Ericsson partners with Asiacell and the International Rescue Committee to bring Connect to Learn to schools

Project harnesses the International Rescue Committee’s humanitarian experience and education expertise to support the professional development of teachers in schools in Domiz Refugee Camp in Iraq. Ericsson is providing the Connect To Learn cloud based solution to enable access to resources and content via mobile broadband .First deployment of Connect to Learn in northern Iraq in support of refugees from Syria

According to UNHCR, there are currently over 245,000 registered Syrian refugees in Iraq, of which approximately 40% of whom are children under18 years of age.

To help reach children affected by the conflict, Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) has partnered with Iraqi telecommunications operator Asiacell and the International Rescue Committee (IRC) to launch a Connect to Learn project in schools in Domiz Refugee Camp, Iraq.

Connect to Learn is a public-private partnership that uses ICT solutions to promote universal access to quality education. The Connect to Learn program has already been deployed in 22 countries, supporting the education of over 70,000 students.

The IRC, a global humanitarian aid and relief organization, works in close collaboration with Ericsson—the lead technology partner—and Asiacell to support the professional development of teachers in schools for refugee children in northern Iraq. This project is funded in part by the United States Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (BPRM) along with in-kind support from Ericsson and Asiacell.

Ericsson’s cloud-based ICT platform, Connect to Learn, is accessed through 3G internet provided by Asiacell, providing teachers access to resources that help them learn how to better meet the complex needs of conflict-affected children and aims to improve children’s learning outcomes. Through this technology, teachers have access to comprehensive teacher training materials that have been developed or curated by the IRC, which are aimed at helping teachers to create safe, quality learning environments. Teachers will also be able to use the technology to connect to each other to share strategies and resources across partner schools.

David Miliband, President and CEO, International Rescue Committee, says: “The powerful combination of the IRC’s operational expertise, Ericsson’s enhanced Connect to Learn platform and Asiacell’s connectivity has great potential to provide teachers in the Middle East with enhanced educational resources that aid their development and thereby the development of their students. ”

Ericsson has provided training on the Connect to Learn platform to the core IRC team, and continues to give technical advice and support relating to project set-up, monitoring and evaluation. In support of the project, Asiacell has improved connectivity in the Domiz camp. The IRC is training teachers in the use of the technology and providing access to curated content.

Zring Faruk, Chief Commercial Officer, Asiacell, says: “Asiacell considers it a pleasure to join hands with Ericsson and the IRC for this exceptional initiative. The partnership reflects our commitment to society by allowing us to provide improved connectivity to refugee camp schools, ensuring that displaced families are given opportunities in education and a brighter future as a result.”

Rafiah Ibrahim, Head of Region Middle East and Africa, Ericsson, says: “As Ericsson shapes the Networked Society, we believe it is our duty to be a responsible and relevant driver of positive change – what we call Technology for Good. This partnership will enable teachers to collaborate and share with each other, and to directly improve the quality of education in refugee camps.” 

In 2015, Ericsson launched the next-generation Connect to Learn platform with an open source- based, Ericsson-managed operating system hosted on the Ericsson cloud. As a result, partners can manage content hubs for their projects, while having access to enhanced monitoring and evaluation capabilities.