Cisco Systems, JNTU ink MoU

Hyderabad, Feb 23 (UNI) Cisco Systems and Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTU) today announced they had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to provide Cisco Networking Academy Programme in non-profit educational institutions across Andhra Pradesh.

Under the agreement, JNTU Colleges of Engineering in Hyderabad, Anantapur and Kakinada will be accredited as Regional Academies.

In turn, they will further identify and accredit 250 non-profit educational institutions as Local Academies under them in a period of two years.The academies will impart networking education to around 25,000 students every year.

''Andhra Pradesh is a pioneer in information technology.Today's MoU with Cisco Systems reinforces the fact and will bring internet networking education to the students and provide them yet another avenue for technical and professional excellence.

It will also assist our state in building a sustainable pool of talent equipped with critical IT and networking skills to meet and address the challenges posed by knowledge based economy,'' JNTU Vice Chancellor K Rajagopal said here today in a press release.

''Cisco has always believed that internet and education will be the two great equalizers of the next century, creating enormous opportunities for people and countries that succeed in harnessing the power of information and knowledge.

''Our collaboration with JNTU will enable taking networking education to the grassroot level/lesser privileged students in the state,'' Cisco Systems Vice President-Enterprise U R Achrarya said.

Cisco will provide free web-based curriculum and online course material of the networking Academy programme besides offering 24x7 technical support to all the non-profit educational institutions which were accredited.

UNI SM GM RA HS2005