Interview with Martina Roth, Director, Education Group Europe, Middle East, Africa, INTEL Corp. (eLA 2007)

Dr. Martina A. Roth is Director of the Intel Education Group for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA). She is responsible for the development and implementation of all of Intel’s Education Programmes in the region, currently covering nearly fifty countries on three continents.

Dr. Roth joined Intel in 1997 as Programme Manager for “Kids and Creativity" at Intel’s Content Group, managing Intel software developers throughout Europe and providing leading-edge education content to the school and after-school market. Dr. Roth holds an M.A. in Pedagogy and a Ph.D. in Philology from the University of Jena, Germany. Dr. Roth is frequently invited to speak at various international events, such as the World Economic Forum and UN and UNESCO conferences and education forums.

Could you tell us something about Intel’s education programmes for teachers in the region you’re responsible for?

Martina Roth: The Intel Education Initiative is Intel’s sustained commitment to improve teaching and learning through the effective use of technology and to advance math, science, engineering, education, and research. In addition, Intel works with education leaders worldwide to develop, document, and deploy complete online learning solutions that support the development of 21st-century skills.

Intel’s premier Education programme is the Intel Teach Program, which prepares teachers to properly cultivate innovative learners and critical thinkers who can successfully compete in a 21st-century economy. Through this program, more than four million teachers in more than forty countries have been trained in using technology to enhance learning and improve critical thinking skills of students. Intel plans to train an additional ten million by 2011.

On the African continent, more than 135 thousand teachers have been certified so far in South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt, and Morocco, and we have plans with the respective Ministries of Education to certify an additional 1.2 million over the next five years.

How does Intel address students?

Martina Roth: Many young people around the world do not have access to schooling or a curriculum that teaches essential 21st-century skills. For this reason, Intel offers two major Community programmes: the Intel Learn Programme, which provides informal education opportunities for young learners in developing communities around the world to prepare them with the 21st -century skills needed for tomorrow’s success and the Intel Computer Clubhouse Network, an after-school, community-based learning programme that enables youth in underserved areas to access cutting-edge technology and become self-confident, motivated learners.

To expand elementary and secondary students’ knowledge of and enthusiasm for science, mathematics, and engineering, Intel sponsors science competitions like the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF), the world’s largest pre-college science competition, which brings together more than 1,400 young scientists from more than forty countries, regions, and territories to share ideas, showcase cutting-edge science, and compete for more than four million dollars in awards and scholarships. Students from South Africa, Egypt, Morocco, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Nigeria are attending this annual competition.

Intel also provides online science and math educational content to secondary students in the form of “skoool” (www.skoool.co.za), an award-winning online resource for students and teachers of the sciences.

And last but not least, there is the the Intel Higher Education Programme, which focuses on collaboration with universities to develop entrepreneurship, research, and curriculum programmes that help communities thrive in today’s knowledge economy.

Another key activity where education plays a major role is the Intel World Ahead Program. It helps first-time computer users build real-world skills, increase entrepreneurial opportunities, and access healthcare, education, government, and other services. Intel works with governments worldwide in a comprehensive approach that speeds access to highly capable PCs and cultivates the high-speed connectivity, effective teaching and learning, and locally relevant content that improves lives and produces meaningful change.

What do you think is Africa’s the biggest challenge in terms of getting to the next level in education? How can the private sector contribute?

Martina Roth: Knowledge is the source of comparative advantage in today’s global economy. Technology enables the rapid evolution of ideas and industries, and those who benefit most are those who can innovate and adapt most quickly. For these reasons, success at the individual, and ultimately the national level, is linked to the quality of education.

Getting to the next level in education requires a transformation. Students must develop key 21st-century skills such as digital literacy, problem solving, critical thinking, decision making and collaboration. They must also excel in mathematics, science, and engineering—the building blocks of technical innovation.

At Intel Education we strive to work together with educators, governments, and multilaterals around the world to improve teaching and learning. We also collaborate with leading institutions in every community in which we have a presence.

The private sector knows what workforce skills are required to be competitive in the global economy and therefore can play an important role in working with government to improve national education standards.

Why is Intel participating in eLearning Africa?

Martina Roth: Intel welcomes the opportunity to engage with the vast network of education experts from across Africa, to share experiences, and to discuss how we can address the important education challenges together. Africa holds tremendous potential. Intel is enthusiastic about collaborating with African governments and institutions to improve the quality of education across the Continent through the effective use of technology.

How do you find the education arena in Kenya and how might Intel contribute?

Martina Roth: Africa faces many challenges in incorporating information and communication technology (ICT) in its education system, including limited access to technology, connectivity, a lack of teacher computer literacy, and a need for methodologies to effectively integrate technology in the classroom in order to develop 21st -century skills for students.

Of the fourteen key components to Kenya’s National ICT Strategy for Education and Training, professional development for teachers is the area where Intel can provide the most immediate support. Through the Intel Teach Program, teachers are taught to use the ICT in an integrated way that supports the 21st-century skills mentioned above. Drawing upon its catalytic role in the technology ecosystem, Intel can also contribute to Kenya’s efforts to establish affordable technology access, broadband connectivity, and digital content.

What is your vision for the education space in Africa? How do you see it developing?

Martina Roth: Knowledge is the new principal commodity and the ability to successfully cultivate and guide it will bring social and economic well-being to individuals and nations. As the expanding job market requires digital fluency, students need to be comfortable with the use of technology, to think critically, and to collaborate with others to solve complex problems.

In an ideal scenario, students would have their own PC both at school and at home, using the Internet as an information source and communication platform, working collaboratively with their classmates on interdisciplinary projects, and creating new solutions etc. – guided and moderated by their teacher(s), as Intel’s Chairman of the Board Dr. Craig Barrett says: ‘Computers are not magic, teachers are!’

Creating this learning environment is especially relevant for a continent like Africa, which has a large percentage of young people. Technology enables the rapid evolution of ideas and industries, and those who benefit most are those who can innovate and adapt most quickly.

The NEPAD e-schools initiative is a great example of a joint approach to revolutionize Africa. It represents 52 countries with a vision to share the knowledge gained by various initiatives initiated by governments in partnership with the private sector. Intel, being a part of phase 1 of this initiative, would like to see a Continent-wide growth of the education sector using the most modern and relevant technologies to equip all 600,000 schools.

Africa has the opportunity to leapfrog its own development by really focusing on a quality education system that provides equal growth opportunities for all.

Ms. Roth, many thanks for your time indeed.

Published with kind permission from Intel.

Newsportal: eLearning Supported by Development Partners