IBM has signed an agreement with the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań regarding cooperation within the “Academic Initiative” program. The goal of the campaign organized by IBM is to spread knowledge about zSeries technology. 150 universities worldwide are already participating in the program.
Thanks to providing the University with additional server resources and the involvement of experienced lecturers from IBM, it was possible to train UAM students and academic staff in the field of mainframes. The 120-hour course program was consistent with the IBM educational curriculum, and upon completion of the training, participants received appropriate certificates. By organizing elective courses on mainframes, the Adam Mickiewicz University wants to provide students with a better start in the job market.
– Cooperation with IBM brings measurable benefits to our university. Thanks to the IBM Academic Initiative, our students and academic staff have access to the latest global IT solutions. Thus, we can increase our competitiveness compared to other academic centers and provide students with the highest level of education – said Prof. Bogusław Mróz, Vice-Rector of the Adam Mickiewicz University.
The zSeries program, which is part of the IBM Academic Initiative, offers universities direct access to zSeries mainframe servers, as well as course curricula, expert lectures, and training. The goal of the program is to help students develop practical skills in operating mainframes, which will enable them to find a good job faster after graduation. Furthermore, this initiative is intended to help enterprises replace retiring experts in the field of mainframe servers. IBM has partnered with universities to train a target of 20,000 IT specialists in zSeries by 2010. To achieve this goal, IBM plans to double the number of universities involved in the Academic Initiative by the end of 2005.