovenská sporiteľňa by Minister of education Mr. L. Szigeti
Picture 2.: Discussion – M.
Rebros, I. Miklos, F. Jakab, L.
Szigetti.
A part of the conference was the
award ceremony too: awarding
a special price of Minister of
education
and
Sporiteľňa
to
students
Slovenska
winners
competition
of
Cisco
Olymp 2006 (Picture 3, 4) in
high
school
and
university
students categories.
Program in Slovak Republic is implemented from 1999 and based on positive reflections from
academic sphere was in January 2001 signed Memorandum of Understanding between Ministry
of education and Cisco Systems (MoU), and in the year 2002 it has joined Slovenská sporiteľňa
(the biggest finance institution in Slovakia). Partners has engaged to cooperate in implementation
of program NetAcad to education system in Slovakia with aims to back-up suitable
implementation of program NetAcad to high schools and universities study programmes.
Pictures 2, 3: Award ceremony
The ministry of education is the guarantee of the project from the side of state. Financial
investment of Slovenská sporiteľňa from the year 2002 allows building-up the foundation of net
academies which joined the program. The net consists of 51 academies on the high schools and
universities in Slovakia, where now studies on the different levels over 3600 students. All of the 4
semesters of NetAcad Program graduated in last 7 years over 1000 students.
The NetAcad Program in Slovakia is in general represented as the most successful e-learning
oriented educational program in academic sphere and Slovakia is the of the few countries in
Europe, which can praise itself with so successful and innovative implementation of the program
to academic sphere. Slovakia is one of the most successful countries in field of preparation
networking specialists on the base of this program.
The aim of program in SR is to develop the abilities of the next generation of specialists by
admission of
progressive
educational technologies and
let students have an important
preparation for entering to economical field of 21st century.
Program markedly back-ups to preparation of specialists in area of network technologies, in
which is according to IDC study at the moment free 3000 working positions. Before
implementation of program in SR really didn’t exist similar purposed and systematic preparation
of net specialists. According to known information 100 percent graduates of this program has
found immediately working position in studied field.
The purpose of the program is to contribute to developing the skills of future generation of experts
by opening the progressive educational technologies and by enabling the students to prepare for
entering the economy of 21st century.
One of the most important achievement is inflow of investments in field of IT to Slovakia in last
few years, as call centers or software development centers of global IT companies.
Frantisek Jakab
AAM Cisco Systems Slovakia