IBM, together with 200 universities around the world, is preparing the next generation of cloud service developers
IBM has announced the launch of the new Academic Initiative for Cloud , an initiative designed to help the next generation of developers learn new skills and inspire them to create innovative solutions using IBM Cloud technology. The new program will create new academic disciplines for studying cloud technologies based on IBM Bluemix services in more than 200 universities in 36 countries of the world, in which more than 20 thousand students study. Higher School of Economics, one of the leading universities in Russia, has also become a participant in the new IBM educational initiative
Moreover, IBM announced a series of industry hackathons involving tens of thousands of new developers and the launch of several programs to enhance the status and role of female programmers - all using the capabilities of Bluemix services. These events are aimed at obtaining advanced practical experience that will serve as an incentive for the exchange of new original ideas and the creation of innovative solutions for the development of cloud services.
Using various Bluemix services , IBM will equip future developers with advanced tools for obtaining knowledge and skills needed in the modern labor market, including in the field of creating enterprise-level cloud applications for ordinary consumers. The Bluemix open and easy-to-use solution catalog includes more than 100 tools and the most famous open source technologies in combination with IBM services (Watson, Internet of Things, Big Data and Analytics, Mobility) and products of other companies.
“By providing access to current and future innovators to the Bluemix platform, we’ll be able to help unlock new talents for working with cloud services,” said Sandy Carter, IBM ecosystem director. - We will provide our knowledge and experience in the field of cloud technologies for educational programs designed for future service developers, whether they are researchers or industry experts. This initiative is a prerequisite for maintaining projected future industry growth rates. ”
The new IBM Academic Initiative for Cloud initiative will introduce students to the latest cloud technologies and solutions just at the time when they acquire the skills and abilities needed to start their own business or turn them into industry leaders. This announcement once again confirms IBM’s commitment and leadership in addressing gaps in the level of theoretical knowledge and required practical skills based on real market needs. A significant step in this direction was the launch of the Big Data Analytics and Cognitive Computing academic programs.
Already this fall, more than 250 educational courses and programs based on IBM training materials, technologies and methodology will be launched at universities around the world with a focus on the use of the Bluemix cloud platform in a variety of disciplines: from computer science and information technology, to analytics and data processing, mobile solutions and management. The program involved 210 educational institutions, including leading world universities: v
• Higher School of Economics (Russian Federation)
• Ben-Gurion University (Israel)
• Carnegie Mellon University (USA)
• Imperial College London (Great Britain)
• International Institute of Information Technology (India)
• National College of Ireland (Ireland)
• National University of Singapore (Singapore)
• Northwestern University (USA)
• University of California, Irvine (USA)
• University of Cambridge (UK)
• University of Southern California (USA)
• University of Stuttgart (Germany)
• The University of Tokyo (Japan)
Use Bluemix in schools will allow teachers to expand their teaching practices beyond theory and delve into practice. Teachers will be able to replenish the curriculum with new practical tasks related to the development of cloud applications, and rely not only on lectures and demonstrations of the cognitive abilities of the Internet of Things, Watson Analytics and other applications, but also provide students with the opportunity to use these technologies.
Teachers will receive 12-month trial access to Bluemix, and students will receive up to 6 months of access as part of their educational programs. The accounts of both teachers and students do not require credit card information.
“Leaders in business and higher education must come together to foster the emergence of a new generation of talents specializing in digital technology,” said Kevin Verbach, a professor and gaming expert at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton Business School. “It is great that IBM has been working so consistently with the best universities and gives students and teachers access to the latest developments in the field of cloud technologies and business. This experience will help prepare students for further professional activities. ”
In addition, IBM is launching a new Student Developer Community to help begin the cloud learning process. Students will be given quick access to educational resources and information on how they can join Bluemix U, a platform where students can share their achievements and project results.
Support from Girls Who Code and ReBoot Accelerator to Diversify the Tech Talent Pipeline Diversity helps drive innovation. Today, only 14% of graduates specializing in information technology are women; the figure fell from 37% in 1984. IBM supports the creation and implementation of innovative cloud technologies, including through the development of programs aimed at helping women in technical professions and helping to increase the number of women in technical fields.
As part of this strategy, IBM is partnering with Girls Who Code to help launch a new generation of female cloud programmers. To this end, the company runs a seven-week summer educational program in New York for girls in high school. In 2016, IBM plans to further expand its collaboration with the organization to promote programs in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Austin in addition to the New York Summer School.
IBM has also announced a new partnership with GSVlabs on the ReBoot Accelerator for Women, a program designed to help women returning to work after a long break to get into business faster, establish relationships with colleagues, and gain confidence. IBM will hold several briefing sessions on the use of Bluemix programming in the cloud to dispel programming myths and make this activity more accessible. IBM will also provide guidance and job search assistance to help women return to work after a break, including with the possibility of building a career at IBM.
Hackathons have become the primary means of access for programmers to the latest cloud solutions. In their framework, participants collaborate with colleagues from all over the world and ultimately get real experience that is applicable for innovation in enterprises. In turn, IBM sponsored 25 AngelHack hackathons in the Eighth World Series. The competition will be attended by 10 thousand developers, designers and entrepreneurs, uniting the most vibrant community of programmers around the world and promoting innovation in products, platforms and brands. These events will talk about the impact of Bluemix and Watson on various industries, including healthcare, travel, the food industry, and emergency response.
IBM is constantly working on creating educational programs for developers to help them transform business and production - these are open-source cloud services, hackathons, and training for developers. More information is available at this link .