Microsoft ‘Intelligent Cloud Hub’ to Build AI-Ready Workforce in India
Microsoft announced “Intelligent Cloud Hub” – a collaborative programme in India to empower institutes to skill students in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Cloud technologies.
The IT giant in its latest release also said that the dedicated AI infrastructure and Internet of Things (IoT) hub programme will equip selected research and higher education institutions with AI infrastructure, build curriculum and faculty capability to skill students in AI and cloud technologies,
India is the first country to have such a programme under which Microsoft will support selected institutions with best-in-class infrastructure, onsite training for faculty and students, curriculum and content, access for participating students to cloud and AI services, developmental tools and developer support
Microsoft will also offer a wide range of AI developmental tools and Azure AI Services such as Microsoft Cognitive Services, Azure Machine Learning, and Bot Services.
Training will include development workshops to help both the faculty and students build their skills and expertise in cloud computing, data sciences, AI and IoT. Microsoft would also assist faculty in strategizing content and curricula for project-based and experiential learning.
Manish Prakash, Country General Manager-PS, Health and Education, Microsoft India, said, “AI, the defining technology of our time, is fast transforming our lives, industries, and society. Jobs of tomorrow will require a very different set of skills, and collaborating, training and working with AI will be as important as collaborating with people. It is now more critical than ever for education institutions to integrate new cloud and AI technologies.
He further elucidated, “We need to ramp up the institutional set-up and build capability among educators to equip the workforce of tomorrow. The Microsoft Intelligent Cloud Hub Program aims to catalyze this with technology insights, cognitive skills, and a practical, in-depth understanding of developing intelligent connected solutions for application across industry and citizenship scenarios.”
“Our vision is to make participating universities and institutions Intelligent Cloud Hubs in their own right at the end of the first three years,” he added. As part of the collaboration, Microsoft will also help participating institutions in branding and to garner recognition through a national showcase of selected projects.