Mapua forges IT accord with Sun, Singapore center

SINGAPORE – Mapua Institute of Technology and iPeople Inc. recently signed a memorandum of agreement with Sun Microsystems, Nanyang Technological University (ASP Center) and the University of the Philippines for the establishment of the Java Industry and Java Manpower Development Programs under the Philippines-Singapore Technology Collaboration Program, a private sector-driven initiative to build local industry and manpower capabilities of the participating countries.

The MOU’s signatories were Alfonso Yuchengco III, chairman, Mapua Institute of Technology and iPeople Inc.; Gan Boon-San, Strategic Business Development director, Sun Microsystems, South Asia; Prof. Er Meng Hwa, chairman, Nanyang Technological University’s ASP Center; and Dr. Rafael Rodriguez, vice president, University of the Philippines.

President Arroyo and Lam Chuan Leong, chairman of the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore, witnessed the signing.

The establishment of Java Business Resource Centers (JBRCs) under the Java Industry Development Program will support the local IT industry in adopting Java technology and in encouraging local industries to develop innovative Java-based products, applications and services.

The Java Education Centers (JECs) will be set up under the Java Manpower Development Program to incorporate the teaching of Java into the curricula of academic institutions to train new and existing IT professionals to be competent in Java and related Internet technologies.

Dr. Reynaldo Vea, president of Mapua Institute of Technology, said the partnership with Sun Microsystems "moves Mapua Tech closer to the realization of its vision to become an international center of excellence in integrated engineering and IT education."

"With software technology such as Java in our hands, we can fulfill our mission in a manner that befits a technology school and is in tune with, if not indeed ahead of, the times," he added.