OREANDA-NEWS. October 22, 2015. Project for the Development of Centre of Excellence in the area of Information Communications and Technologies "Tekwill" was launched. The project has a total value of USD 7 million and is implemented with the financial support of the USA Program for International Development (USAID), the Swedish Government AIDS Program and private ICT companies.

The Deputy Minister of ICT Vitalie Tarlev welcomed the launch of the project mentioning that “the Ministry of Information Technology and Communications is concerned about the creation of a favorable policy framework for the ICT sector. There have been developed and are currently implemented the National Strategy Digital Moldova 2020, the Strategy to enhance the competitiveness of the IT industry, the draft Law on IT parks is to be passed in the Parliament in the second reading. A basic priority highlighted in these documents is the development of human capital, and the Centre of Excellence is a concrete step in this regard”, Vitalie Tarlev said.

Launched by the public-private partnership, the Center of Excellence in ICT aims to boost the economic growth of the Republic of Moldova by providing sufficient flow of highly qualified specialists for the ICT industry and ensuring favorable ecosystem for the development of entrepreneurship and innovation potential.

 “Partnership is the key word of today’s event. The launch of the project would not have been possible without the support of the Government, external donors, representatives of the private sector and academic environment. The number of students at the ICT Faculties is increasing and this Center will enable them to strengthen their potential” the US Ambassador to the Republic of Moldova James D. Pettit said.

Today, in the ICT segment there is a shortage of specialists and the “Centre of Excellence shall help close the gap between the supply and demand on this market. Sweden has a highly developed ICT sector and we want to share our experience with the Republic of Moldova”, the Ambassador of Sweden in our country Signe Burgstaller claimed.

The ICT Centre of Excellence will be created within the Technical University of Moldova and will constitute an inter-university educational platform. “All educational institutions involved in the training of ICT specialists will have access to study, development and research opportunities. We will prepare highly qualified specialists, who will contribute to the economic recovery of the country” the rector of TUM Ion Bostan affirmed.

The Centre of Excellence “Tekwill” will provide students with a technologically advanced learning environment, laboratories and rooms equipped with the latest generation equipment, efficient educational and practical programs, cutting-edge technologies. About 1000 young people will be trained annually at the Centre.

We remind that on September 25, 2014, the Ministry of Information Technology and Communications, Ministry of Education, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and Microsoft and IBM companies have signed a Memorandum on the creation of the Excellence Centre in ICT.