Blackboard announced it will sponsor two technology education scholarships over two years to celebrate its twenty-year partnership with the University of Pretoria. The funds will be awarded to two postgraduate students for the B.Ed Honours degree in Computer Integrated Education, housed in UP’s Department of Science, Mathematics and Technology Education in the Faculty of Education.

“The use of technology in the classroom is still a challenge for many rural and under-resourced schools in South Africa and around the world, and teachers are critical drivers of change,” said Prof Salomé Human-Vogel, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Education. “The Faculty of Education encourages qualified teachers to enroll for postgraduate studies to develop and enhance their expertise in the use of technology in education.”

“The purpose of the scholarships is to encourage students to use technology in their teaching and in the classroom,” said Dolf Jordaan, Deputy Director of E-education and Media Development at the University of Pretoria. “The opportunity will be offered to two students who meet the minimum criteria for admission into the programme, have academic merit, are teachers in a South African school, and are willing to act as ambassadors for the programme in social media and other forums.”

“At Blackboard, we are excited to help two promising students fulfill their educational goals,” said Lee Blakemore, President of Global Client Operations & Success at Blackboard. “The University of Pretoria was the first institution in the region to implement our solutions 20 years ago. The initiative of sponsoring the scholarships stems from this long and successful partnership and is an example of our shared commitment to supporting and creating opportunities for future education leaders.”

In the selection and awarding of the scholarships, the Faculty of Education will take into account socio-economic status of the candidate, ethnic diversity and gender representation.

Blackboard is a global leader in education technology and is represented in South Africa by Eiffel Corp.