Multinational IT company invests over R 1.3M towards teaching in a virtual environment

Date: Apr 12, 2018 | News

The multinational IT company, HCL Axon (Pty) Ltd has partnered with the University of Johannesburg (UJ) on its journey to integrate teaching and learning with the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

HCL invested over R 1.3M to promote a high quality technology enabled environment for students.

The Senior Vice-President of HCL, Mr Subrat Chakravaraty said that although the primary aim of the investment is to provide high-quality teaching and learning, increased research and innovation intensity, and capital investment into facility expansion and maintenance, HCL also appreciates that a portion of the investment will go towards at improving the lives of students via bursaries. He also noted that the strategic advantage to HCL is to strengthen this partnership so that we can create more ready to deploy talent. Mr Chakravaraty was speaking at the hand-over event at the University’s Auckland Park Campus on Wednesday, 11 April 2018.

15 students studying Computer Science received Bursaries to the amount of R780 000. In addition to this, HCL donated 64 computers to the University’s Electrical Engineering Computer Lab at the Doornfontein Campus.

The University’s Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Prof Tshilidzi Marwala noted that it is encouraging to see one of India’s original IT garage start-ups grow into a pioneer of modern computing with many firsts to its credit, collaborating with the University. “This partnership enables UJ infuse into our productive forces technology to do more to usher in a developmental state in the short term and a developed state in our lifetime.”

Prof Marwala concluded: “We salute HCL’s immense generosity to bridge the ICT divide and promote a high quality technology enabled environment. The University regard this as the beginning of a long term partnership.”