- ASIA EDUCATION REVIEW - NOVEMBER 202688MARCOS LAUNCHES NATIONWIDE LAPTOP ROLLOUT FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERSPNU COLLEGE OF MEDICINE SIGNS MOU WITH CELLENKOS ON CELL THERAPIESPresident Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Monday led the ceremonial launch of a nationwide laptop rollout for public school teachers, with the first 209 Apple MacBook Neo units handed over in Dagupan City under the Department of Education's Computerization Program.Of the 231,725 laptops allocated for teachers, 169,008 are MacBook Neo units and 62,717 are Windows-based. Another 3,646 MacBook Neo devices are designated for administrative staff.Each package includes productivity tools, nationwide delivery, training and a five-year extended warranty, with an estimated commercial value above PHP70,000. Competitive bidding saved at least PHP1.4 billion compared with retail prices.Teachers will be trained through GuroXL, a programme leading to Apple Teacher certifications. Schools will submit recipient lists through the new TALA system, and suppliers have until March 2027 to complete deliveries. Priority goes to teachers and schools yet to receive government-issued laptops.Education Secretary Sonny Angara said modern technology would help ease teachers' workloads. ERThe College of Medicine at Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University (PNU) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Houston-based Cellenkos, Inc. to collaborate on clinical trials, cell and gene therapies and biomanufacturing technologies.The agreement was signed at the Riyadh Global Medical Biotechnology Summit, organised with the Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs. Dr. Reem AlHarbi, Dean of the College of Medicine, represented the university, while Cellenkos Chief Operating Officer Tara Sadeghi signed for the company.The collaboration covers curriculum design, training programmes, virtual sessions, seminars and workshops on clinical trials. It also gives students opportunities for training in scientific research. The MoU aims to develop qualified professionals in clinical trials and cell and gene therapies.Cellenkos thanked Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Investment (MISA) for supporting the initiative. The inaugural workshop is planned for the first quarter of 2027. Financial terms were not disclosed. ERZoho founder Sridhar Vembu has warned that AI could threaten traditional salaried jobs, urging India to rethink its education model and prioritize entrepreneurship and self-employmentNEWS
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