Members of the Board of Directors of the Regional Centre for Information and Communication Technology (RCICT), inaugurated asserted that RCICT, the first of its kind in the world, is a milestone in terms of the technical disciplines and technological training it provides, pointing out that UNESCO’s choice to establish it in Manama, which re-affirms the prestigious educational position enjoyed by the Kingdom.
Board Members, representing GCC countries and Yemen, explained that RCICT is currently preparing its future regional operational plan, including member states’ needs, areas of cooperation between the centre and those countries, ways of meeting the region’s aspirations regarding information and communication technology (ICT) and activating use of ICT in sectors related to economic, social and cultural development through building partnerships and providing services for public and private sectors.
On the occasion, Director of UNESCO’s Regional Bureau for Science in Arab States Tarek Shawki lauded the importance of RCICT in the region, noting that it will provide quality ICT services to all development-related sectors.
Director-General of the Information Centre at the Kuwaiti Education Ministry and RCICT board member Hana Al-Sharrah said that the centre will provide an opportunity for member states to exchange expertise, coordinate ICT efforts and come up with a common strategic plan to enhance ICT use in the region.
Deputy-Director General of Information Technology at the Omani Education Ministry and RCICT board member Suleiman bin Saif Al-Kindi indicated that the centre will help promote digital culture across the region and develop its use in education, which, he said, will keep abreast of the latest technological developments, upgrade the educational output in the region and meet the requirements of the its labour markets.
Regarding Jamal Ghailan Mohammed Al-Haj, Director-General of ICT Systems at the Yemeni Education Ministry and RCICT board member, the centre will focus on studying the member states’ initiatives and successful experiences in the field of ICT and use them to devise a general ICT policy for the region, adding that RCICT will be the first initiative through which GCC states and Yemen can coordinate their ICT efforts.
Saudi Education Ministry’s Dr. Jarallah bin Saleh Al-Ghamdi, RCICT board member, said that the region is in dire need for such a milestone centre, calling for the need to promote ICT culture among teachers in order to optimize the benefits.
Concerning the Information Systems Analyst at the Arab Bureau of Education for the Gulf States and RCICT board member Engineer Ibrahim Ahmed Al-Qiasi, the centre will provide a venue for teachers to exchange their expertise and enhance their ICT culture.
According to Mishal Al-Bardooli, Head of e-Learning Systems at RCICT, the centre will benefit both the public and private sectors in the kingdom of Bahrain and will consolidate teachers’ professional development and enable GCC countries and Yemen to coordinate their efforts.