e-Learning Jamaica Donates 200 Laptops to UTech

e-Learning Jamaica Company Limited has provided the University of Technology, Jamaica (UTech) with 200 laptop computers, valued $11 million, for the institution’s academic and administrative staff.

The devices were presented during a handover ceremony at the University’s main campus in Papine, St. Andrew, on Tuesday (February 4).

Minister of Education, Youth, Skills and Information, Senator Dr. the Hon. Dana Morris Dixon, in her address, emphasised that increased access to technological devices is critical to fulfilling the quest for Jamaica’s transition to a STEM Island.

“It is a shift in the focus that e-Learning usually has, and I think it’s a good shift. I think we have to balance out where we put the resources across the education system,” Dr. Morris Dixon said.
Traditionally, e-Learning has equipped early-childhood, primary and secondary schools with various technological devices.

Senator Morris Dixon encouraged UTech’s staff to use the devices to enhance their craft and deliver their lessons in a different way.

She further emphasised that technological advancement must be seen as a pivotal driver for economic growth – enabling more efficient production processes, fostering innovation and creating new market opportunities.

“We’ve seen the benefits of technology around the world, and we need to harness it here,” Minister Morris Dixon said.

In his remarks, UTech President, Dr. Kevin Brown, expressed gratitude to e-Learning Jamaica for the “significant donation”.

He said the University is aiming to equip all academic and administrative staff with laptops, to reduce the number of desktop computers.

“This is not just to enhance our instructional capability; we also want to enhance the work we do in research and student engagement. It’s also for business continuity so that when the next disaster strikes, whether that’s COVID or a hurricane or earthquake, this University can still be operationally effective,” Dr. Brown said.

For his part, Chief Executive Officer for eLearning Jamaica, Andrew Lee, expressed the hope that the devices will strengthen academic delivery at the University.

“This contribution underscores e-Learning’s ongoing mission to empower educational institutions, including tertiary institutions, with the tools necessary to foster innovation and excellence in teaching and learning,” he said.