Both new agreements will build on the achievements of the British Council and Microsoft's existing partnership, 'Badiliko', a $2 million joint project that has built digital hubs in six countries across sub-Saharan Africa (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Ghana, and Nigeria), providing professional development through a cascade model to up to 20,000 teachers. The expanded partnership will reach more people, have a larger impact, and create greater opportunities and trust around the world.


Under the first new agreement, the British Council and five other global NGOs will work with Microsoft to develop and deliver professional development for teachers and school leaders in emerging markets as part of Microsoft's "Shape the Future" strategy. Microsoft will invest up to $75 million in this professional-development initiative over the next three years to ensure that computer technology is effectively integrated into school syllabuses and teacher training. The British Council will apply its world-renowned experience in teaching and learning to guarantee that transitional economies are able to make the best use of the new software within their education systems.


Dr Jo Beall, British Council Director of Education and Society said, "We hope these new partnerships will enable a step-change for education around the world. Through working together, we can harness our long-developed expertise in helping young people find new educational opportunities and bring that experience to many, many more people."


The second new agreement involves collaboration among the British Council, Microsoft, Intel, and World Vision on a programme to introduce digital technology to schools in Africa - "Spark a Child's Digital Future". This project will begin with a pilot in ten primary schools in Kenya, with plans to scale up to other African countries. The British Council will have an equal stake in the governance of the partnership and will lead on teacher training and government relations, leveraging its deep experience of working in these areas in sub-Saharan Africa. World Vision, the world's largest NGO, will lead fundraising for the project and will share on-the-ground expertise in running the education programme. Microsoft and Intel will offer digital expertise, software, and training.


"Nearly one billion young people today face an opportunity divide - a gap between those who have the access, skills, and opportunities to be successful and those who do not," said Anthony Salcito, Vice President of Worldwide Education for Microsoft. "We firmly believe in the power of technology to help close this gap, but we can only achieve our ambitions with the help of these kinds of partnerships. Together, we can help bring digital access to youth and support to educators in developing countries worldwide."


"We recognise that once a child's basic needs are met, digital-skills development can be vital in securing economic growth," said Rich Stearns, President, World Vision US. "This programme is essential in helping children in developing countries succeed in a global world."


"We are pleased to deepen our collaboration with the British Council, Microsoft, and World Vision," said Brian Gonzalez, Director of K-12 Education, Intel Corporation. "We look forward to transforming the educational experience for students in Africa through the Spark a Child's Digital Future program."


The Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) were signed at Microsoft's Partners in Learning Global Forum 2012 in Prague, Czech Republic.