Cisco Announces Extensive Support for IT Education in Russia

New Initiatives Will Facilitate the Modernization of Comprehensive Vocational Secondary and Higher Education in Russia and Contribute to Job Retraining Programs for Unemployed and Low-Income Persons

MOSCOW – July 8, 2011 – Cisco has launched several long-term initiatives aimed at the development and modernization of information technology education in Russia. These initiatives aim to widen the access of Russian people to Cisco’s innovative educational programs and to promote best practices in teaching. From now until 2014 the new programs will cover general school education, vocational training and higher education as well as workforce retraining for the unemployed and those who are in economically challenged conditions.

As part of its initiative to help modernize IT education at Russian schools, Cisco intends to arrange professional training for schoolteachers and educational specialists and to deliver, on a free-of-charge basis, a course on IT Essentials from the Cisco® Networking Academy® portfolio to be taught in Russian schools. This course provides deep theoretical knowledge in the basics of IT and uses web-based tools, rich media content, simulators and games to make the learning process more engaging and interactive. After completing the course, participants will take an Internet-based assessment and be awarded an international certificate of course completion from the Networking Academy.

In cooperation with its educational partners, Cisco will also support Russian vocational education institutions, by offering its help to modernize curricula on networking and telecommunication specializations and adjust them in accordance with market demands and international certification requirements. To achieve this goal, Cisco will provide free access to educational materials from the Networking Academy, arrange free training for teachers, and provide state-of-the-art lab equipment for free classroom use.

As far as higher education is concerned, Cisco has prepared educational modules that meet the requirements of the Federal State Educational Standard. These modules can therefore be included in the study programs of bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in IT and telecommunications. These courses correspond to the level of CCNA® and CCNP® certifications and are based on materials and resources provided as part of the Networking Academy program.

Cisco initiatives related to retraining the unemployed and people in economically challenged conditions will allow them to acquire IT-related knowledge and increase their employability and competitiveness in the labor market. Thus, Cisco intends to contribute to addressing social problems and unemployment in Russia.

Key Facts / Highlights:

• These initiatives follow the meeting held on June 15, 2010, between the president of the Russian Federation, Dmitry Medvedev, and Cisco CEO John Chambers. During that meeting, Cisco expressed its intention to invest $1 billion in the sustainable development of innovations and entrepreneurship in the Russian Federation.On the same occasion, Cisco expressed its willingness to increase the number of networking academies in Russia from 125 to 300. As of June 1, there are 217 networking academies actively operating in Russia.

• As part of its extended program to support IT education in Russia, Cisco is planning to increase the number of networking academies up to 650 by 2015, which is twice the figure announced the year before. As a result, the number of Russian students at networking academies will increase to 16,000 students a year (currently there are 6,125 students participating in the Networking Academy program in Russia).

• Designed to encourage students’ interest in technology careers Networking Academy venues are collectively the world’s largest classroom delivering innovative ICT educational courses. Networking academies operate in 165 countries all over the world.

• The shortage of skilled IT specialists in Russia is one of the factors that hinder the country’s modernization and technological development. According to the survey titled “IT personnel 2010: The volume of employment in the economy of Russia in 2009 and demand forecast for 2010–2015,” carried out by the Education Committee of the Association of Computer and IT Companies (APKIT) in Russia, modernization will require many more IT specialists than the current number of graduates of relevant colleges, and the shortage of specialists will become a key factor impeding the evolvement of the country.

Supporting Quotes:

Paul Betsis, general manager, Cisco Russia:

“The competitiveness of any country in today’s economy is getting more dependent on the level of its labor force qualification. In Russia, as in any other country, education is becoming one of the most critical issues. The use of modern information technologies in all spheres of life is a must for a country that wants to move up and become an innovation economy. Relying on our experience in training high-skilled IT professionals, Cisco makes real efforts to support the modernization of the Russian education system and improve the competitiveness of the country by increasing the number of high-skilled people.”

Bill Souders, senior director, Cisco Corporate Affairs:

“Education is justly considered to be the starting point for the development of all industries; therefore, the modernization of Russia’s economy should definitely include innovative changes in its education system. Cisco has substantial competencies in information technologies that are able to speed up this process and integrate best practices in training high-skilled IT specialist in the Russian educational system.” 

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Supporting resources:

• Cisco website

About Cisco

Cisco (NASDAQ:CSCO, news, filings) is the worldwide leader in networking that transforms how people connect, communicate and collaborate. Information about Cisco can be found at http://www.cisco.com. For ongoing news, please go to http://newsroom.cisco.com. Cisco equipment in Russia is supplied through its authorized channel partners by Cisco Systems International BV, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cisco Systems, Inc.

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