As part of its mission to empower students and educators around the globe through technology, Microsoft is participating in the 2018 MENA Innovation Summit, taking place in Cairo, Egypt, from July 29 – 31.

The Forum will bring together ministers, senior government officials, the business, university representatives and civil society stakeholders from across the Middle East & Africa region (MEA). The event offers a platform to engage with industry leaders and solution providers devoted to developing digital skills and ICT innovation in education.

Microsoft will hold high-level meetings to discuss the challenges facing the higher education sector in the age of digital transformation, to emphasise its vision and mission in bridging the gender gap in education across the MEA region.

"By bringing technology into classrooms, we believe that both educators and students are empowered to enhance their learning experience, which is critical in a world where AI and machine learning require that more people are equipped with digital skills" says Khaled Abd El Kader , General Manager Microsoft Egypt " Our younger generation are curious, hands-on learners with endless creativity, and we can only imagine what they will contribute to society if given the right skills and technology. It is imperative that learners are provided with the tools they need to not only take their learning to the next level, but to prepare for the digital world that awaits them when they reach adulthood "

"Microsoft is proud of being a strategic partner to both Ministry of Education and Ministry of Higher Education in the major transformational journey that the Government is leading to enhance the quality of Education in Egypt" says Noha Labib , Education Lead Microsoft Egypt "we believe all young people should have access to computer science and coding education, so they can develop critical computational-thinking, problem-solving and employability skills. This is why we are empowering students, educators and school leaders in MEA to redefine learning and digitally transform classrooms, with the help of our products, services and programmes to build the literacy and problem-solving skills needed to succeed today and tomorrow" adds Noha.

Microsoft will participate in panel titled Innovation in Higher Education & Investing in Smart Universities, attended by high level stakeholders from Middle East & Africa Region, chaired by Dr. Ashraf Abdel Wahab Microsoft's Chief Technology Officer.

Dr. Wahab says the implementation of smart technology solutions is the key to unlocking transformation in the higher education sector in MEA. "Higher education leaders face challenges with funding, global competition, keeping up with a connected world, getting around legacy systems and supporting a diverse set of students who are mobile. At Microsoft, we believe technology can be used as a tool, not only to tackle these challenges, but also to empower students and teachers to create the world of tomorrow," he says.

Microsoft believes the MENA Innovation Summit is the ideal platform to partner with to drive this message forward. The organisers, Brains Innovation Summits, have establishd a collaboration between industry and government decision-makers across the Middle East and Africa.