Inauguration of Distance Learning Center at the National Telecommunication Institute.

Dr. Tarek Kamel, Minister of Communications and Information Technology inaugurated a new distance learning center at the National Telecommunication Institute (NTI) in attendance of Mr. Seung-hoh CHOI, Ambassador of South Korea to Cairo, Dr. Ahmed El-Sherbini, NTI Director, and Mr. Chun Yung, Regional Director of the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).

The distance learning center is established to generate a regional role for the NTI, enabling it to reach Egyptian, Arab and African engineers regardless of their location or the time they have available for pursuing an education.

Dr. El-Sherbini stated that the center was established with a grant from South Korea as part of ongoing bilateral cooperation activities between the two states. KOICA established and equipped two labs with state-of-the-art equipment and provided the NTI with the software necessary for distance-learning activities; in addition, South Korea hosted and trained a delegation of Egyptian engineers to enable them to use this software effectively to operate the distance learning center.

Dr. El-Sherbini added that the center will also provide training opportunities on curricula development in the field of communications as well as cooperation with international corporations in the field of communication and information technology, allowing them to offer their training programs through the center.

NTI’s distance learning program is set to begin operation at the end of September 2006, offering specializations that are needed in Egypt and the Middle East, such as networks, network security, the Internet, electronic circuit design, fiber-optics and wireless networks.