Advancing computing education globally

On June 17, 2019, Oracle Academy joined with other key tech industry partners to formally kick off the Malaysian government’s ‘MY Digital Tech Talent’ initiative. The initiative was jointly established by the Ministry of Education and MDEC, the government agency under the Ministry of Communications and Multimedia Malaysia, entrusted to lead the nation's digital economy forward. The event recognized 11 universities and five polytechnic institutions that have been awarded Premier Digital Tech University status for 2019 - 2021. ‘MY Digital Tech Talent’ was established to connect industry with educational institutions. Under the initiative, participating industry partners provide the selected institutions with a range of services, including curriculum assets and training for teachers on a range of technology subjects that they then can incorporate into their respective courses and programs. This will help their students acquire key knowledge and relevant skills to be ready for industry jobs upon graduation. As part of the initiative, Oracle Academy is delivering Train the Trainer events for educators in Java Programming and Database Design and Programming with SQL, plus self-learning study on Big Data and Machine Learning with Artificial Intelligence in Java. Each educator who completes the training will then be able to teach Oracle Academy course curriculum to students at their institutions. “MDEC is a strong proponent of public-private partnerships, and this premier digital tech initiative is a great example of how such alliances can powerfully impact the growth of Malaysia’s digital economy,” said Surina Shukri, Chief Executive Officer of MDEC. The launch event was held on June 17 at the Auditorium Malaysian Global Innovation & Creativity Centre (MaGIC), Cyberjaya, Selangor, Malaysia. Oracle Academy was represented by Oracle Malaysia Managing Director Mohamed Fitri Abdullah, who was invited to join the stage with Dr. Maszlee Malik, Minister of Education, to formally acknowledge our participation in the initiative. Other tech industry partners include Microsoft, Cisco, AWS, Intel, JobStreet, SaS and Runcloud. Not yet a member of Oracle Academy? To learn more about Oracle Academy’s free computing education curriculum and resources, explore joining Oracle Academy as an Institutional member.

On June 17, 2019, Oracle Academy joined with other key tech industry partners to formally kick off the Malaysian government’s ‘MY Digital Tech Talent’ initiative. The initiative was...

Students from the North Metropolitan Technical & Further Education (TAFE) college in Perth, Western Australia, were treated to an afternoon with two Oracle guest presenters who shared insights into key technologies that students are covering in their various information technology courses at North Metropolitan TAFE. Mike Drok, Cloud Platform Architect, and Peter Winn, Cloud Platform Strategist, both from the Oracle team in Perth, volunteered their time to share their knowledge and experience with the students and lecturers. The Oracle guest speakers covered a range of current technology topics, including machine learning, cloud architecture and blockchain. Following the industry talk, the consultants gave valuable feedback for lecturers to help shape the direction of their courses.  “In keeping with North Metro TAFE's objective of trying to make students "job-ready", the consultants provided a very informative session, giving examples of how new technology is being applied to business. Students particularly liked the case study demonstration of insights derived from HR data using the Oracle Analytics Cloud tool,” said Ivone Bennett, Programming Lecturer at North Metro TAFE Northbridge Campus. “They also discussed transitions in their own careers, and the types of roles available in IT. Thank you to Oracle Academy for supporting this kind of initiative.” North Metropolitan TAFE offers campus locations in the heart of Perth’s cultural district, where students learn through practical training from industry experts, in state-of-the-art facilities. The college has strong partnerships with industry that ensure courses remain current to provide their students with job-ready skills. Not yet a member of Oracle Academy? To learn more about Oracle Academy’s free computing education curriculum and resources, explore joining Oracle Academy as an Institutional member.

Students from the North Metropolitan Technical & Further Education (TAFE) college in Perth, Western Australia, were treated to an afternoon with two Oracle guest presenters who shared insights into...

April was a busy time for Oracle Iasi, in particular for one department where Gabriel Amarandei is the Manager, Customer Support, Database Administration. Why? Our Oracle colleagues took the time to share their experience and expertise by presenting to 250 students at two different events sponsored by Oracle Academy, discussing with them the importance of what they can learn from the Oracle Academy program and how this can help them for future IT careers. The two events, Zilele Studentului Electronist, Iasi, and IT Marathon, both took place in early April 2019. The events were organized by the student association from the Technical University Gheorghe Asachi, Iasi. Oracle experts Amarandei, Daniel Hurmuz, and Gabriel Ungureanu generously delivered presentations about Oracle as a company and the varied career opportunities in Romania for experts in Oracle Database architecture, performance and optimization. On April 16, Oracle Iasi hosted 30 high school students from Colegiul National Iasi at the request of their teacher, Gabriela Conea, an Oracle Academy member. We were delighted to have newly hired Oracle engineer Ciprian Ghimici speak to the students about why he choose a job at Oracle. Our Oracle Volunteers shared with students their passion for performance, intense study, and technology. “I want to thank you on behalf of my students and myself for the openness and friendship with which you hosted us for almost two hours yesterday. I know how important every minute is for you and that's why we appreciate so much time you have allotted to us so generously,” said Gabriela Conea. “Most of the students entered for the first time an IT company and were very impressed by the friendly atmosphere that you created, but especially about the messages regarding the performance, the intense study, the possibility of professional and personal growth in our country. All of us understood that growing yourselves enables growing others.” Following these events, the Vice Dean for Academic Affairs of the Faculty of Automatic Control and Computer Engineering Technical University, Gheorghe Asachi, Iasi, invited our colleagues to present to the students at their Sesiunea de Comunicari Stiintifice Studentesti (SCSS) 2019 on May 17, 2019. Additionally, the team presented at the Universitatea A.I. Cuza, Iasi, where they completed the official course by mentoring at a workshop for the students covering Oracle index usage and optimization. We give heartfelt thanks to our Oracle Volunteers who took considerable time to share their expertise with these students to continue to grow the future of technology in Romania. The students had the opportunity to learn from the best as they continue on their paths of becoming the tech innovators and leaders of tomorrow.    

April was a busy time for Oracle Iasi, in particular for one department where Gabriel Amarandei is the Manager, Customer Support, Database Administration. Why? Our Oracle colleagues took the time to...

Founded in 1993 as a non-profit private university in Istanbul, Koc University is one of the leading universities in Turkey today, distinguished by notable contributions to education, knowledge, and service both domestically and beyond. Recently, Oracle Academy supported passionate volunteer students of the IEEE Koc University Student Branch to initiate a social project for disadvantaged students (aged 12-14) from Anafartalar Secondary School in Istanbul. The project aimed to support younger students in learning basic concepts behind coding and empower them with tech skills so they can be more than just consumers of technology. IEEE Koc University students delivered 80 minutes of Java Coding workshops to 40 young students as a club activity using Oracle Academy’s Workshop in a Box resources. They used Alice, an innovative block-based programming environment. The sessions continued for 10 weeks, from February through May 2019. During the sessions, university students mentored younger students to create animations, build interactive narratives, and program simple games in 3D using Alice. The university students volunteered their time to organize a campus visit to Koc University on May 16 for young students who completed these workshops, to inspire them to pursue a career in a STEM field. We are proud that these students have taken the initiative on their own to teach their younger colleagues using Oracle Academy resources. We were delighted to support the IEEE Koc University Student Branch, whose mission is to strengthen the research, creation, development, sharing and application processes of engineering in electricity, electronics, information technologies and sciences for the benefit of humanity and related professions. If you are interested in conducting a similar workshop, please check out our five Workshops in a Box. They’re fun for students and easy to conduct!  

Founded in 1993 as a non-profit private university in Istanbul, Koc University is one of the leading universities in Turkey today, distinguished by notable contributions to education, knowledge,...

To help educators teach industry-relevant STEM skills, on May 7, Oracle Academy partnered with the NGO Initiative for Information Technology Capacity Building (I4ITCB) and the Nigeria Computer Society to hold a one-day program for 72 educators from 18 tertiary institutions. The I4ITCB works to improve pedagogy among science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) educators in the Southeastern part of Nigeria.  Oracle Academy had an opportunity to let the teachers know about the free Oracle Academy program benefits available to them, including classroom teaching resources, Java and database curriculum, and software licenses for teaching and research use―all at no cost. The educators were engaged in a curriculum mapping exercise to identify the gaps in their academic curriculum where Oracle Academy courses could be used as a bridge. This valuable exercise also identified new topics that should be introduced into the national curriculum using Oracle Academy resources. Oracle Academy is pleased to be a part of this first stage of this laudable project to embed industry-led curriculum into the teaching of computer science to ensure students gain valuable technology skills that help them become career ready. Learn more: https://techeconomy.ng/2019/05/13/i4itcb-oracle-academy-and-ncs-host-seminar-for-stem-lecturers-in-south-east-nigeria/ In early April, Oracle Academy hosted an Oracle Academy Day in Oyo State to highlight curriculum and help improve the teaching of STEM subjects, including computer science. Oracle Academy in partnership with Lead City University created an insightful session for educators, “Exploring Oracle Academy's Free Learning and Teaching Resources on Computer Science and Industry-Relevant Technologies.” The audience comprised 51 faculty members from the all the institutions of higher learning and select secondary schools in Oyo State, 12 institutions in all. The session provided an opportunity for participants to hear from the Oracle Academy program manager for Africa, Sefunmi Fadahunsi, about the free benefits, curriculum and resources the Oracle Academy program offers to institutions and educators. The discussions gave participants an understanding of how Oracle Academy continues to develop programs to meet the evolving needs of students and faculty. Discussions centered on how Oracle Academy can work with members to map out their curriculum to facilitate the delivery of learning and Oracle Academy curriculum content in the academic sector. Technical experts from Oracle also delivered sessions to the teachers on current industry trends, and how to touch on these in the classroom. The day ended with a buzzing energy in the room as the educators were excited about the teaching possibilities, and some schools immediately joined and registered as Institutional members of Oracle Academy. Not yet an Institutional member of Oracle Academy? Learn more and join.

To help educators teach industry-relevant STEM skills, on May 7, Oracle Academy partnered with the NGO Initiative for Information Technology Capacity Building (I4ITCB) and the Nigeria Computer Society...

To provide students with information on career paths using computing as well as the latest technology, on April 5 and 25, 2019, in Lagos, Nigeria, Oracle Academy hosted Knowledge Builder sessions with STEM university students. Oracle employees generously volunteered their time and expertise to provide the students with quality discussions on technology career paths and industry relevant skills, and practical sessions on artificial intelligence, data analytics, machine learning, and learning and Data Visualization Cloud Services. At the April 5 session, Oracle Technology Consultants Bukola Ogunleye and Martins Elugbaju held a session with more than 30 students and 10 educators on artificial intelligence, data analytics, and machine learning, using Oracle Academy’s curriculum on Artificial Intelligence with Machine Learning in Java. On April 25, computer science students of Oracle Academy Institutional member Bowen University visited the Oracle Lagos Office. It was a great opportunity to expose students to the Oracle Academy program student offerings, presented by Sefunmi Fadahunsi, Oracle Academy Program Manager. Tunde Senowo of the Oracle Technology team presented a demonstration on Data Visualization Cloud Services, using the 2019 Nigerian presidential election results as a case study, to 40 students and their teacher. The Oracle Nigeria Country Manager, Adebayo Sanni, also dropped by to offer advice to the students. He emphasized that technology is the future and the students should embrace computer science education fully. The visit featured discussions around innovation, collaboration, and the gateway into new Oracle technologies. On May 11-13, as part of its commitment to supporting computer science education, Oracle Academy sponsored the participated in the Annual International Education EXPO: Back to School Ethiopia, hosted in Addis Ababa. Oracle Academy staff presented its free program benefits to participants and engaged with many participating schools. At the conference, a student hackathon promoted the practical use of technology and encouraged development of the innovative and technical skills of participating students. Around 50 students from 10 universities in Ethiopia took part in the hackathon, which challenged participants to use Java programming to build web and mobile applications. (pictured below) Following the event, faculty members had the opportunity to join Oracle Academy as members so they would be able to access free curriculum and other Oracle Academy no-cost learning resources and tools.      

To provide students with information on career paths using computing as well as the latest technology, on April 5 and 25, 2019, in Lagos, Nigeria, Oracle Academy hosted Knowledge Builder sessions with...

Oracle Academy recently facilitated a student-focused event at FAST (Foundation for Advanced Science & Technology) National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences (NUCES), Karachi campus, in Pakistan. Students and faculty from the computer science and management sciences departments attended the event. NUCES is a premiere university of Pakistan, renowned for its quality and impact of its students on local industries, including software development. Experts from Oracle Pakistan presented to the students, including Shariq Rehman, Managing Director of Oracle Pakistan, who is an alumnus of FAST-NUCES. Shariq commenced his session by discussing the rapid pace at which the world is evolving and explaining how Oracle is successfully adapting to all of these innovations. He discussed some important emerging technologies, namely: Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IOT), and Blockchain. He also highlighted how Oracle supports learning initiatives by providing free access to educational materials and Oracle technologies through the Oracle Academy program. The later part of the session was devoted to career counseling. Shariq imparted useful career advice, sharing his experiences and observations from the time he was a student to his current career. The event received an overwhelming positive response from the students. “Mr. Rehman’s session was very informational and interesting for the students. They were especially interested in the introduction of how Oracle platforms support cutting-edge technologies, and the case studies, and they were excited by the fact that some of those platforms were accessible to them through Oracle Academy membership,” said Dr. M. Rafi, Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science. “Mr. Rehman’s status as an alumnus of FAST allowed him to create a good rapport with the students. His career counseling advice and tips on how they can prepare themselves were very popular. We are hopeful such sessions will continue in a regular manner and allow students and faculty alike to keep up with the cutting-edge tools made available by Oracle.” Not yet a member of Oracle Academy? To learn more about Oracle Academy’s free computing education curriculum and resources, explore joining Oracle Academy as an Institutional member.  

Oracle Academy recently facilitated a student-focused event at FAST (Foundation for Advanced Science & Technology) National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences (NUCES), Karachi campus, in...

Last month in Taipei, more than 200 women working in tech and women-led startups joined together for the inaugural TECH(K)NOW Day in Asia. TECH(K)NOW Day was initiated in London in early 2017 and now occurs twice a year to provide a forum for women to learn new tech skills. At the event, more than 25 key community leaders in Taiwan gathered together to host 11 talks, 11 workshops, and 15 community tables. Oracle Academy joined together with Oracle Women’s Leadership (OWL) to set up a community table and meet up with tech community leaders from Girls in Tech, Women Who Code Taipei, Ladies that UX Taipei, Taipei Women in Tech, Pyladies, Women in IOT, WikiWomen, and many more. Oracle experts also participated as event keynote speakers. Vivian Liu, Cloud Solution Architect from Oracle Taiwan, described so-called innovation in digital transformation as a means to simplify our work and solve complicated problems in a more convenient way. She also elaborated on Oracle Autonomous Database, a cloud-based database that uses machine learning to eliminate the human labor associated with database tuning, security, backups, updates, and other routine management tasks traditionally performed by database administrators (DBAs). Oracle thrives on diversity. By building diverse and inclusive teams, we think more strategically and work more creatively. That’s why it’s crucial that we continuously leverage our powerful pool of female talent. OWL is an inclusive organization that believes men and women are stronger when they work together—a theme which is central to this year’s International Women’s Day mantra of #BalanceforBetter. Oracle Academy is pleased to collaborate with OWL on our shared goal of advancing computing globally to drive knowledge, innovation, skills development, and diversity in technology fields. Toward this goal, Oracle Academy offers educational institutions and educators free curricula, learning resources, software, cloud practice environments, training, support, and certification resources.  See https://techknowday.com/ and https://m.facebook.com/techknowday/ for more information about the event, and https://twitter.com/oraclewomenlead and https://blogs.oracle.com/women/ for more information on OWL.

Last month in Taipei, more than 200 women working in tech and women-led startups joined together for the inaugural TECH(K)NOW Day in Asia. TECH(K)NOW Day was initiated in London in early 2017 and now...

Following a request from faculty at Oracle Academy Institutional member the Economic Studies Academy in Bucharest (ASE), Oracle Academy, together with eProseed, an Oracle partner in Romania, organized six knowledge builder workshops for students. The events were held April 1-10, 2019, for 228 students, and focused on Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA), Business Process Management (BPM) and Oracle Application Express (APEX). Leonard Coman, Senior SOA-BPM Consultant, eProseed, and Roxana Chiriacescu, Senior Advanced Support Engineer, Oracle, (pictured in photo) held several discussions on the above topics with the students of the Academia de Economic Studies. Their sessions comprised of a theoretical overview and a hands-on tutorial. During the theoretical session, the students received introductions on the Oracle Fusion Middleware Integration family (Oracle SOA Suite and Oracle BPM Suite) and a description of the latest features of Oracle APEX 19.1. During these sessions, the students learned about: Basic concepts about and examples of SOA: what services are, how they help us, and how they can be the building blocks for future workflow integration.   Service Component Architecture (SCA) components: Business Process Execution Language (BPEL), Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN), Business Rule, Mediator and Human Task. The teaching team also touched on Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP), Representational State Transfer (REST), and File and Database Adapters.   The introduction to BPM glued together all the previous details so the students could understand scenarios from individual services that implement some specific functionalities to the types of complexities they might encounter in a business.   The team used Oracle APEX to create a user interface (UI) for the SOA-BPM projects to trigger the services and show students the output of all the integration done in the background, as well as demonstrate new features offered by Oracle APEX 19.1.   The students moved forward from basic installation and configuration details, to SOA-BPM modeling and design, to actually running the projects; the motto of the workshop was “What You Model Is What You Execute.” “This series of applicative presentations was held as part of the “Computer Systems Design” course in collaboration with Oracle Academy as part of the ‘Databases – Support for Business’ Master’s degree program. We particularly appreciate the involvement of the two speakers, Leonard Coman and Roxana Chiriacescu, and their interaction with the students and their willingness to answer questions and direct the students toward additional resources,” said Ion Lungu, ASE University Professor. The educators and hundreds of students who participated learned something new on the topics of focus, and now will have the opportunity to implement new ideas in their university projects.  

Following a request from faculty at Oracle Academy Institutional member the Economic Studies Academy in Bucharest (ASE), Oracle Academy, together with eProseed, an Oracle partner in Romania,...

On May 3, 2019, Oracle Academy, in collaboration with IT Garage Academy (an NGO), organized an Alice Hac(kid)hon Challenge in Ankara at Yunus Emre Vocational and Technical High School. More than 100 female students from disadvantaged backgrounds participated and were inspired to explore a STEM focus in their future education and career pathways. The workshops at this hackathon event introduce programming skills to younger students, engaging and challenging them using the fun Alice coding platform, and helping to build their science, engineering, and technology skills early. The aim is to inspire these students to become the innovators and technology leaders of tomorrow. The students’ teachers also have benefited from these programming workshops by having the opportunity to develop their Java skills and to use these educational tools in their classrooms.  During the event, the finalist students showed off the projects that they developed using Alice and 3D design programs. As a special guest, Rana Selcuk the wife of the Turkey Minister of National Education also attended to the event and viewed the student projects. The winning projects were celebrated in a small ceremony. During his keynote speech, Cem Satana, Senior Sales Director for Oracle Turkey, emphasized Oracle Academy’s commitment to advance computing education around the world to increase knowledge, innovation, skills development, and diversity in technology fields. Special thanks go to Oracle’s distributors in Turkey, Linkplus & Artim IT, for their valuable support of this project. With events like this, Oracle Academy proudly supports The 2023 Education Vision for Turkey, through which one of the priorities is to hold coding and 3D design activities for students to help them improve their digital skills, leading to successful careers using technology, and supporting future industry growth nationwide.  

On May 3, 2019, Oracle Academy, in collaboration with IT Garage Academy (an NGO), organized an Alice Hac(kid)hon Challenge in Ankara at Yunus Emre Vocational and Technical High School. More than 100...

It’s been a busy time for Oracle Academy partners in Kenya, which held several events to share a passion for programming with students. Public School Students Introduced to Programming using Oracle Technologies The Global Peace Foundation, in partnership with Oracle Academy and the Centre for Mathematics, Science and Technology Education in Africa (CEMASTEA), held a one-day coding event boot camp at CEMASTEA and Kenya Science. The objective was to promote a passion for ICT and innovation in students, while sharing the latest technologies with educators. The boot camp was attended by 97 students and 17 teachers from 10 public secondary schools in four different counties in Machakos, Nairobi, and Kajiado. Participating schools included: BuruBuru Girls’ School Machakos School Jamhuri High School Kariobangi North Girls’ School Rombo Secondary, Ole Kajiado Secondary Precious Blood Riruta, Moi Forces Academy Mary Leakey Girls’ School Maina Wanjigi Secondary School “I think it is time as a country that we recognize and understand the fourth industrial  revolution that is coming is anchored on technology and innovation,” said Mr. Njoroge, Director, CEMASTEA. “That is why it is important for students to learn these skills at an early age and apply them not only after school but also to solve problems at school, and in the community and the country at large.” Students were encouraged to keep learning, and Oracle Academy provided the teachers with curriculum and software for continued use in their classrooms. We thank our partners for joining us in our mission to increase diversity, knowledge and skills in computing fields. Oracle Academy Students Shine at Kenya Student Hackathon Using Oracle Cloud At the end of March 2019, students from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology beat 100 students from 18 universities to pick up top awards at the Oracle Academy Student Hackathon 1.0, held at Strathmore University in Nairobi. ​Competing against other developers, Phillip Oyier, Mercy Jillo, Keith Kinyua Machina, and Kennedy Kamande Wangari won the top spot in various categories of the two-day event, sponsored by iLab Africa, Moringa School, and Oracle Academy. The high stress content environment tested the students’ self-expression, unfolding creativity and innovation through mastering of technology, effective collaboration, and teamwork skills. The students focused on four thematic areas including: Internet of Things Application Programming Data Science Information Security They spent 48 hours collaboratively identifying problems facing their community in a real world set-up, and then developed innovative solutions to solve the problems identified. Before the event, all students from universities and colleges were invited to take part in various activities that took place in February, and participants were then subjected to a pre-qualification stage. This required them to describe projects or problems they had tackled and solved before. Congratulations to our innovative hackathon winners! Read more in these media articles: http://dailyactive.info/index.php/2019/03/27/congrats-4-students-feted-at-oracle-student-hackathon-challenge/ http://discover.jkuat.ac.ke/jkuat-students-top-at-the-2019-oracle-student-hackathon/ https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/ureport/article/2001318494/jkuat-team-shines-at-the-2019-oracle-student-hackathon-in-strathmore  

It’s been a busy time for Oracle Academy partners in Kenya, which held several events to share a passion for programming with students. Public School Students Introduced to Programming using Oracle...

Oracle Academy proudly sponsored and partnered with VisionAid at the Inclusive STEM Hackathon 2019 in Bangalore, India. The hackathon is a 24-hour event where blind and visually impaired developers, industry professionals, and computer science students come together to work on exciting and challenging problems. The aim of the hackathon is to sensitize engineers from IT companies and change the wider mindset on the functioning and efficiency of persons with blindness and low vision. Working together on the project also provides the participants with disabilities an opportunity to learn from experienced IT professionals. The event brought together nearly 75 blind and sighted participants from across the country for the coding event, which included several other activities such as panel discussions and breakout sessions for interaction between participants and representatives from universities and corporations. The hackathon was divided into two tracks, including a mentorship track for students who were new to the field paired with corporate professionals who were willing to mentor these students. As part of supporting the hackathon, Oracle offered a keynote speaker, Divya Singh, Senior Director of Application Program Management. Her address touched on Oracle welcoming talented employees with disabilities as a diverse and inclusive organization. She spoke about job opportunities in the IT industry, and Oracle specifically, for visually impaired students looking for a career in IT, and the ways to prepare for it. She also shared her experience of working with visually impaired students as a volunteer teacher for blind schools and talked about several real-life inspirational role models who had been able to overcome disability and adverse circumstances and rise to great heights. She urged and inspired the participants to reach high. We were pleased she took time out of her schedule to represent Oracle and inspire these students.  VisionAid is a non-profit organization providing rehabilitation services in underserved areas in India. We at Oracle Academy are pleased to partner with them to increase diversity in computing throughout the country.

Oracle Academy proudly sponsored and partnered with VisionAid at the Inclusive STEM Hackathon 2019 in Bangalore, India. The hackathon is a 24-hour event where blind and visually impaired developers,...

To provide education on the latest technology to Oracle Academy Institutional member school students, on March 16 and March 20, Oracle Academy hosted Oracle Academy Virtual Student Day, Latin America. Over the course of four hours using a completely virtual, cloud-based platform, Oracle experts delivered sessions to the more than 2,200 online participants on topics ranging from the Oracle Autonomous Database, cybersecurity, Internet of Things, NonSQL databases, big data, and more. For the first time, two separate sessions were held―one in Spanish and another in Portuguese―to encourage participation of all students across the region, and to maximize the knowledge transfer. The event received more than 4,000 registrations from students in Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Peru, and Costa Rica. Students were able to attend the sessions live or choose to access them later. “The results of the event were amazing. The students are very motivated after their participation in the event and very excited to download their participation certificates from Oracle Academy. We appreciate what Oracle does to support training of more students, with the aim to help them get better job opportunities in the future,” says Jose Abreu, Computer Sciences Department Coordinator at Instituto Tecnico Superior Comunitario (ITSC), Dominican Republic, an Oracle Academy Institutional member. The response from the students widely exceeded our expectations, and the student feedback around of content and format of the event was great. This success motivates the entire Oracle Academy team and our volunteer speakers to continue to deliver these types of events across the region.  

To provide education on the latest technology to Oracle Academy Institutional member school students, on March 16 and March 20, Oracle Academy hosted Oracle Academy Virtual Student Day, Latin America. O...

To encourage student innovation in robotics, for the third year Oracle Academy has been pleased to be one of the sponsors of the FIRST Tech Challenge, Romania, organized by Natie Prin Educatie Association. The final championship round of the challenge was held in Bucharest on March 22-24, 2019, at Sala Polivalenta. The event brought together hundreds of students from different high schools across Romania. This was an open doors event that welcomed an estimated 9,000-plus students during those three days. The students worked in teams of 10-15 members, and during a five-month timespan, built a robot using a robotics kit, a 3D printer, and a set of tools provided by the Natie Prin Educatie Association, an NGO. The teams competed in demos, qualifying regionals, and finally in the National Robotics Championship (Bucharest) and World Robotics Championship (USA). The Romanian teams that qualified to attend the World Robotics Championship in the USA are: Xeo, Colegiul National – Horea, Closca si Crisan, Alba-Iulia WhattsUp, Colegiul National – Dinicu Golescu, Campulung-Muscel Quantum Robotics, Liceul Teoretic International de Informatica – Bucuresti RobotX_HD, Colegiul National de Informatică – Traian Lalescu, Hunedoara Natie Prin Educatie Association has been an Oracle Academy partner since December 2018, and teaches Oracle Academy curriculum to its student members. FIRST Tech Challenge Romania, organized by the Natie Prin Educatie Association, is an important robotics and STEM education program for high school students in Romania. Currently, the program works with 1,500 students from 49 cities in the country, plus 300 teacher-mentors and 200 volunteers. We at Oracle Academy are pleased to continue our work encouraging students to innovate and become the STEM and computer science leaders of the future.      

To encourage student innovation in robotics, for the third year Oracle Academy has been pleased to be one of the sponsors of the FIRST Tech Challenge, Romania, organized by Natie Prin...

Oracle Academy and Oracle Academy Country Manager Roberta Battagli were delighted to once again host educators at Oracle Academy Day in Rome on March 29, 2019. The Oracle Academy Day event is all about getting to know our members and update them on new benefits from the program, and for us to hear about the impact Oracle Academy and the Scuola Lavoro program has had on their students. 80 Faculty / teachers attended the event and had the wonderful opportunity to hear from students at IT IS Armellini about the importance of teamwork and their smart campus project that involves five local schools: ITIS Galileo Galilei ITIS Enrico Fermi IS Federico Caffè ITIS Stanislao Cannizzaro Students developed projects, which included ideas such as digital access for students to lockers, health monitoring, and even digital bins that self emptied!  Attendees also were able to witness Maria Costanzo's Lego Proxima City, a true showcase of Oracle’s cloud technology that acted as the inspiration for the Digital Campus project. Students from Pacinotti-Archimede Institute presented a feasibility study of astronomical data collected by the observatory located in the municipality of Vallinfreda and managed by Nazionale delle Assicurazione (INA). The feasibility study showed the need to create a database that would permanently store files related to the astronomical observations acquired by the telescope. This year we were pleased to have William McCabe, (pictured) our Curriculum Development Director, at the event in person to present in detail the Oracle Academy curricula offerings to the educators. He spoke about our full Java and database curriculum pathways, new offerings such as Oracle Academy Education Bytes, and pathways to professional certifications for career readiness. The Oracle Academy Day provided a great starting point for discussion, innovation, collaboration, and the gateway into new Oracle technologies, while giving a voice to the educators of today and creators of tomorrow.  

Oracle Academy and Oracle Academy Country Manager Roberta Battagli were delighted to once again host educators at Oracle Academy Day in Rome on March 29, 2019. The Oracle Academy Day event is all...

Over two days, Oracle Academy in Romania collaborated with more than 25 Oracle colleagues volunteering their time as Oracle Volunteers to run Knowledge Builder events. At these events, these Oracle experts had the opportunity to display their passion for computing and information technology to 126 high school and university students. At the offices of Oracle Romania, they highlighted for the students what the world of IT work is like in a multinational company. Students visited nine different Oracle departments, where they were received by our colleagues who showed them the importance of what they are doing every day, and the links between departments, and also discussed how they started in their careers and gained experience. Sorin Mindrutescu, (pictured) Oracle Romania Country Leader, explained to the high school students the importance of having self-confidence and striving to become better each day. He noted it was important to focus and prepare themselves for a career doing what they love to do every day. The agenda covered different presentations about Oracle in general and in Romania, and how Oracle Academy supports students in accessing and understanding current technologies, and how they can potentially become certified in database and Java before they leave school to prepare them for further education and careers. The Oracle recruitment department showed them how to prepare an effective CV and advised them on how to practice for interviews so they can be confident in their future in the IT domain. All of the students were very impressed by the multitude of helpful information they received. Because they received a more full image of what a career in the IT sector could mean for them, many became more interested in learning about computer science and information technology in their courses. The schools that participated included many Oracle Academy Institutional members, including: Univ.Româno-Americană / Facultatea de Informatică Managerială Academia de Studii Economice Bucuresti/CSIE Universitatea din Bucuresti/Facultatea de Matematica si Informatica Universitatea Tehnica de Constructii Bucuresti Not yet a member of Oracle Academy? To take advantage of free Oracle Academy computing education curriculum and resources, learn more about joining Oracle Academy as an Instititional member.    

Over two days, Oracle Academy in Romania collaborated with more than 25 Oracle colleagues volunteering their time as Oracle Volunteers to run Knowledge Builder events. At these events, these Oracle...

Yet again, Oracle in Italy was a partner in the Security Summit conference, an event organized by Clusit, the Italian Association for IT Security. Now in its 11th year, the summit has took place March 12-14, 2019. Security is one of the key reasons organizations move to the cloud. Cyber​​security in the cloud, artificial intelligence, and blockchain were the main themes of the event.  Oracle actively contributes to this event, with its experts and partners offering participants in-depth study and operational ideas that allows businesses to make the most of cloud adoption as they pivot into their digital transformation journeys. The cloud is open to continuous innovation, enabling companies to take advantage of emerging technologies that will characterize business models in the coming years. This year, Oracle Academy attended the event to support the Tesi Award, which encourages graduating students to complete projects around the topic of IT Security. The Tesi Award prize this year was presented to student Andrea Possemato from Dipartimento di Informatica, Università degli Studi di Milano, for his thesis “Clickjacking on Android: The Final Countdown.” The award was presented by Roberta Battagli, (pictured) Oracle program manager for Italy, as part of the March 14th session called “Innovating information security.” Learn more at http://www.datamanager.it/2019/03/tutti-i-rischi-cyber-al-security-summit-milano-2019/ (in Italian).

Yet again, Oracle in Italy was a partner in the Security Summit conference, an event organized by Clusit, the Italian Association for IT Security. Now in its 11th year, the summit has took place March...

Oracle Academy and Oracle Greece have won yet another award, a Bronze award in the category “Technology for the Public Good―Digital Education & Skills,” during the Hellenic Responsible Business Awards 2019 ceremony on February 21. The awards were sponsored by Marketing Week magazine and Boussias Communications. The award was presented to Eleni Tsipa, public relations and corporate citizenship specialist for Greece, Cyprus, Malta, Northern Macedonia, Albania and Kosovo (GCMM) cluster, Oracle Hellas. The award was made possible by Eleni’s work in Greece to offer Oracle Academy’s free computing curriculum and resources to institutions and educators. The awards respond to the Greek business community’s need to showcase successful cooperation models that transform the face of the modern, sustainable entrepreneurship aiming at the common good. Dimitris Mavros, managing director of MRB Hellas, noted that corporate social responsibility is important “for better new business, because all stakeholders are happy, because there is a better climate within the company, because reputation is better, because you can influence the market you are in, and because you are different from the competitors…”. The president of the awards jury and President of the Economic and Social Committee of Greece and General Secretary of the Association of Greek Tourist Enterprises (SETE), Giorgos Vernikos, stressed that “responsible companies should have a catalytic role in the direction of interconnection, economy, society and the environment, as, through these awards, they set a bright example for a society that is currently doubting everything.” Learn more about the awards at http://www.responsiblebusiness.gr/ (in Greek). Previously, Oracle Academy was recognized for its outstanding contributions to the Greek educational system and corporate citizenship with three of the country’s top awards: Gold Impact Bite Award 2018 for Corporate Citizenship Initiatives Silver Education Leaders Award 2018 for Digital Education Bronze Education Leaders Awards 2018 for Innovation in Education Additionally, and since 2015, Oracle Academy has received more than 10 awards for its contributions to the Greek educational system through the Education Leaders Awards, the Bravo Sustainability Awards, and the BITE Awards. Learn more about our award-winning Oracle Academy program at academy.oracle.com.  

Oracle Academy and Oracle Greece have won yet another award, a Bronze award in the category “Technology for the Public Good―Digital Education & Skills,” during the Hellenic Responsible Business Awards...

The first ever Oracle Open World Asia (OOW) was hosted in Singapore March 26-27, 2019. The event showcased Oracle’s success stories, technology innovation, and future developments that help businesses meet the evolving needs of their customers, engage their workforce, and protect against security threats. Oracle Academy attended OOW with an exhibition stand and a speaking slot to share how Oracle Academy has been helping the education sector advance computer science education across the globe with free classroom curricula and resources, including numerous outstanding achievements in the Asia Pacific region. Visitors from across the region had a chance to hear of the latest offerings of the Oracle Global educational philanthropic program and how educators and students are being supported in their computer science education endeavors.  Oracle Academy has been growing its reach across this diverse and vibrant region for over a decade, and now includes more than 5,000 regional education institutions in its membership. These institutions, and their educators, gain access to industry-leading software and tools, as well as proven academic curriculum and resources at no cost, to help build the best computer science courses for their students. The presence of Oracle Academy at OOW also helped attendees understand the important and unique value of Oracle’s long-term investment in computer science education in their region. To learn more about and access Oracle Academy’s free computing education curriculum and resources, join Oracle Academy as an Institutional member.

The first ever Oracle Open World Asia(OOW) was hosted in Singapore March 26-27, 2019. The event showcased Oracle’s success stories, technology innovation, and future developments that help businesses...

In March 2019, Oracle Academy in the Philippines hosted 28 academics from 18 higher education institutions from across the country to attend an information session on how Oracle can help educators bring artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML) and data analytics into their computer science courses and curriculums. The event also served as a valuable opportunity for attendees to network and connect with other teachers in the computer science domain.   Mina Lim, Oracle Philippines Managing Director, began the program with opening remarks, emphasizing the value and demand for computer science skills. She described how educators can take advantage of the free Oracle Academy classroom resources for teaching computer science, available to them as members of Oracle Academy. The audience then heard from the lead of Oracle Big Data Analytic Sales Consulting, ASEAN region, Janet Uy, who presented on Oracle artificial intelligence, machine learning, and analytics, and how to prepare students, teachers, and practitioners for the AI future. A third speaker, Anton Ancheta, Senior Director at Oracle NetSuite, talked about his experience in the enterprise resource planning (ERP) space and on work opportunities for students with exposure to NetSuite in their classroom curriculum. Used by more than 40,000 organizations, divisions, and subsidiaries around the world, NetSuite is a unified business management solution that provides one-stop access to ERP, eCommerce, customer relationship management (CRM), and supply chain management (SCM) tools. Educators teaching business courses use NetSuite to teach students modern business operations and financial processes in the cloud. All sessions were interactive and informative, with active audience involvement and Q&A opportunities. We thank our Oracle Volunteer colleagues for taking the time to share their knowledge and expertise with these educators. Not yet a member of Oracle Academy? To take advantage of free Oracle Academy computing education curriculum and resources, learn more about joining Oracle Academy as an Institutional member.

In March 2019, Oracle Academy in the Philippines hosted 28 academics from 18 higher education institutions from across the country to attend an information session on how Oracle can help educators...

The ICT Academy BRIDGE Conference, with the theme “Fostering India for Industry 4.0,” brings together industry experts, academic leaders and government policy makers to address the challenges faced by India in the era of the fourth industrial revolution. BRIDGE is the flagship conference of ICT Academy, which started in 2011 and has so far involved more than 20,000 participants, 580 speakers, and 15 million online viewers. The event has offered 37 editions and has been conducted in 12 major cities across India; it is the largest industry institute interaction event of Asia.   ICT Academy celebrated 10 years this year, and Oracle Academy was pleased to be the first industry partner with which the organization signed an agreement (MoU) in their first year of operation. The partnership has continued with success over the years, and Oracle Academy is proud to have supported the ICT Academy vision and contributed to its growing influence across the country. Oracle Academy sponsored the BRIDGE events held this year across six cities: Hyderabad, Vizag, Bangalore, Delhi, Chennai, and Pune. Each of the events were attended by more than 300 to 1000-plus delegates, 50-plus industry partners, and more than 20 speakers. At each of the events, a speaker from Oracle presented a session on various topics related to Industry 4.0, such as how Oracle is helping manufacturers embrace Industry 4.0, the future of jobs, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), big data, and the Internet of Things (IoT). Through this ongoing partnership with ICT Academy, Oracle Academy has supported more than 1,000 higher education institutions across India with access to the Oracle Academy program, providing educators at these member institutions with no-cost software, curriculum, hosted technology, faculty training, and certification resources. Faculty can flexibly insert Oracle Academy’s teaching resources into their computer science, statistics, and business programs, ensuring that students gain industry-relevant technical skills before graduation. “Participation in the BRIDGE conferences is an excellent way to complement the important work of the ICT Academy and help educators across higher education learn more about how Oracle Academy can work with them to provide the best computer science education curriculum and resources for their students,” said Suji Gopalan, Oracle Academy Country Manager, India. Not yet a member of Oracle Academy? To take advantage of free Oracle Academy computing education curriculum and resources, learn more about joining Oracle Academy as an Institutional member.

The ICT Academy BRIDGE Conference, with the theme “Fostering India for Industry 4.0,” brings together industry experts, academic leaders and government policy makers to address the challenges faced by...

This month Oracle Academy in Pakistan was proud to support one of its key member Universities in Islamabad, Quaid-i-Azam University, with a targeted session for its faculty, senior academics, and post-grad students on “Oracle Business Analytics in the Cloud.” Assad Saeed, Oracle Enterprise Architect, conducted the presentation at the university’s department of computer sciences, in coordination with Oracle Academy Country Manager for Pakistan, Sajeel Shahzad. The session provided in-depth information regarding Oracle’s broad spectrum of tools for deriving and sharing data insights, and gave an insight into how machine learning can support decision-making processes in businesses. “The examples of Oracle-based solutions deployed in different multinational organizations elevated the motivation of our students for further knowledge and experience in Oracle products,” said Dr. Khalid Saleem of the university’s department of computer sciences. “Mr. Assad’s skills for interactive discussion on the topic kept the students attentive and involved. We are hopeful that the students will extend their expertise in Oracle with further help of Oracle Academy, which is an excellent platform for keeping up to date on the latest innovations introduced to the IT world by Oracle.” Oracle Academy is pleased to continue to advance and support computer science learning of students throughout Pakistan. Not yet a member of Oracle Academy? To take advantage of free Oracle Academy computing education curriculum and resources, learn more about joining Oracle Academy as an Institutional member.

This month Oracle Academy in Pakistan was proud to support one of its key member Universities in Islamabad, Quaid-i-Azam University, with a targeted session for its faculty, senior academics, and...

Academics in Taiwan from 117 universities recently gathered at the Information Service Association of Chinese Colleges (ISAC) conference that focused on new technology in school administration, campus trends, and advanced computer science education. More than 150 educators from universities and vocational/technical colleges attended as a part of the consortium of tertiary institutions of Taiwan. The ISAC has a long history of inter-institutional collaboration in the development and application of IT in the higher education community, contributing to education and the development of IT in Taiwan. Oracle Academy Country Manager in Taiwan, Francine Yang, attended the conference and presented how Oracle Academy has been supporting educators and students in Taiwan with data science curriculum, with a focus on building a bridge between instructor-centric learning and student-directed discovery.  She discussed the Oracle Academy Education Bytes offering, modular lessons that support personalized learning both in and out of the classroom. Education Bytes are short-format, flexible learning modules that offer instructional materials on database, programming and data science concepts and skills. Education Bytes support varying learning modalities with different content in three formats: Hands-On Labs, Projects and Challenges, and Videos and Presentations. The latest offerings put Oracle Academy at the forefront of public-private partnerships in education with a variety of enhanced, flexible formats that help educators teach computer science, bring emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) into the classroom, and inspire students with lessons from successful innovators and entrepreneurs. Also featured at the conference was the Department of Information Management, College of Management, Chung-Hua University, Taiwan, R.O.C. The university has been an Oracle Academy member since 2005. It has adopted Oracle Academy curriculum into its schools, offering students the opportunity to gain Oracle database management system (DBMS) knowledge and techniques within the formal college curriculum. Students who complete the courses are then well prepared to take Oracle certification examinations for Oracle professional certificates, which position them to successfully start their professional careers. Dr. Lee, Chi-Chung, chairman of the Professional Master Program of Advanced Database Management, said, “As of 2018, more than 3,000 students attending the university have taken the Oracle database management courses. We really appreciate Oracle Academy helping us reach this remarkable achievement. We believe that students with Oracle DBMS certifications indeed have real advantage in their career development.”   Not yet a member of Oracle Academy? To take advantage of free Oracle Academy computing education curriculum and resources, learn more about joining Oracle Academy as an Institutional member.

Academics in Taiwan from 117 universities recently gathered at the Information Service Association of Chinese Colleges (ISAC) conference that focused on new technology in school administration,...

With the goal of helping to increase the number of girls focused on STEM courses and women working in tech, Oracle Academy proudly supported STEMCON 2019, “The Future Digital Workforce: Implications and Opportunities in STEM,” in Da Nang, Vietnam, March 14-15, 2019. The event, which is hosted by Arizona State University (ASU) annually, welcomed nearly 400 participants from government, industry, and academia at the conference. The conference featured six multi-presentation technical sessions and six panels representing leaders from industry and academia. As Oracle Academy Asia Pacific Regional Director, I contributed as a panelist on a key topic of the conference: “Broadening Participation in STEM: Closing the Gender Gap.” I discussed several of the key interventions Oracle Academy has supported to broaden the number of women working in information technology fields and girls focusing on STEM courses across the region. I noted that industry recognizes the benefits to the bottom line of having a diverse workforce, and it needs academia to help remove barriers and set an example by encouraging women into the STEM domain. Oracle Academy Country Manager Michelle Gao also attended the conference, which included an industry partner meeting for sharing achievements through the Oracle Academy and ASU collaboration in the USAID Building University-Industry Learning and Development through Innovation and Technology (BUILD-IT) Alliance in Vietnam. The project currently is supporting and enriching computer science education at six Vietnamese universities. Oracle Academy provides software, curriculum, hosted technology, faculty training, and certification resources to these educational institutions. Faculty can flexibly insert Oracle Academy’s teaching resources into their computer science, statistics, and business programs, ensuring that students gain industry-relevant technical skills before graduation. The annual ASU BUILD-IT partner meeting provided an opportunity for industry, academic and government partners to gather and review prior year achievements, coming year targeted goals and milestones, and connect, communicate, and collaborate. Working with our partners, we look forward to continuing to advance computing and STEM focused education in Vietnam. Learn more about the BUILD-IT project and watch a video on its impact here.

With the goal of helping to increase the number of girls focused on STEM courses and women working in tech, Oracle Academy proudly supported STEMCON 2019, “The Future Digital Workforce:...

  Offered free for classroom use by Oracle Academy, Primavera is a project management software suite that provides robust and easy-to-use on-premise applications, providing construction management and civil engineering students with practice prioritizing, planning, managing, and delivering successful projects, programs, and portfolios. More than 100 educators registered to attend a free Oracle Academy webcast on March 27, 2019, to learn more about how to help students build confidence and career readiness with solid project management skills in Oracle Primavera. The webcast, Primavera Practice in the Classroom, provided: Information on Oracle Primavera software, and best practice techniques to teach students to use the software to meet expectations of future employers in construction and engineering. A detailed overview of eight labs that give students the opportunity to create a realistic project schedule and then add to it as they deepen their understanding of the software. The labs help students practice: Creating and saving a project schedule and customizing schedule looks and layouts Activity coding to organize activities into Work Breakdown Structures, loading of resources and costs, a real-world analysis of resource over-allocation, and possible update scenarios Methods of filtering activities, including creating a customized Six-Week Lookahead filter, and a final schedule analysis A discussion of how to tie the labs to the lecture portion of a course, and methods of grading. A Q & A session. The webcast was presented by experienced Primavera teacher and presenter John Buttelwerth, who has taught Primavera for more than 35 years. In addition to classroom teaching, John has taught scheduling software to 2,000-plus project managers throughout the country. In less than two years, more than 15 colleges and universities have adopted his P6 Real World Scheduling book as a text. Oracle Primavera is used globally by premier construction and civil engineering firms. This webinar provides best practices techniques for teachers hesitant to add hands-on Primavera practice to their curriculum and is an exciting first step in learning more and boosting confidence—as well as students’ future resumes. If you didn’t have a chance to attend the webcast, you still can learn how to teach your students with hands-on experience in Oracle Primavera to meet expectations of future employers. Simply sign up and watch the recorded webcast here.

  Offered free for classroom use by Oracle Academy, Primavera is a project management software suite that provides robust and easy-to-use on-premise applications, providing construction management and...

In the first week of March 2019, a Java Programming course was held at the Oracle offices in Rome, Italy. The course was hosted by Oracle Academy and Professor Michelangelo Lamonica of Enrico Mattei of Casamicciola Terme, Naples. Thirty teachers from industrial technical institutes came together to practice and learn advanced Java coding skills. The hands-on activities, which encouraged the educators to “learn by doing,” ranged from analysis of pre-compiled Java code (aimed at better understanding the Java Virtual Machine) to skills using the main structures of dynamic data, aimed at the design and implementation of complex team applications. The session highlighted practices connected to programming on concurrent resources and problems connected to programming of distributed applications. The group actively engaged in morning and afternoon sessions over five days, participating in a range of activities covering different knowledge and skills transfer. The sessions also gave the faculty from the various institution the opportunity to exchange personal ideas and visions for teaching computer science. This professional development course allowed the group to acquire essential skills to be shared and taught both in the classroom and in extra-curricular activities for their students. Find professional education events near you.

In the first week of March 2019, a Java Programming course was held at the Oracle offices in Rome, Italy. The course was hosted by Oracle Academy and Professor Michelangelo Lamonica of Enrico...

Knowledge Builder Event Held in Oman Oracle Academy conducted a Knowledge Builder event for students in the information technology department of the Higher College of Technology (HCT), an Oracle Academy Institutional member in Muscat, Oman. The event was held in collaboration with Oracle colleague Thierry Khoury, (pictured) Cloud Platform Sales Consultant from the Solution Engineering Team, covering the Lower Gulf region. The three-day seminar was developed to provide the HCT students with details on core Oracle technologies, including database, Oracle Mobile Cloud, and artificial intelligence, ensuring that they are exposed to key areas of global technology development. The seminar was extremely informative, and over 20 students participated illustrating the importance of these topics to students and faculty.  Students had the opportunity to practice working with the latest Oracle innovative technologies through interactive, hands-on sessions led by Thierry. These sessions were developed to encourage the students to go through the full Oracle Academy curriculum and further their learning after the seminars. Oracle Academy Participates in Oracle Open World Dubai 2019 Oracle Academy staff were pleased to participate in Oracle Open World held February 11-12, 2019, an Oracle convention for business decision-makers, IT management, and line-of-business end users. Oracle Open World Dubai 2019 was the first ever edition of the event to be held in the Middle East. At our booth, Oracle Academy staff has the opportunity to showcase to interested educators and NGO staff the free curriculum and resources our program offers. We also had the chance to connect with decision-makers from finance, human resources, sales, marketing and service, supply chain, and information technology. This was a great event that allowed us to promote our free resources. Learn more at https://www.oracle.com/middleeast/openworld/.

Knowledge Builder Event Held in Oman Oracle Academy conducted a Knowledge Builder event for students in the information technology department of the Higher College of Technology (HCT), an Oracle...

Central and Eastern Europe is proving to be an attractive region for students from all over the globe to come and study. Two Oracle Academy member institutions from Croatia and Hungary, Catholic University of Croatia and Pázmány Péter Catholic University of Hungary, are among those exploring the opportunity and aiming to attract students. This academic year, the two institutions began developing a new dual-degree international study program in English at Catholic University of Croatia, the first in the ICT field. This two-year project is approved by the Croatian Ministry of Education and is funded primarily from European Social Fund.  Oracle is supporting the consortium, and our representative participated in the project team meeting on March 8, 2019. These Oracle Academy Institutional members will be implementing Oracle Academy curricula into the courses and other free Oracle products and services such as software, support, and cloud practice environments, in the new joint study program. Information about the meeting, including a list of all participants and photos, can be found (in Croatian language) on web pages of the Catholic University of Croatia: http://www.unicath.hr/sastanak-projektnog-tima-i-strucnjaka-hks-a-i-katolickog-sveucilista-pazmany-peter-iz-budimpeste. In the two years of the project life cycle, which officially began in this 2018/2019 academic year, the new study program needed to be developed, submitted for approval to accreditation agencies in both Croatia and Hungary, and ultimately approved by them before the first students could be enrolled in the academic year 2020/2021. More information about this project (mostly in Croatian language), including photos, can be found in the links below, published on the official web site of the Catholic University of Croatia: http://www.unicath.hr/odobren-projekt-razvoj-zdruzenog-diplomskog-studija-softverskog-inzenjerstva-hrvatskog-katolickog-sveucilista-i-katolickog-sveucilista-pazmany-peter-financiran-u-iznosu-17-milijuna-kuna-iz-europ http://www.unicath.hr/potpisan_ugovor_projekt_razvoj_ppazmany Oracle Academy Institutional members are able to take advantage of free computer science curriculum, software for the classroom, cloud practice environments, and much more. Not yet a member? It’s free to join! Join here.  

Central and Eastern Europe is proving to be an attractive region for students from all over the globe to come and study. Two Oracle Academy member institutions from Croatia and Hungary,...

With the goal of providing an overview of current Oracle database technology features, Oracle Academy offered a one-day event for Austrian educators on February 15, 2019. Britta Wolf, Oracle Academy Program Manager for DACH (Austria, Germany, and Switzerland), welcomed 20 teachers from several Höhere Technische Lehranstalt (HTL) institutions at the Oracle Vienna DC Tower Office.    HTL institutions are an important part of Austrian STEM vocational education, offering courses in engineering, electronics, information technology, informatics, and more. All participants are long-term, active members of the Oracle Academy program. Presenters Marcus Doeringer and Georg Schmidt, both Oracle Cloud Platform Solution Engineers, provided insights into a range of innovative Oracle database topics, including multitenant architecture, in-memory option, and advanced data compression, and also orchestrated an interactive Oracle Autonomous Database hands-on session for the teachers. “I really enjoyed the event, it was very informative,” said one participant. “Very good appetizer about innovations in Oracle, especially the in-memory topic,” noted another. Another educator said, “Very informative event, excellent speakers, extremely professional planning and implementation in a pleasant, family atmosphere.” The participants’ feedback confirms this was an inspiring event. We sincerely thank everyone involved in making this event happen. Interested in events like this? Join Oracle Academy as an Institutional member.

With the goal of providing an overview of current Oracle database technology features, Oracle Academy offered a one-day event for Austrian educators on February 15, 2019. Britta Wolf, Oracle Academy...

Oracle Academy has over 35 Institutional members in Korea. As part of our ongoing support of the education sector in Korea, the Academy participated in the QS Apple APAC conference in Seoul themed: Future Universities in the Asia Pacific, The Changing Face of Higher Education. The conference gathered a total of 475 academics from 209 institutions. Representatives of Oracle Academy included Hyokee Min, Business Planning Director, Oracle Korea; Kristin Ang, Oracle Academy Regional Operation Manager; and Michelle Gao, Oracle Academy Country Manager. At the conference, they showcased the Oracle Academy program and shared with educators from various countries across Asia Pacific how universities, colleges, and schools are using the program’s free education resources and curriculum to teach students computing at higher education or secondary education institutions. In addition to the conference, the Oracle Academy team conducted a workshop for a group of invited faculty from various institutions in Seoul. The workshop was headlined with presentations from Oracle Korea Managing Director Hyoung Lae Kim and Consulting Senior Director Myungjong Sim on the latest Oracle technologies and Oracle Cloud strategy. Not yet a member of Oracle Academy? To take advantage of free Oracle Academy computing education curriculum and resources, learn more about joining Oracle Academy as an Institutional member.

Oracle Academy has over 35 Institutional members in Korea. As part of our ongoing support of the education sector in Korea, the Academy participated in the QS Apple APAC conference in Seoul themed: Fut...

To provide students throughout the country with free world-class industry technologies and expertly developed learning resources, on February 1, 2019, the Ministry for Education and Employment in Malta, the University of Malta, and the Malta College of Arts Science and Technology (MCAST) have signed a membership agreement with Oracle Academy. During his address, the Malta Minister for Education and Employment, Evarist Bartolo, stated that cooperating with Oracle Academy marks the government’s commitment to improve the quality of the country’s education system, taking it to the next level by providing students with the necessary computing skills to help them succeed across all fields and industries. Through this agreement, both Malta educators and students will have access to computing education resources to enrich their knowledge and advance innovation, diversity and skills development in technology arenas. More than 150 schools in the country and the 2 higher education institutions will benefit. In the last several years, Malta has been at the forefront among countries in Europe that have invested heavily in quality technology education and tools, including a tablet for each student, and 3D printers. Minister Bartolo noted that this agreement is a continuation towards a more holistic educational experience that prepares students for future employment. “Computer science skills are critical for the growth of the Maltese economy,” said Michael Balzan, Country Leader, Oracle Malta. "Collaborating through Oracle Academy with both the Ministry of Education and higher education institutions in Malta helps us support students and teachers in computer science to advance their IT skills and create new educational and career pathways.”  Today’s announcement continues Oracle’s 25-year legacy in education. At Oracle Academy, we believe everyone should have the skills and opportunities to achieve their dreams. We’re thrilled to team with Maltese institutions in a shared mission to advance computing education throughout Malta, and prepare students in the era of cloud computing, artificial intelligence, machine learning, data science, the Internet of Things, and beyond. Oracle Academy offers students and educational institutions a free and complete portfolio of software, curriculum, hosted technology, faculty trainings, support, and certification resources, while enabling students to acquire 21st century skills such as critical thinking, analysis, curiosity, communication and collaboration, and problem-solving skills. Not yet a member of Oracle Academy? To take advantage of free Oracle Academy computing education curriculum and resources, learn more about joining Oracle Academy as an Institutional member.  

To provide students throughout the country with free world-class industry technologies and expertly developed learning resources, on February 1, 2019, the Ministry for Education and Employment...

As a part of the partnership between Oracle Academy and the Ministry of Education in Sri Lanka, 18 educators from institutions across Sri Lanka attended training in Database Design & Programming Using SQL.  The faculty will take their new skills acquired by studying and practicing the Oracle Academy curriculum back to their institutions and their students across various computer science courses. These faculty also previously had attended similar training in Java Fundamentals and Database Foundations provided by Oracle Academy earlier in 2018. The faculty were awarded certificates of completion from Mr. P.N. Illapperuma, Director of Education, Information & Communication Technology at the Ministry of Education, Sri Lanka, and Assistant Director Vasana Edirisuriya, both of whom have been key facilitators in bringing the Oracle Academy program to Sri Lanka’s schools and higher education colleges and universities. Not yet a member of Oracle Academy? To take advantage of free Oracle Academy computing education curriculum and resources, learn more about joining Oracle Academy as an Institutional member.

As a part of the partnership between Oracle Academy and the Ministry of Education in Sri Lanka, 18 educators from institutions across Sri Lanka attended training in Database Design & Programming Using...

During a U.S. Presidential State visit by Barack Obama to Vietnam in 2016, Oracle Academy was recognized by President Barack Obama for its collaboration with USAID and Arizona State University to advance computer science education in Vietnamese universities. Oracle Academy is an integral partner in the Building University-Industry Learning and Development through Innovation and Technology (BUILD-IT) Alliance in Vietnam. This video shows how our collaboration is enriching computer science education at six Vietnamese universities. The BUILD-IT Alliance is a public-private ecosystem implemented by USAID and Arizona State University to prepare Vietnamese engineering graduates with work-ready skills. Through partnerships with Oracle Academy and Vietnamese universities, BUILD-IT partners are building high-quality and in-demand academic programs in Vietnamese computer science and STEM education fields. BUILD-IT’s partnerships and programs leverage their shared capacity to foster curricular innovation, quality assurance recognition, and leadership development in Vietnam’s leading technology and engineering universities. “This partnership with Oracle Academy demonstrates the impact of industry-government-academia coming together around a common interest to closely collaborate, leveraging people and resources to create local impact,” said Jeffrey S. Goss, Associate Vice Provost for Arizona State University. To support BUILD-IT’s partner universities, Oracle Academy provides a complete portfolio of software, curriculum, hosted technology, faculty training, and certification resources to these educational institutions. Faculty can flexibly insert Oracle Academy’s teaching resources into their computer science, statistics, and business programs, ensuring that students gain industry-relevant technical skills before graduation. Since 2016, Oracle Academy and BUILD-IT continue to support six leading universities to integrate Oracle Academy resources into their computer science curricula. As of February 2019, Oracle Academy and BUILD-IT have delivered six faculty training programs for 200 participants. Once the faculty complete the training, they are ready to insert Oracle Academy’s iLearning resources into their programs and provide their students with the skills they’ll need for their high tech careers. To update the faculties’ skills, Oracle Academy offers multi-day online and in person train-the-trainer programs in Java Programming, Database Design, Database Programming, and Application Development. To further support the education sector in Vietnam, Oracle Academy is sponsoring the upcoming STEMCON Conference in DaNang, which is an annual conference convening 300 leading stakeholders in Vietnamese technology education development. Oracle Academy will join STEMCON 2019 as a distinguished panelist and partner. Watch the new video on the BUILD-IT project.

During a U.S. Presidential State visit by Barack Obama to Vietnam in 2016, Oracle Academy was recognized by President Barack Obama for its collaboration with USAID and Arizona State University to...

It’s been a busy time in Croatia for Oracle Academy. We recently took part in two events in the country, engaging both students and educators in enhancing their technology knowledge and skills. Winter School of Informatics Held in Krapina for Students First, we participated in the Winter School of Informatics, Krapina, held in the northwestern region of Hrvatsko Zagorje. This is one of the largest K-12 programming events in the country, and ran from January 3-12, 2019, hosting more than 200 participants during the school winter break. Students from all around Croatia were invited to join the event by the Croatian Computer Science Association, the Krapina Informatics Club, and the Secondary School Krapina. Students attended programming workshops to prepare for upcoming programming contests that will culminate in March 2019 at the national programming competition finals, with selection of the team that will represent Croatia at the upcoming International Olympiad of Informatics. The Secondary School Krapina, an Oracle Academy member since 2015, hosted a program that included Java workshops on the Alice platform and database SQL. The Oracle Academy Country Manager for Croatia, Darko Jureković, attended the evetn’s opening ceremony, along with representatives of the government, the county, the city of Krapina, and the organizers. Jureković spoke to the group about trends in IT industry and their impact on the labor market in the region. He noted there is a shortage of IT professionals at both the national and international level. Events like this that attract large number of pupils from both primary and secondary schools are an important contribution to bridging that tech skills gap and rightfully deserve both recognition and support. We are thankful to the organizers, notably the principal of the Secondary School Krapina, Mr. Ivica Rozijan, and president of the Krapina Informatics Club, Mr. Stjepan Šalković, for their kind invitation to participate in this engaging event. Read more about this event (mostly in Croatian language) and view photos using the links below, provided by the event organizers as well as the local government and media:   http://krik-kr.hr/galerije-slika/127-zimska-skola-2019 https://www.facebook.com/krapinazsi2019/ http://www.kzz.hr/zimska-skola-otvorenje-2019 http://www.ss-krapina.skole.hr/?news_hk=1&news_id=2060&mshow=2792#mod_news Oracle Academy Joins Educator Webinars Organized by Ministry of Science and Education  Recently, the Croatia Ministry of Science and Education undertook major educational reform in the country. For the first time, informatics, covering computer science and information technologies, became a compulsory subject in grades 5 and 6 in primary schools as well as in secondary schools throughout the country. This new requirement will help ensure the country’s youth will have the opportunity to obtain knowledge and skills that can help them be the tech leaders and innovators of the future, obtain rewarding careers, and help Croatia continue to grow a skilled workforce.  To prepare teachers for this major change, the Ministry has been organizing professional development activities for some 1,300 teachers, including webinars that run on a platform provided by Croatian Academic and Research Network (CARNet). These activities welcome industry experts to contribute and participate. In support of Oracle Academy’s partnership with the Ministry on computing initiatives since 2015, Oracle and other professionals prepared a series of 10 webinars covering topics ranging from Java programming to Big Data, Autonomous Database, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Blockchain. Presenters included experts from Oracle, major Oracle partners in Croatia, and professional associations such as the Croatian Associations of Java Users (HUJAK). The introductory webinar in this series was held on January 18, 2019, with a presentation by Oracle Academy Country Manager for Croatia, Darko Jureković, to nearly 500 teachers from across the country. The next webinar was held on January 24 on Java programming. Each webinar is announced by the Ministry on its website (in Croatian).

It’s been a busy time in Croatia for Oracle Academy. We recently took part in two events in the country, engaging both students and educators in enhancing their technology knowledge and skills. Winter...

Oracle Academy has signed a partnership agreement with the Ministry of National Education, Technical and Vocational Training (MENET-FP) of Côte d'Ivoire to advance computing education throughout the Ivory Coast. The aim is to bring computing curriculum to 450 schools, reaching 450,000 students over the next three years. Côte d'Ivoire is committed to strengthening the link between the world of work and school through entrepreneurial education with a focus on information and communication technology (ICT) fields. The agreement, signed on February 5, 2019, will begin implementing Oracle Academy curriculum into schools throughout the country during the 2018-2019 school year. Madame Kandia Camara, the Minister of MENET-FP, said, “In this vast project, we have at our side Oracle Academy, which allows our children to dream in…science and technology in order to provoke in them the trigger to create a useful trend in STEAM.” Through the agreement, MENET-FP will help build a society where science and technology literacy helps students get hands-on skills with the goal of obtaining rewarding careers. It aims to promote the teaching of computer science and technology in all schools in Côte d'Ivoire, and encourage more young people, especially girls, to pursue STEM-related careers. “ICT plays a significant role in our everyday lives. Through today’s agreement, Oracle Academy can help empower our youth, as well as provide a platform for our future leaders to be equipped with both the technological and critical skills that can enable social and economic growth of our country,” noted Annick Sakho, Country Managing Director, Oracle Cote d’Ivoire. The Director of Technologies and Computer Systems (DTSI), Aboubacar Coulibaly, whose department is hosting the project, said, “This agreement will reach 450 public and private high schools throughout the national territory, and will train 360 teachers and more than 450,000 students on computer science and related subjects.”  Over three years, Oracle Academy will facilitate "Train-the-Trainer courses to prepare teachers and faculty members as instructors for the following Oracle Academy courses: Database Foundations Java Foundations Java Fundamentals Students will have the opportunity to acquire 21st century skills such as critical thinking, analysis, curiosity, communication and collaboration, and complex problem-solving. This partnership continues Oracle’s 25-year legacy in education. At Oracle Academy, we believe everyone should have the skills and opportunities to achieve their dreams. We’re thrilled to team with MENET-FP in a shared mission to advance computer science education throughout Cote d’Ivoire, and prepare students in the era of cloud computing, artificial intelligence, machine learning, data science, the Internet of Things, and beyond. http://www.education.gouv.ci/dtsi-signature-dun-accord-de-partenariat-entre-le-ministere-de-leducation-nationale-de-lenseignement-technique-et-de-la-formation-professionnelle-menet-fp-et-oracle-academy-pou/  

Oracle Academy has signed a partnership agreement with the Ministry of National Education, Technical and Vocational Training (MENET-FP) of Côte d'Ivoire to advance computing education throughout the...

During the last semester of 2018, Oracle Academy Brazil, in collaboration with Oracle Volunteering and Corporate Citizenship, mentored more than 80 graduate students of SENAC – Servico Nacional de Aprendizagem Comercial. Ten Oracle Volunteers supported six classes of students in delivering integrated projects centered on computer engineering and digital gaming. In addition to providing technical feedback and project quotes, the volunteers presented on specific topics such as artificial intelligence, and helped the students come up with solid, realistic IT solutions for their projects. The results were impressive! One Oracle Volunteer, Ricardo Kobara, Field Support Engineer, Global IT, stated, “SENAC students are really prepared to enter the labor market. The part that I enjoyed most was inspiring them to continue building their knowledge base, and giving them the confidence to transform their project ideas into real business cases.” Another mentor, Breno Comin, Alliances Consultant, agreed: “The overall experience of supporting these students on their practical projects was very interesting and engaging. Our goal was to guide the students, but we found that they already knew a lot about technology and could discuss concepts in a very detailed way. I had a great time!” The students were also excited to connect with these Oracle experts. Rafael Tejii Tengan, a computer engineering student, said, “I am sure that all my colleagues were very motivated to be mentored by employees of a technology company like Oracle. One of our mentors, Jacques Bretas, Sales Representative OD Prime for Oracle, helped us better structure our ideas, which was especially helpful given that we only had 3 to 4 months to complete this project. We could see how excited he was about the projects and results.” Professor Sergio Nascimento, Graduation Director of SENAC, said, “This was a great opportunity to give the students exposure to high-level professionals from the IT industry, creating a bridge between academia and industry. We would like to thank Oracle and the group of volunteers for supporting this program. The students loved the experience, and we hope to make it available to future classes, as well.” Oracle Academy celebrated the successful conclusion of this first cycle of the program by giving the students participation certificates, which they were happy to include in their resumes. We appreciate Oracle Volunteers collaborating with us on this important initiative, which provided full engagement and support to an Oracle Academy Institutional Member, increasing the quality of our relationship and helping us advance computer science globally. Interested in programs such as this through an Oracle Academy Institutional Membership? Learn more.

During the last semester of 2018, Oracle Academy Brazil, in collaboration with Oracle Volunteering and Corporate Citizenship, mentored more than 80 graduate students of SENAC – Servico Nacional de...

With the goal of providing a full overview of Oracle Academy Java and database curriculum, on January 13 – 14 we had the pleasure of hosting an Oracle Academy round-table with faculty from some or our key university Institutional Members in the new Oracle office in Amman, Jordan. The event was attended by faculty and deans from Jordanian universities, all long-term and active members of the Oracle Academy program, alongside representatives from our partners the Public Sector Directorate (PSD) of Jordan: Al Hussein Technical University American University of Madaba Applied Science Private University Hashemite University Irbid National University Princess Sumaya University for Technology Yarmouk University  Ola Ramadan, the Oracle Academy Program Manager for the Middle East and North Africa, delivered a briefing on the key membership benefits of the Oracle Academy program. We also were delighted to have with us Willie McCabe, Oracle Academy Global Director, Member Education and Curriculum Development, who spent time providing a detailed overview of Oracle Academy Java and database curriculum and demonstrating the key functions of Oracle Application Express (APEX).   For newer members, this review also provided an opportunity to demonstrate how to use the Oracle Academy iLearning system to deliver curriculum in the classroom, and how to set up accounts for their students.   In association with Raed Hajarat, Oracle Country Leader for Jordan, and his team, further sessions for the academics were delivered by the local business team. They covered technology topics including the Oracle Autonomous Database and trending innovative technologies, and conducted a hands-on workshop on big data and advanced analytics.   We thank Raed and our colleagues in Jordan for their continued support to ensure our members get the best use of their Oracle Academy memberships. Not an Oracle Academy Institutional Member yet? Learn more here and take advantage of all the benefits for your institution, yourself and your students.

With the goal of providing a full overview of Oracle Academy Java and database curriculum, on January 13 – 14 we had the pleasure of hosting an Oracle Academy round-table with faculty from some or our...

In July 2018, we welcomed about 40 students from ETEC de Guaianazes and Parameters College at the Paula Souza Center Programming Marathon Winners Awards. The Programming Marathon is an event aimed at students of the technical courses of the Center Paula Souza (Etecs), which offers programs for solving problems under pressure to help students learn and work in teams. The students need to solve in a given time the largest number of available questions, released at the beginning of the competition. They use computers, printed materials, a lot of will power, imagination, and creativity in their battle against the clock. The group that solves the greatest number of problems in the shortest possible time, using Java programming languages, wins. This was the third Programming Marathon held, with 137 teams totaling approximately 400 students from the ETIM and Technical Center Paula Souza participating. Making this marathon possible were 33 teachers working with the students in units, and a team of 12 judges. The winning teams were all from Guaianzes ETEC, and used Java programming in all their developed solutions. To welcome the student awardees, Oracle experts Leonardo Veri, technology and innovation consultant, Paulo Simões, solutions engineer, Pablo de Freitas, Innovation Lab leader, and Fabiana Valente, Oracle Academy Brazil country manager, hosted a conversation with the students about the digital revolution, technology trends, and IT careers. They also conducted a fun programming workshop for the students using the Finch robot. Teacher Carlos Eduardo Ribeiro, coordinator of information technology projects for CETEC Capacitations, said, “The rewards for winners of the the Programming Marathon between the ETECs of the Paula Souza Center could not be better. The winning team from Etec Guianazes (Guaianazes - SP) was awarded an unparalleled day at Oracle Brazil at its headquarters in São Paulo, full of technology, relaxation, hands-on fun, and a chat with professionals from different areas of Oracle , who welcomed us warmly. This type of event promotes the company as approachable for the students. It is very important to establish the concepts and the guidelines that we teach in the classroom in the real world, showing the students that we are on the right path. We use methodologies such as the marathon, hackathons and robotics to impel learning and promote the students’ involvement in the teaching and learning process, so they becoming active agents in building their knowledge and problem analysis skills.” He emphasized that the euphoric state of the students, which is contagious when they share their experiences with the school community, is “priceless”. Ribeiro appreciated the Oracle team hosting the students. Learn more here (in Portuguese).

In July 2018, we welcomed about 40 students from ETEC de Guaianazes and Parameters College at the Paula Souza Center Programming Marathon Winners Awards. The Programming Marathon is an event aimed at...

What more engaging way to introduce students to object-oriented programming than through the innovative Alice platform? More than 120 educators enrolled to attend a free webcast, Oracle Academy Presents: Get Your Students Started in Programming Using Alice, on January 9, 2018. Alice is an innovative block-based educational Java programming environment, developed at Carnegie Mellon University, that makes it easy to create 3D animations, build interactive narratives, or program simple games. Based on the Lewis Carroll characters from the books Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, Alice motivates learning through creative exploration and teaches logical and computational thinking skills and fundamental principles of programming. It can be used to teach object-oriented programming to students of all ages. The webcast offered a live demo of Alice world, sample projects, and information about fun ways to use Alice to get students started in object-oriented programming, and directed attendees to free Oracle Academy resources using Alice. The webcast was presented by The Alice Project director and expert Eric Brown. Brown’s previous work includes co-founding ImpactGames to influence society and promote change through interactive media. Toward this end, ImpactGames developed PeaceMaker, a video game simulation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to promote dialogue and understanding. Brown was listed among “100 Social Entrepreneurs Changing the World” in Newsweek Japan. He holds a Masters of Entertainment Technology degree from Carnegie Mellon University and received a BFA in painting with focused studies in education and computer graphics from Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri. The Oracle Academy workshop Getting Started with Java Using Alice teaches students with little or no programming experience basic Java concepts through development of 3-D animations in Alice 3.1. While it is suitable for all beginning learners, it can be especially engaging for girls. Students have fun creating animated stories and games using objects and characters from a rich gallery of 3-D models. The Alice platform currently is supported in 24 languages, including English, Arabic, Russian, Spanish, and Turkish. If you didn’t have a chance to attend, access the webcast here. Learn more about the Oracle Academy workshop Getting Started with Java Using Alice.

What more engaging way to introduce students to object-oriented programming than through the innovative Alice platform? More than 120 educators enrolled to attend a free webcast, Oracle...

On December 6, 2018, Oracle Academy staff were pleased to be part of Oracle Cloud Day in Turkey. The event brought together more than 800 Oracle partners, customers, cloud visionaries, and other thought leaders in Istanbul. It was a great opportunity to display and explore the latest cloud technologies shaping the future of innovation and allowing participants to network with their peers in the industry. During the opening sessions, the Vice President for Oracle Turkey, Levant, Egypt and North Africa, Filiz Dogan, pointed out the key role that Oracle Academy plays in empowering students and teachers of today to support the innovators of tomorrow. In addition, she announced the launch of a special social project starting in January 2019 in collaboration with Oracle Academy, CoderDojo in Turkey, and Oracle Women’s Leadership (OWL). CoderDojo is a volunteer-led, global movement of free coding clubs for young people. Within the scope of the project, Oracle Turkey will host a CoderDojo club at the Oracle office in Istanbul initially for six weeks. Each week, Oracle Volunteers will deliver a two-hour coding workshop to disadvantaged students ages 10-15 to help them learn coding and create their own games and videos using Alice, an innovative, block-based programming environment. Oracle Academy staff welcomed participants at our booth in the exhibition area. It was a fantastic opportunity to present Oracle Academy’s computing education resources, including the new course curriculum on artificial intelligence and machine learning, as well as the modular Education Bytes to participants from many different parts of the industry, and inform them about our initiatives to support creating digitally skilled students and workers.

On December 6, 2018, Oracle Academy staff were pleased to be part of Oracle Cloud Day in Turkey. The event brought together more than 800 Oracle partners, customers, cloud visionaries, and...

To share information on Java with Italian educators, on December 3, 2018, at Oracle Italia’s new office in Rome, Oracle Academy held a training event and workshop. At the event, the Oracle Academy team shared best practices in teaching computing and conducted training for the Java Foundations course. Teachers who attended this engaging event are members of Oracle Academy Institutional member schools and learned how to teach object-oriented programming. The course, which took place over five days, provided the teachers with skills and knowledge to teach the Oracle Academy curriculum to students in the third or fourth year of study at technical institutes in the technological sector. The course was led by Prof. La Monica Michelangelo, currently a lecturer at The Enrico Mattei Technical Institute of Casamicciola Terme, an institution that has used Oracle Academy curriculum over the last four years within its teaching courses. The Oracle Academy curriculum is offered to all five years of their students at the institute. In addition, the Enrico Mattei Technical Institute currently is taking steps to involve secondary schools in the area in workshops and laboratories aimed at developing computational thinking and to tackle the gender gap in the ICT sector. This Oracle Academy Rome event was the precursor to an additional training event planned for interested educators in March in Oracle Java Programming. These dedicated teachers now are prepared to bring their Java skills and knowledge to their schools and create virtual classes for their students using the Oracle Academy iLearning tool. They are keen to support their students in learning and attaining Oracle Java Foundations certificates to help make them career ready. Learn more about Oracle Academy Java curriculum.    

To share information on Java with Italian educators, on December 3, 2018, at Oracle Italia’s new office in Rome, Oracle Academy held a training event and workshop. At the event, the Oracle...

In October 2018, Oracle Academy offered a webcast exploring NetSuite, led by Charlie Bame-Aldred, co-founder of The Hub of Analytics Education and executive professor of Accounting at Northeastern University, Boston. Used by more than 40,000 organizations, divisions, and subsidiaries around the world, NetSuite is a unified business management solution that provides one-stop access to enterprise resource planning (ERP), eCommerce, customer relationship management (CRM), and supply chain management (SCM) tools. Educators teaching business courses use NetSuite to teach students modern business operations and financial processes in the cloud. The webcast was targeted to educators teaching business courses such as big data, auditing, or accounting or business analytics. With both NetSuite and NetSuite OneWorld solutions available to educators through Oracle Academy, NetSuite offers an easy alternative to installing and implementing on-premise business applications for teaching and classroom use. This significantly reduces the investment and time needed to incorporate modern business management tools into the classroom. In partnership with Oracle Academy, The Hub of Analytics Education provides educational business data hosted in the NetSuite cloud ERP. In the free webcast, educators teaching accounting and other business courses were able to learn how to use The Hub’s cloud-hosted big dataset in their courses—free. The Hub uses NetSuite to host data for a fictional company called Bibtor LLC. In the webcast, attendees learned more about: Accessing the Bibitor dataset and reading, running reports on, and exporting the data in NetSuite Using the data in conjunction with supplemental materials on The Hub to conduct analytics exercises in the classroom Guiding students in using data to draw conclusions about business operations or make business decisions. NetSuite helps educators prepare students for the business world by building the cloud-based SaaS skills that today’s employers seek. We thank Charlie Bame-Aldred for his work and expertise in leading this valuable webcast, and all the educators who attended. Watch the recorded webcast and learn more about our NetSuite solutions.

In October 2018, Oracle Academy offered a webcast exploring NetSuite, led by Charlie Bame-Aldred, co-founder of The Hub of Analytics Education and executive professor of Accounting at Northeastern...

Since September 2018, Oracle Academy has worked with students from La Unidad Profesional Interdisciplinaria de Ingeniería y Ciencias Sociales y Administrativas (UPIICSA), part of the Instituto Politécnico Nacional, in Mexico, in collaboration with Oracle Volunteers and Oracle Corporate Citizenship. This is the first mentoring project in the region for Institutional members of Oracle Academy. The objective of this project is to motivate students to continue their studies so by the end of the sessions, they have a broader picture of the labor market and access to better job opportunities in the technology industry. To achieve this, each student is assigned to an Oracle Volunteer mentor, who guides and shares his or her experience, expertise, and knowledge to help the student succeed in their computing studies and in the labor market. Currently in Mexico, 16 active Oracle Volunteers serve as mentors to 31 computer science engineering students from UPIICSA. Students attended an exciting kickoff meeting and then two mentoring sessions in their facilities, where Oracle Volunteers shared with them information and the necessary tools to have a successful job interview, create an effective resume, main points that a recruiter evaluates, and guidance on how to find their first job. Oracle experts also dedicated their time to prepare several talks on topics such as chatbots and cybersecurity, and provided an Oracle Cloud demo. In addition, the students also received a complete session to discover design thinking and how this can be used to achieve their dreams and objectives. Oracle Academy is constantly developing new approaches with the students and teachers of our strategic Institutional member partners and thus continues to transform education in computer science for institutions, educators and students in Latin America and the Caribbean. Thank you to all the Oracle Volunteers in our subsidiaries in our Oracle office in Mexico who make this project possible.

Since September 2018, Oracle Academy has worked with students from La Unidad Profesional Interdisciplinaria de Ingeniería y Ciencias Sociales y Administrativas (UPIICSA), part of the Instituto...

Oracle Academy recently participated in the first Taiwan Leading Education Expo dedicated to school educators: EDTECH TAIWAN. This new event, which took place in December 2018 in Taipei, was organized by the Taipei Computer Association and Ministry of Science and Technology, and is now Taiwan’s signature education event. The Expo brought together more than 200 exhibitors and over 3,000 Taiwan educators and school leaders. The Expo will provide an annual platform for educators in Taiwan to discover the latest developments in educational resources and learning technology.    Oracle Academy Country Manager in Taiwan, Francine Yang, delivered a session on the Oracle Academy global philanthropic education program, describing how educators may use its free education resources and curriculum to teach students computing at higher education or secondary education institutions. She provided attendees with an opportunity to explore the Oracle Academy offerings that help institutions and educators advance computing science education for their students. We look forward to continuing to share information on Oracle Academy curriculum with institutions and educators in Taiwan. Not yet a member of Oracle Academy? To take advantage of free Oracle Academy computing education curriculum and resources, learn more about joining Oracle Academy as an Instititional member.

Oracle Academy recently participated in the first Taiwan Leading Education Expo dedicated to school educators: EDTECH TAIWAN. This new event, which took place in December 2018 in Taipei, was organized...

On October 20-21, 2018, Oracle and Oracle Academy welcomed 400 students to Oracle Code 4 Kids, a fun hands-on programming event to inspire the next generation of developers and provide students ages 10-16 with the opportunity to learn and practice coding, robotics projects and more. The event was held at Oracle headquarters, Redwood Shores, California, prior to Oracle OpenWorld and Oracle CodeOne. Event keynote speakers included Eric Brown, director of The Alice Project, Carnegie Mellon University, and Dr. Ayodele Thomas, director, Greene Scholars Program, an Oracle Diversity and Inclusion partner. “The energy and enthusiasm of the kids at the event was incredible,” said Brown. “The most inspiring part of the experience for me was the diversity of the attendees. It was truly an inclusive event that promoted the beauty of technology to excite everyone to learn.” The event was sponsored by Oracle Academy. To increase diversity in computing and bring technology opportunities to students who may be disadvantaged, free registration codes were provided to almost half of the attendees, and all paid registration proceeds were donated to SBE and the Greene Scholars Program. Michelle Kovac, director, Oracle Java Marketing and Operations, planned the event. Special thanks to Tyra Crockett, senior manager, Oracle Academy North America, for all her work on the program. “This event was a great example of Oracle’s commitment to the developer community, both current and future developers and innovators like these kids,” said Stephen Chin, director, Developer Marketing, Oracle Groundbreakers Team, and Oracle Code content chair. “This event had great community support and 20 different sessions to appeal to kids of various interests. We’re grateful to educators and parents who continue to encourage kids in developing the tech innovations of the future.” “It was super exciting to see so many kids attend and really get into computer science and programming,” said Crockett. “We’re happy so many of the kids’ teachers and parents support applied computing experience. The sessions were so fun and let the kids get hands-on practice and really see what they could do with just a little instruction—like animate robots, build games, or create circuits. The Finch Robot flash mob dance was one of my favorite parts!” Watch the event video to view some of the exciting projects students worked on. Workshops Covered a Range of Computing Topics Oracle Code 4 Kids offered 14 engaging workshops on the following topics: Alice—An innovative object-oriented programming environment that makes it easy to create animations, build interactive narratives, or program simple games in 3D, Alice is designed to teach logical and computational thinking skills and fundamental principles of programming. ChucK, My Friend for Programming Music—A programming language for real-time sound synthesis and music creation, ChucK offers a unique time-based, concurrent programming model that's precise and expressive; dynamic control rates; and the ability to add and modify code on the fly. This session provided the opportunity to develop a program to create simple compositions in real time, using the basic concepts of programming. Fun with Python Programming and Introduction to Python—Students learned how to write simple and fun programs, input/output statements, and logical conditional statements, and built simple GUI Python games and apps. Students used critical thinking to solve real-world problems, tackling control structures, syntax rules, library accessing, and more. Play Soccer with Lego Mindstorms—These programmable bricks from Lego can be combined with electric motors, transmitters, ultrasonic sensors, and ultraviolet color and light as well as pulleys (such as gears, axles, beams, and hydraulic components) to build robots and other automated or interactive systems. In this fun, creative workshop, students built Lego Mindstorm robots that played soccer, with a match between two teams. Programming the Finch Robot in Greenfoot—In this Oracle Academy interactive session, students learned how to program a small Finch robot using Java in the Greenfoot environment. Each kid had their own robot and created an interface to control its functions, including directional control, light and proximity sensors, sounds, colors, and accelerometers. The session ended with a robot flashmob dance! Space Exploration with Scratch—An interactive and creative exploration of space and computer science with the MIT Scratch language, this session wove together computing and the basics of space technology, teaching students to write programs to solve basic problems using Scratch. The instructor was a former rocket scientist. Squishy Circuits—This hands-on lesson covered the basics of electronics, using Play-Doh to create connections. Participants learned about the difference between conductors and insulators, basic parts for building a circuit, and the path of electricity. Building Your First ReactJS App—For students interested in building their own interactive web app, this class started with a basic HTML website and then incorporated ReactJS to make it interactive, so kids could insert JavaScript into their HTML code. The program was created by Facebook and is used by numerous industry leaders, including Tesla, Twitter, Walmart, Skype, and many more. Coding and Concepts with Java Puzzle Ball—Users of popular languages such as Java, C++, C#, and Python can do object-oriented programming, a staple of computer science education but also is a new way of thinking that can be difficult for learners. The Oracle Java Puzzle Ball builds learners’ understanding of key programming concepts: class design, static versus instance variables, inheritance, and lambda expressions. Introduction to Arduino—In this session, participants were introduced to the Arduino platform, learning what an Arduino development board is, parts that correlate with it, the basics of programming in Arduino C, and practicing projects to become familiar with the interface and electronics. Java Programming for Beginners Using BlueJ—BlueJ, a simple Java platform, lets users implement object-oriented programming concepts, offering visualization and the ability to create objects and interact with them. The session offered applied computer science concepts blended with simple, fun problems to solve so participants easily could start programming in Java. Oracle Academy Arcade—This arcade let kids explore their workshop of choice: Programming an arcade game in Greenfoot, programming the Finch Robot in Greenfoot, or solving a series of crimes using a SQL database. Building and Programming a Robot with Scratch—In this session, participants built an mBot programmable robot and directed it with Scratch to flash lights, play sounds, and move. Game Development with George—Participants learned the basic programming concepts of George such as functions and recursion and applied them to geometry, game design, and math. Gotta Catch 'Em All! Raspberry Pi and Java Pokemon Training—The Pokemon escaped the laboratory and were running amuck! Using a miniature Raspberry Pi computer, a 3D-printed pokeball, and the Java programming language, students were able to catch all the escaped Pokemon and return them to the professor. Python with the Warriors—Using Golden State Warriors themed interactive programs, students used Python to create variables, use the Python console, and write fun scoring games, using if, else, and while conditional statements. Be a DJ with Code—Sam Aaron, professional DJ and live coding expert, came from the UK to teach kids how to turn code into music using the Sonic Pi software. Aaron showed students how to write and modify simple routines to generate fun and interesting music as computer DJs. Building Your First Website with HTML and CSS—This session showed kids the basics of how to develop a personal website, including HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, plus embedding videos, animation, and design, with their very own personalized website hosted on GitHub. Playing Programming with Kids and a Robot—A robot is a great tool for showing what programming can do. This session shared the speaker's experience of doing several different projects with kids of different ages using a BB-8 robot to inspire participants to start to program. Oracle plans to host Oracle Code 4 Kids next year on September 14-15, 2019. Attend an Alice Workshop If you’re a K-12 educator in North America interested in offering Alice to your students, register for our upcoming one-hour webcast with Eric Brown on January 9, 4 p.m. PST, Get Your Students Started in Programming Using Alice. The webcast will cover: 1) A live demo of Alice world 2) Fun ways to use Alice to get your students started in programming 3) Free Oracle Academy resources using Alice Register here.  

On October 20-21, 2018, Oracle and Oracle Academy welcomed 400 students to Oracle Code 4 Kids, a fun hands-on programming event to inspire the next generation of developers and provide students...

By Chris Saxon Every application needs to store its data somewhere. This is highly likely to be in a relational database. And how do you access this data? With SQL. Structured Query Language (SQL) is one of the most enduring technologies around. It's so successful that many non-relational, "NoSQL" databases are scrambling to add SQL interfaces. For students who are interested in becoming a developer, data analyst or database administrator, it's almost certain they'll need to use SQL at some point in their careers. Knowing how to use it will be an invaluable skill throughout their programming life. But where do learners begin? A Free SQL Tutorial for Beginners Oracle Dev Gym introduces Databases for Developers: Foundations. This 12-part tutorial teaches students the basics of SQL, including how to create database tables, query, and store data in them. Each module starts with a video introducing a database concept. These entertaining videos give an overview of the feature. An interactive LiveSQL tutorial follows. These flesh out the syntax details and enable learners to practice writing real SQL statements. Finally, to check that learners have understood the content, each module finishes with a series of quizzes. The best part? This tutorial is 100% FREE and run completely online. So what are you waiting for? Head over to the Oracle Dev Gym and register now. Student Feedback Still not sure? Here are selected quotes from the thousands of people who joined the first version of this tutorial. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive: "Considered as being aimed at beginner developers, the class covered many aspects, including some that are almost beyond a beginner level. But it did it in a very intuitive way, and I am sure that all the newcomers have enjoyed it." Iudith "Keep the great job. The material is explained in a very clear way! I would like to see more of your classes." Manuel "Videos were very fun, I enjoyed them too much. Quiz answers were highly detailed and well explained." Tolga "That it introduced me to databases in the friendliest way I've seen so far." topofkeks "The videos were great and I loved that Chris provided examples and made real life comparisons to help us understand the concepts." Alisha  "Great for beginners." Kashif  "I loved the images Chris chose to use in the videos; they added a funny visual component that made the concepts easy to recall later on. Also, the pace - keeping the segments to 5-10 minutes made it easy to process one concept before moving on to the next." "Very concentrated content. Did not take very long to get the concepts across. I appreciated the casual and comical approach to the explanations. Offering this content for a beginner at no cost is an extremely generous and helpful resource, and is a testament to the commitment of all who were involved." Frequently Asked Questions What will students learn? This course will teach the basics of SQL and working with Oracle Database. It covers the following topics: Module 1: Tables Module 2: Columns and Data Types Module 3: Data Modeling Module 4: Tables, Columns and Modeling Review Module 5: Select and Where Module 6: Joins Module 7: Aggregates and Group By Module 8: Select, Joins and Grouping Review Module 9: Insert and Commit Module 10: Update and Transactions Module 11: Delete and Truncate Module 12: Course Review How much does this cost? Nothing. Nada. Nil. Zilch. That's right, it's 100% FREE! My students missed the start. Can they still join? Yes! They can join Databases for Developers at any time, as it’s all online. When does the course end? The modules have no fixed end date. Once someone registers, he or she can take open classes whenever they want. How much time will it take? We estimate that this will take up to 30 minutes per module. What if learners fall behind? This is a self-paced course. Once registered, students have lifetime access to these materials to review at any time and complete it at their leisure. What is the format of this course? The course is a combination of: Videos designed to teach database concepts. Coding tutorials to practice skills. Quizzes to deepen knowledge. Do students need access to an Oracle Database? No! This is a fully online course. The materials are designed so learners can complete the course without a database. And to practice what they’ve learned, they can head to LiveSQL, a free, browser-based tool they can use to write SQL. Does each student receive a certificate for completing this course? Yes! If one completes all the exercises, he or she receives a certificate of achievement. If students already have a good working knowledge of SQL and Oracle Database, is this course right for them? This course is aimed at beginners. It assumes no prior knowledge of SQL or Oracle Database. For advanced users, there may be little new. But it never hurts to brush up on the basics, right? ;) For students confident with the basics who want to go beyond, we recommend Databases for Developers: Next Level. For unanswered questions, who do I contact? You can reach out to Chris Saxon on Twitter Ready? Head over to the Oracle Dev Gym and join!

By Chris Saxon Every application needs to store its data somewhere. This is highly likely to be in a relational database. And how do you access this data? With SQL. Structured Query Language (SQL) is one...

As part of their ongoing studies in computer programming, 64 final year students and three faculty from Funabashi Joho Business College of Technology in Chiba, Japan, visited the Oracle office in Tokyo. The college is an Institutional Member of Oracle Academy, and as a member benefit, the students had the opportunity to learn more about programming as a career and the daily work of a programmer, and participate in technical sessions that provided insight into the technical skills most in demand. Hosted by Oracle Academy, the sessions were led by Daisuke Okada, senior manager, Oracle University in Japan. He covered the importance of Oracle certification to help students gain a competitive edge when seeking internships or jobs. To prepare its students for tech careers, the Funabashi Joho Business College of Technology has helped its students achieve Oracle certifications, with 44 students becoming Certified Java Programmers this year alone. These students will graduate from the School of IT Engineering & Information Processing in March 2019 ready to start their careers in the IT industry as programmers or software engineers. The students also took a tour of the Oracle office, which provided them with an understanding of the day-to-day operations of a large IT company. Takehiro Iida, a faculty member of the IT Engineering & Information Processing department at college, said of the visit, “…we are glad to have an informative message to our students from one of the top IT companies, helping the students keep their motivation.”

As part of their ongoing studies in computer programming, 64 final year students and three faculty from Funabashi Joho Business College of Technology in Chiba, Japan, visited the Oracle office...

Oracle Academy recently joined with the Department of Computing at the National University of Science & Technology (NUST) in Islamabad to provide students with a knowledge-building seminar on autonomous databases and machine learning, two of the key technologies Oracle focuses on. The informational session was provided by Atif Humayun, Oracle consulting manager in Pakistan, who volunteered his time for this event. Students were from the School of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science (SEECS). “The seminar was extremely informative, and the high participation illustrated the importance of these topics to our students and faculty. Oracle Academy is an excellent initiative, and we appreciate you taking time to provide us with timely information,” said Dr. Anis ur Rahman, PhD, head of the Department of Computer Science, NUST. “The positive responses to the talk are a reflection of Oracle's acceptance and credibility within the technology industry.” Learn more about Oracle Academy courses on database and machine learning in Java.

Oracle Academy recently joined with the Department of Computing at the National University of Science & Technology (NUST) in Islamabad to provide students with a knowledge-building seminar...

The next wave of digital transformation is utilizing technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to transform economies, industries, and employment. These technologies are creating a demand for new skills and are requiring students to think computationally so they are prepared to participate in the digital workforce of the future. Recognizing the importance of bringing these real-world technology skills to students, Oracle Academy held two round-table events that brought together 30 faculty members from 18 key universities in Ankara (on October 24, 2018) and Istanbul (on November 6, 2018) to foster collaboration between industry and higher education. These participant-driven roundtables allowed us to inform faculty members about current developments in emerging technologies and hear from them on the challenges they face in equipping their students with the skills needed to move successfully from college to career. We concluded the events with fruitful discussions around the ways that Oracle Academy can enhance our engagement with universities. Part of the discussion focused on how they can better implement our new course curriculum on artificial intelligence and machine learning, as well as the modular Education Bytes, which offer instructional materials on database, programming, and data science for them to use within their classrooms. We thank these dedicated faculty members for their interest in continuing to enhance their computer science offerings to help prepare their students for fulfilling careers in today’s economy.  Learn more about our full course curriculum.  

The next wave of digital transformation is utilizing technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to transform economies, industries, and employment. These technologies...

On September 28, Oracle Academy was proud to participate in the event “4.0 Industry” at the Faculty of Public Accounting and Administration (FACPYA) at the Autonomous University of Nuevo Leon (UANL), Mexico. We participated in different conferences and workshops on object-oriented programming (Java). During the event, Pablo Morales Lopez, Oracle deal manager, and José Orozco, Oracle Academy country manager, had the opportunity to share with more than 2,000 student attendees a full day centered on Oracle Academy technology and resources available to educators and students. In addition, Oracle Academy Mexico hosted a workshop, “Introduction to Programming with Alice,” that more than 150 students attended. These participants, all earning Bachelor's Degrees in information technology, public accounting, or administration, enthusiastically created animations in 3D using the Alice platform. The Keynote Conference hosted by Oracle Academy focused on “Blockchain and Fintech in Mexico.” Lopez spoke about the general panorama of Mexico, second place in Latin America and leading the Fintech conversation and topics around it. Complementing the presentation, José Orozco discussed the benefits that students and teachers receive through Oracle Academy, including materials centered on teaching and learning about important topics such as ERP, big data, and artificial intelligence. The event was attended by Dr. Maria Eugenia Garcia de la Peña, director of the Faculty of Public Accounting and Administration (FACPYA), M.D.O. Arturo Martinez Lerma, deputy managing director of FACPYA, Dr. Roxana Saldivar Del Angel, deputy director of FACPYA, and M.E.S. Jose Luis Ramos Martinez, coordinator of information technologies. Oracle Academy is committed to bringing computing education across Latin America and the Caribbean. We thank Jose Orozco and Pablo Morales Lopez for their valuable leadership and support during this important event.

On September 28, Oracle Academy was proud to participate in the event “4.0 Industry” at the Faculty of Public Accounting and Administration (FACPYA) at the Autonomous University of Nuevo Leon (UANL),...

Oracle Academy recently hosted a series of two webcasts on Oracle Database and Oracle Application Express (APEX) for students and teachers from five countries in Sub-Sahara Africa: Kenya, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Ivory Coast and Ghana. The webcasts were led by Joel Kallman, Oracle senior director for software development and a leader in the APEX community. Oracle APEX is a cloud-based application practice environment. Many faculty used classroom hours for their students to attend the webcasts, and other teachers and students connected in groups and individually to join Kallman in exploring practical sessions on how to use APEX. The sessions also addressed challenging topics and roadblocks that can hinder learning and teaching. Following the first webcast, participants had projects to work on and solve prior to the next one. The first session covered: Explanation of Oracle database Demonstration of APEX and code application development Demonstration of APEX as an effective tool to introduce other software development topics Assignment: Assign yourself a workspace on APEX Session two covered: Review of the assignment How to get started with APEX A live session on using APEX This series was the first of its kind in Sub-Sahara Africa, and the results were impressive. Due to the engagement of attendees, the Oracle APEX community has expressed interest in continuing to support the growing community in Africa. Thank you to Joel Kallman for dedicating his time and support to fostering this growth.    

Oracle Academy recently hosted a series of two webcasts on Oracle Database and Oracle Application Express (APEX) for students and teachers from five countries in Sub-Sahara Africa: Kenya, Nigeria,...

In October, Oracle Academy announced a partnership with the Federal Ministry of Education (FMoE) of Nigeria to create new and advanced computing education pathways for teachers and students. Through the agreement, the FMoE plans to integrate Oracle Academy computer science curriculum and resources countrywide across 10,000 academic institutions, reaching more than 1.5 million students. Over the next three years, Oracle Academy also will facilitate the training of 4,000 secondary school and higher education educators to teach computer science. These trainings will prepare educators as instructors for the following Oracle Academy courses: Database Foundations Database Design and Programming with SQL Programming with PL/SQL Java Foundations Java Fundamentals Java Programming The Federal Ministry of Education has reviewed the National Policy on ICT in Education and has developed national guidelines for its implementation mapped to Oracle Academy curriculum. “As we are all aware, ICT has become the driver of competitiveness in the world today. It has redefined efficiency and productivity, and changed the dynamics of the world of work. Oracle Academy is well-known globally for the advancement of computer science education. There is therefore, no doubt that our partnership will bring great improvements to the education sector and Nigeria as a whole,” says permanent secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Arch, Sonny S.T Echono. Preparing Learners with Skills for Fulfilling Careers “As technological innovation increasingly drives our global economy, computer science skills become even more critical,” says Adebayo Sanni, managing director, Oracle Nigeria. “We look forward to continuing our collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Education in Nigeria through Oracle Academy, and advancing our collective educational mission to support students and teachers in computer science and drive diversity in technology.” The government in Nigeria believes that the country’s education system must prepare its learners for the demands of the 21st century by producing skilled workers at various levels who can play an active role in driving growth within the country. To achieve its goals, the country’s public and private sectors must collaborate effectively. “This is truly an exciting time for Oracle. This is what happens when hard work meets opportunity. It’s an opportunity to deliver the largest partnership that has ever been seen in Africa,” said Sanni. The agreement signed with the Nigeria Federal Ministry of Education in Abuja, Nigeria, is the largest limited partnership agreement (LPA) in Oracle Academy history. The 10,000 academic institutions will become Oracle Academy Institutional members, with support offered to all faculty. Thank you to Oracle Academy Country Manager Oluwasefunmi Fadahunsi, business practices and operations advisor Lahrin Koucky, Adebayo Sanni, and other Oracle Academy staff for their hard work on bringing this project to fruition. The event was reported in numerous publications, including the following. TV360 Nigeria: Television news story NaijaPR: http://www.naijapr.com/oracle-academy-partners-with-education-ministry-to-help-over-1-5-million-students/ TechcityNG: https://www.techcityng.com/oracle-academy-joins-the-federal-ministry-of-education-nigeria-to-advance-computing-education/ Techpoint: https://techpoint.africa/2018/10/17/oracle-academy-joins-the-federal-ministry-of-education-nigeria-to-advance-computing-education/ ITWeb Africa: http://www.itwebafrica.com/ict-and-governance/265-nigeria/245013-oracle-academy-steps-up-ict-training-in-nigeria Vanguard: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/10/fg-oracle-academy-partner-on-new-computing-education-pathways-for-students/ Interested in learning more about becoming an Institutional member of Oracle Academy? Learn more and join.

In October, Oracle Academy announced a partnership with the Federal Ministry of Education (FMoE) of Nigeria to create new and advanced computing education pathways for teachers and students. Through...

For the first time in Greece, primary school students learned to code in Java using Alice. As part of the EU Code Week, on October 20 and 21, 100 students from the fourth, fifth and sixth grades of primary schools from Evros, Crete, Nafpaktos, Trikala, Karpenisi, Chalkida, and Athens were introduced to coding with Java using Alice during a two-day event at the National Library of Greece. The children, escorted by their IT teachers and parents, spent the weekend learning how to create 3D animation stories with the educational software Alice, based on workshop material provided by Oracle Academy. The five teachers who taught the students, were trained, along with 13 more, during a teachers’ workshop, “Getting Started with Java Using Alice” in September. The event was organized by the Unit of Innovation and Best Practices of Ministry of Administrative Reconstruction (MAR). MAR is responsible for the coordination of the National Digital Coalition for Skills and Jobs, of which Oracle Academy is an active member, and the Unit of Innovation and Best Practices has the responsibility of its operational planning. We thank all those organizations that provided support to make this event possible, including the municipalities of the participating schools that provided travel expenses, the National Library of Greece that provided the lab space, Revive Greece, which provided the laptops needed, and EELLAK, which provided a 3D printer. The Greek Public TV covered the opening and start of the workshops. Watch a video (in Greek language) that aired on the ERT1 channel. We thank Eleni Tsipa, PR and corporate citizenship specialist, GCMM cluster, and Antonis Monokrousos, country leader for Oracle Hellas, for attending the opening ceremony and supporting Oracle Academy in the region. We look forward to Oracle Academy program implementation in even more Greek schools in the future. Interested in introducing this program or other fun programming workshops in your schools? Learn more about Oracle Academy workshops here, including Getting Started with Java Using Alice, Creating Java Programs with Greenfoot, and Programming the Finch Robot in Greenfoot.

For the first time in Greece, primary school students learned to code in Java using Alice. As part of the EU Code Week, on October 20 and 21, 100 students from the fourth, fifth and sixth grades...

To celebrate and promote women in computing, ACM India, the ACM Women chapter of Ahmedabad University, in conjunction with Oracle Academy, conducted the Third National-Level Hackathon for Women in Computing in October. The theme of projects was creating a “Sustainable Smart Society." The hackathon invited open platform application development, and participating teams could decide whether to develop a web or mobile application, or any kind of software, centered on the theme. Hackathons are proving grounds for new ideas and tools to stimulate the creative and problem-solving juices of computer aspirants. The event was designed to inspire and empower girls to come forward and unveil their talents in computing technology. The goal of the hackathon was to inspire current and potential developers, designers, and entrepreneurs to come together, form connections and apply their skills to creating something of value. Participants found the hackathon to be an intellectually stimulating activity that spurred ideas for innovation and collaboration. The first round of the ACM-W Hackathon received tremendous response, with registration of 300-plus teams of computer aspirants from all over India, ready to exhibit their talents and innovative thinking capabilities. A team of highly professional industry representatives and ACM members evaluated the ideas of each team. Judges assessed each idea for innovation and implementation, and its application in creating a Sustainable Smart Society. A shortlist of 10 teams were selected for the grand finale. All the top 10 finalist teams, accompanied by their respective mentors, participated in an exciting on-site final round. Each of these teams had 24 hours to successfully run their application and showcase their idea to the judging panel. A team from the School of Engineering and Applied Science, Ahmedabad University, won first place for a “Know Your Own Surroundings” app that allows users to determine pollution levels and other contaminants in their surroundings. A team from Goa University won second place with “Medikit,” an app that helps users keep track of medications and gives timely reminders to take medicine. A team from Amrita School of Engineering won third place with their “Elderly Fall Detection System” app, which sends out an SOS in case of a fall. Finally, another team from Ahmedabad University, School of Computer Studies, won a special mention for its innovative project, a “Data Security Using Data Masking” project. Students placing first, second, and third place won cash prizes, trophies and certificates. We at Oracle Academy enthusiastically encourage and support such inventive young women, the tech innovators and leaders of the future.

To celebrate and promote women in computing, ACM India, the ACM Women chapter of Ahmedabad University, in conjunction with Oracle Academy, conducted the Third National-Level Hackathon for Women...

Oracle Academy recently provided a group of students in their final year of engineering study with the opportunity for industry interaction through visits to Oracle’s offices in Hyderabad and Bangalore. The students met with Oracle senior leaders, the Oracle campus recruitment team, and recent campus graduate hires and employees. They had the opportunity to learn about Oracle, trends in the IT industry, and emerging technologies from senior Oracle staff, including Senior Director, Supply Chain Financial Orchestration, Gautham Mangari and Director, Oracle E-business Manufacturing and SCM Suite, Chandu Tadanki. Oracle hires who were recent graduates shared valuable insights on how they prepared for a career in IT and why they picked Oracle as their first organization to work for. They shared inspiring personal stories of their journey from campus to corporate life. Campus recruiter Shilpa Nanjundaiah shared her experiences as she travels to universities to recruit students for Oracle roles, and conducted a workshop on preparing for job interviews and resume writing and soft skills. Oracle Academy would like to thank our partners from Telangana Academy for Skills and Knowledge (TASK) and the ICT Academy for supporting this initiative to help aspiring students get career ready and get a peek into Oracle as an organization.

Oracle Academy recently provided a group of students in their final year of engineering study with the opportunity for industry interaction through visits to Oracle’s offices in Hyderabad...

Oracle Academy was delighted to participate in the 2018 Java Community Conference held in Taiwan in October, with over 500 participants, including developers, startups, tech companies and academics. Oracle Academy delivered a session on Oracle Academy’s global philanthropic program, describing how educators may use its free computing education resources to teach students at higher education or secondary education institutions. We described the flexible, modular resources Oracle Academy offers to help institutions and educators advance diversity in computing and create better life and career opportunities for their students. Oracle experts also provided information of note at this significant annual event. Yudi Zheng, Senior Researcher, Oracle Labs, was a keynote speaker, and Ivan Tu , MySQL APAC Principal Sales Consultant, also presented. The Java Community Conference is organized by the Taiwan Java User Group and centered around the Java programming language and related technologies. The conference offers a space for Java programmers to meet and discuss developments in Java, and provides a networking environment for meeting like-minded professionals.

Oracle Academy was delighted to participate in the 2018 Java Community Conference held in Taiwan in October, with over 500 participants, including developers, startups, tech companies and academics. Ora...

By William McRae, Educator Now that the new academic year or term is well underway for all of us, I’m back in the staff room discussing working with a new group of students and the opportunities that it brings. In the classroom, students are still excited about the material we’re working on. I have a diverse mix of subjects I’m teaching, including database design and programming and programming in Java—and for the first time I have applications development as well.  With first- and second-year diploma and degree classes here in the U.K., I have a wide range of abilities to cater to this year. Thankfully, I have Oracle Academy curriculum to back me up. I have been a member of Oracle Academy since 2009, across two higher education colleges, and have attended teacher training events in multiple curriculum. I use Oracle Academy curriculum in my classroom as the main delivery tool for all subjects relating to database and programming subjects, and I’ll be introducing the students to applications development this year, so that will be something new for both of us. New curriculum offerings There are lots of new additions to the Oracle Academy curriculum this year. I’ve reviewed the updates and I’m impressed with what I see. There’s a new course, Artificial Intelligence with Machine Learning in Java, which I’m checking out to see how I can use it to introduce this important topic to my students. AI and machine learning are the future, after all! I also note there is a brand-new section called Oracle Academy Education Bytes, which are made up of hands-on labs, videos and presentations, and projects and challenges. I think I can use these to aid my in-class delivery. With the Education Bytes at different levels from beginner and intermediate up to advanced level in Java subjects, it means that all my students will be accommodated. If I have a range of abilities in one class, no one will get left behind, as they all can work on the same exercises with different levels of assistance to suit their current levels of understanding. I watch the new videos, including the Oracle Innovate: Lessons from Entrepreneurs series; interesting. I realize I can use these to start discussions and give the students insight into the professional world that they are heading into. These look like a great resource for my students to get insight into what young entrepreneurs should know, and there are some nice examples of the personal development they can focus on to help them achieve their ambitions. Delving deeper into these Education Bytes, I’m pleased to see there are hands-on labs for different technologies that include some short duration content. The new content on big data looks especially interesting, and I look forward to trying it out with my more advanced student groups. It’s always been difficult to give the students practical experience in big data, but not now! My students and I are excited to continue exploring these new Oracle Academy resources throughout the school year. Continue to engage your students this year with Oracle Academy database and object-oriented programming (Java) curriculum, Oracle Academy Education Bytes videos and presentations, hands-on labs, and projects and challenges, and the new Artificial Intelligence with Machine Learning in Java course. Log in to iLearning and explore!

By William McRae, Educator Now that the new academic year or term is well underway for all of us, I’m back in the staff room discussing working with a new group of students and the opportunities that...

Oracle Academy, Oracle Staff Attend CECIIS Conference, Present on Blockchain Varaždin, the picturesque and colorful “baroque capital” of Croatia, has been since 1974 the seat of the Croatian Faculty of Organization and Informatics of the University of Zagreb. On September 19-21, 2018, the organization hosted its 29th Central European Conference on the Intelligent and Information Systems (CECIIS). This year’s conference focused on topics such as data and knowledge bases, as well as education and learning analytics, all areas where Oracle is a clear global technology leader. The faculty have been Oracle Academy members since September 2015, and this conference was an excellent opportunity not just to again brief educators and students on the numerous Oracle Academy benefits available to them, but also to present the latest information from Oracle on the Oracle Blockchain Cloud Service. The presentation, delivered by Ivan Delić, Solution Engineer from Oracle Croatia, explored perspectives on using blockchain outside the cryptocurrency world, and illustrated how this newer technology can address business challenges in major industries. The cooperation between Oracle Academy and the Faculty of Organization and Informatics (home of Oracle-related teaching and learning for more than two decades) will continue as the organizations jointly explore new opportunities brought to Croatia and Eastern Europe by various EU programs that support closer connections and collaboration between academia and the technology industry. Oracle Academy Supports Central European Olympiad of Informatics in Poland Oracle Academy supported the Central European Olympiad in Informatics (CEOI) for the first time this year. CEOI is an international programming competition for secondary school students, organized on annual basis since 1994, and is the ultimate preparation step for winners of the national programming competitions before attending the International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI). The 25th Olympiad, CEOI 2018, was held on August 12-18, 2018, in Warsaw, Poland, at the Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics, and Mechanics of the Warsaw University, under the patronage of the Polish Ministry of National Education. Students from the Central European countries of Croatia, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia participate at the CEOI on regular basis, while student teams from Azerbaijan, Austria, Georgia, Italy, and Switzerland were invited to participate as guests. Each country sent a team of up to four contestants, winners of their national Olympiads in informatics, which competed individually in solving problems of algorithmic nature in different programming languages. Student teams were accompanied by their leaders, usually older or PhD students, faculty staff, or IT professionals. In total, 55 contestants and 25 team leaders took part in the CEOI competition this year. This year, Java, the programming language in highest demand on the market, according to third-party sources like TIOBE index, was one of the supported programming languages at the CEOI competition, which we see as an important step towards including Java as a programming language at the national competitions level in Central European Countries as well. Learn more by visiting the CEOI 2018 website, and view photos from the competition on the CEOI 2018 Facebook page.  

Oracle Academy, Oracle Staff Attend CECIIS Conference, Present on Blockchain Varaždin, the picturesque and colorful “baroque capital” of Croatia, has been since 1974 the seat of the Croatian Faculty...

October 2018 has been a busy month in Romania, with Oracle Academy involved in many projects that support the computing development of both students and educators. Oracle Volunteers Get Ready to Help Students with Java Using Alice Projects On October 4, 2018, in Bucharest, Oracle Academy and Oracle Women Lead (OWL) Romania ran a pilot event, a two-hour workshop that trained Oracle Volunteers on the Getting Started with Java Using Alice platform. Two facilitators, Oana Pupaza and Viorica Nica, assisted 16 Oracle Romania volunteers to learn how to create an animation project using the Alice platform. Volunteers participating in this pilot will be equipped and educated so they can get involved with their local high schools and assist teachers to help grade 9 or 10 students to start to learn Java programming using the Alice platform. We hope to repeat this exciting pilot to bring more computing knowledge to students in the area. Oracle Academy Attends Opening of the New Database Master Support for Business Program On October 9, 2018, Oracle Academy Romania participated in the opening event of the Database Master Support for Business (BDSA) program of The Academy of Economic Studies, Bucharest. The Masters course is aimed at students who want to thoroughly deepen their knowledge of new information technology, and at those who want to develop or improve their technical business skills. The key objectives of the Masters course are to teach students to be specialists in the field of databases, and involve master students in internship programs and projects that ultimately lead to technology jobs. BDSA students study subjects from the Oracle Academy Curriculum: Evolved Database Systems (SQL and PL/SQL), Cloud Database Integration (APEX), Java Database Development Platform (Java courses), Integration of Information Systems (Big Data), and Big Data Management (Big Data). BDSA students also benefit from the experience of Oracle professionals and specialists who support workshops in the master’s program disciplines. Oracle Academy Romania invited our colleague, Victor Maghiari, to present at the event on the importance of personal branding, “How to Brand Yourself.” Learn more about the BDSA program here. Oracle Academy Proud to Sponsor Romanian Master of Informatics (RMI) Sixth Edition Oracle Academy staff had the opportunity to attend the opening of the sixth edition of the Romanian Master of Informatics, RMI 2018, which was held in Bucharest from October 10 to October 13, 2018. The event was hosted by the Tudor Vianu National High School of Computer Science. The program provided questions related to informatics that participants needed to answer. Participants in this contest were 27 teams from eight countries: Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russia and Serbia. RMI provides a great opportunity for young people to demonstrate their abilities in informatics, exchange knowledge, make new friends from different countries, visit Romania, and enhance cross-cultural contacts in high school education. Learn more about the RMI event.

October 2018 has been a busy month in Romania, with Oracle Academy involved in many projects that support the computing development of both students and educators. Oracle Volunteers Get Ready to Help...

Oracle Academy recently supported the #mydigitalmaker event held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, by the Malaysian Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) and the Ministry of Education of Malaysia. The two-day event showcased joint initiatives by the public, private and academic sectors to equip Malaysian youth for participating in and holding careers in the digital economy. According to the event, this includes skills such as coding, app development, 3D printing, robotics, embedded programming and data analytics; all of which ultimately help strengthen problem-solving and creativity. The Fair notes that digital innovations are disrupting all sectors and creating new job opportunities, and that 90% of all future jobs will require digital competencies. The digital economy is expected to contribute to 18.2% of the Malaysian GDP by 2020. The event was attended by more than 40,000 participants from primary and secondary schools through to university, and included engaging exhibitions, workshops and competitions, plus a career fair and talks by leading industry experts on the digital maker movement. Mohamed Fitri Abdullah, managing director of Oracle Malaysia, presented on “Rebooting Jobs/ Computer Science Skills Across the Job Market,” which examined how computer science skills are in demand, even for jobs where a computer science major is not a requirement. Oracle Academy staff also conducted a workshop for teachers focused on using Alice 3D as an introductory Java development tool developing 3D animations, for those students with little or no programming experience. Learn more about this initiative at the #MyDigitalMaker Fair website.

Oracle Academy recently supported the #mydigitalmaker event held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, by the Malaysian Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) and the Ministry of Education of Malaysia. The two-day...

Aligned with the Singapore government's focus on digitalization, the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) launched its inaugural Data Analytics Challenge for its three ITE colleges, under the theme “Using Data Analytics for a Better Future.” The objective of the challenge was to create awareness of data analytics among ITE students, stimulate their interest in data analytics, and provide a practical, hands-on sampling of the process and benefits of data analytics. Teams of students ages 17-19 studying various disciplines, including business, gaming, IT and electrical engineering, conducted data analysis projects related to real world social issues facing Singapore. Key topics the projects addressed included the economy and employment, education, the environment, health and wellness, infrastructure, and transport, to name a few. After conducting data analysis, student teams submitted reports drawing conclusions from their research, and then presented their findings and recommendations on how they would tackle these issues and improve lives in Singapore. Oracle Academy was pleased to support the judging panel, alongside Singapore Info-communications Media Development Authority (IMDA) and Microsoft. Twelve finalist teams, shortlisted from 63, showcased their competition entries. Winning entries were teams Challenger (Can Singapore be the safest country in the world?), UV-Ace (Does the inflation rate in Singapore affects consumers’ decisions in purchasing an HDB flat?), and MAD using data (Using Data to Enhance the Customer’s F&B Experience at Gain City Megastore @ Sungei Kadut). “It was great to see students from different disciplines working together and sharing their different perspectives toward addressing important social and economic problems facing Singapore today,” said Danny Tomic of Oracle Academy. “Using data analytics, they were able to formulate and test various hypothesis and come up with recommendations for resolving these issues. The quality of their work was outstanding.” Tomic said that ITE has confirmed that the event will take place again in 2019. “I excitedly look forward to seeing what the next group of students are able to produce,” he said.

Aligned with the Singapore government's focus on digitalization, the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) launched its inaugural Data Analytics Challenge for its three ITE colleges, under the theme...

The Oracle APEX Product Development team members Chaitanya Koratamaddi and Shakeeb Rahman recently were in India to conduct APEX meetups in the cities of Hyderabad, Chennai, and Bengaluru. At these meetups, students learned about what's new in Oracle APEX 18 and how to use APEX cloud-based environments to build beautiful, responsive apps using universal themes. In Chennai, the team collaborated with Oracle Academy to host a special Oracle APEX-focused Oracle Academy Student Day at Rajalakshmi Engineering College. This engaging event was attended by 135 students from 10 different colleges. On the day of the event, despite heavy rains and a holiday being declared by the state government, the students showed up in full strength ready to attend the APEX event. The students received an introduction to APEX and hands-on experience in creating applications. Each student was able to create a cloud-based APEX account and use it to practice creating applications. The enthusiasm of the students to learn the technology was amazing. With many more students eager to learn in cloud-based environments, the Oracle APEX team has promised to return for more events in the future.

The Oracle APEX Product Development team members Chaitanya Koratamaddi and Shakeeb Rahmanrecently were in India to conduct APEX meetups in the cities of Hyderabad, Chennai, and Bengaluru. At these...

More than 8,800 students from Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines, Australia, and New Zealand attended a Virtual Student Day on September 27, 2018, hosted by Oracle Academy. The students came from more than 1,000 educational institutions across the region that registered for the event as a part of their membership benefits with Oracle Academy, and numerous students registered on their own for the event as well. The students and their teachers had the opportunity to choose from 21 presentations spread over two ‘technical’ tracks, and from a ‘career’ track. Presentations covered computing subjects as diverse as Agile software development, artificial intelligence, internet of things, blockchain, cybersecurity, and NoSQL, and career subjects including Planning Your Career, Careers in Cloud, and Resume Building. For attendees, this Oracle Academy Virtual Student Day was a valuable offering that provided students with a wide range of engaging and relevant topics that support their studies and interest in computing and the information technology industry. The attendees are able to chat and ask questions with presenters as well as communicate with other participants during the event. They also are able to revisit all the presentations and the event site for 30 days after the event to either attend sessions they missed or revisit ones they enjoyed. This is the fourth Virtual Student Day that Oracle Academy has hosted across the Asia Pacific region in the last two years, reaching more than 20,000 students with the latest information in computing technology and IT careers. For more than two decades, Oracle Academy has been supporting secondary and higher education institutions with in-kind grants of technology, curriculum, and teacher training resources. In the past year, Oracle Academy has helped 6.3 million students in 128 countries gain industry-relevant skills prior to entering the workplace. To support continuous computer science learning at all levels, Oracle Academy makes available a variety of resources that can be used in the classroom and in not-for-profit academic courses and degree-related research, including technology, curriculum and courseware, student workshops, and educator training. Learn more about our Student Day events.  

More than 8,800 students from Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines, Australia, and New Zealand attended a Virtual Student Day on September 27, 2018, hosted by Oracle Academy. T...

  Marc Schröder, a student of the vocational school Berufsschule Freising in Munich, is currently undertaking dual study as a “Computer Science Expert for Software Development” at Flughafen München GmbH, the operator of Munich Airport. At the same time, he also is studying for his diploma at an Oracle Academy institutional member, the technical branch of Berufsschule Freising. The school has embedded Java Programming courses into its curriculum, and Schröder was made aware of Java certification possibilities by his teacher Mr. Pfleiderer. He successfully passed the Oracle Certified Associate Java SE 8 Programmer certification exam in spring 2018. At a graduation school event in July, Marc introduced his certification exam project to a large audience, which acknowledged him with a large round of applause. Afterwards, Oracle Academy program manager Britta Wolf (pictured) had the opportunity to chat with him in the following interview. Q: Marc, what was your motivation to prepare for a Java certification exam? You are working and also have a tight school schedule. Both certainly keep you very busy. A: Computers always have been my passion. Whenever I find time, I work with computers. Therefore, certification was a good opportunity for me to consolidate and prove my knowledge. The Oracle certificate was a great addition to our Java lessons in vocational school. Q: The certification exam lasts about 150 minutes and you have to answer 70 questions. May we ask you how much time approximately did you invest in preparing for the exam? A: I started with the preparation in the summer of 2017. I passed the certification exam in the spring of 2018. This gave me about six months for preparation. During the school semester, I spent about eight hours per week on preparation. Of course, this is not possible during normal working hours. Nevertheless, in the remaining weeks, during which I did not have to attend school, I spent about five hours a week preparing. Q: Oracle Certifications take place at Pearson Vue test centers. How was your experience at the test center? A: I scheduled the exam at a test center in Munich and I was very satisfied. At the test center, you have to identify yourself first. Then a picture is taken and you have to sign a registration form. The actual test took place at a computer in a small room. Although the room is video-monitored, I did not feel “watched”. During the exam, I had to lock away my smartphone. Q: The Oracle Certified Associate (OCA) certification is a great step into Oracle certification. Are you planning to complete another certification in the near future? A: Yes. In fact, I already have ordered the book for the Oracle Certified Professional (OCP). I'm very happy with the OCA, but I'm also looking for certificates in other areas. Learn more about certification through Oracle Academy courses.

  Marc Schröder, a student of the vocational school Berufsschule Freising in Munich, is currently undertaking dual study as a “Computer Science Expert for Software Development” at Flughafen München...

On September 3, 2018, Oracle Academy signed its first partnership agreement in Chile, with Pais Digital. Pais Digital is a non-profit organization that works directly with public high schools and the Ministry of Education of Chile to include and improve computer science content in (secondary) technical schools. Oracle Academy will help in their efforts by providing our curriculum focused on object-oriented programming (Java) to 74 institutions, which will impact more than 2,000 students across the country, helping to make them career ready. The government of Chile is working to improve technical and vocational education across the country’s technical high schools to increase graduation rates in computer science programs; the country and its employers require many more workers skilled in computing to meet its labor force needs. To this end, the government is working with Pais Digital to improve computing content in the technical schools as part of its mission to promote development and inclusion of a digital culture to improve education, life quality, and country development. Its work complements the Chile governmental initiatives to increase quality and inclusion in education. This initiative aligns with the mission of Oracle Academy to advance computer science education globally to drive knowledge, innovation, skills development, and diversity in technology fields. Education is a prerequisite to community stability, economic prosperity, and future innovation, and students and educators who engage with Oracle Academy gain industry-relevant skills and knowledge that enrich their futures. To support this government strategy, Oracle Academy and Pais Digital are collaborating to include Oracle Academy programming curriculum in public technical school courses. In parallel, Oracle Academy will train an initial 20 faculty members, who then will train more than 50 additional faculty to teach computing education. Cumulatively, these faculty members will implement Oracle Academy courses Java Fundamentals, Java Foundations, and Java Programming into their classrooms, ultimately reaching more than 2,000 students over three years. Oracle Academy is committed to bringing computing education to all of Latin America and the Caribbean. We thank Sandra Guazotti, Oracle Managing Director, Chile, and Ines Locatelli, Oracle Academy Country Manager, Chile, for their support in bringing this important initiative within Chile to fruition. Learn more about Oracle Academy and our Java curriculum.  

On September 3, 2018, Oracle Academy signed its first partnership agreement in Chile, with Pais Digital. Pais Digital is a non-profit organization that works directly with public high schools and the...

As demand for computer science skills expands, educational programs to develop these skills are expanding, and students around the world are taking advantage of opportunities to learn as early in their education as possible. Seikei School, established in Tokyo in 1915, is part of an education precinct that provides students with a pathway through junior school, high school, and ultimately, to Seikei University. To support the school’s latest initiative to bring computer science to their students, Oracle Academy has provided the school’s teachers with access to its free offerings for coding, in particular, Java programming. Java is the foundation for virtually every networked application and remains one of the most revolutionary and powerful programming languages, with more than 9 million developers worldwide. It continuously appears in lists of the most in-demand computing skills for technology jobs. The emerging prevalence of big data is primarily rooted in Java, and the Internet of Things is being built largely upon Java. Thus, modern computer science education pathways are incomplete without courses in object-oriented programming and Java. Through their membership with Oracle Academy, the Seikei School teachers have access to a curriculum pathway for Java. It is introduced to early learners using drop-and-drag interfaces in Alice and Greenfoot. These materials, designed for students with little or no programming experience, teach basic Java programming concepts through creation of animated stories and games using objects and characters from a rich gallery of 3-D models. The students are able to learn with fun and engaging activities, while still leveraging best academic curriculum practices like project-based learning and methods of learning assessment for educators. These young Japanese students are well on their way to continue developing their computer science skills throughout their education. Learn more about Oracle Academy Java curriculum and becoming a member at academy.oracle.com.

As demand for computer science skills expands, educational programs to develop these skills are expanding, and students around the world are taking advantage of opportunities to learn as early in...

Oracle Academy's mission is to advance computing education, and an important part of this is making computer science accessible to all students. We were pleased this year to partner with several U.S. national organizations to recognize and support outstanding students in computer science. To outstanding undergraduate and graduate students with a GPA of 3.5 or higher pursuing degrees in computer science or engineering at a four-year college or university, Oracle Academy provided support to each organization for two undergraduate scholarships of US$2,500 each and one graduate fellowship of US$10,000 each. The individual organizations selected scholarship winners from many qualified applicants.  We congratulate the outstanding 2018-2019 recipients of these scholarships! American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) AISES supports STEM studies and careers by serving American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, First Nations and other indigenous peoples of North America in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) studies and careers. AISES scholarships help students acquire skills and training that help them meet the STEM needs of their communities.  Congratulations to Recipients: Damien Farrant, Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, Santa Barbara, Calif. $10,000 Oracle Academy graduate fellowship Kaitlyn Yamamoto, University of Washington, Bothell, Wash. $2,500 Oracle Academy undergraduate scholarship Beau Forest, University of the Pacific, Stockton, Calif. $2,500 Oracle Academy undergraduate scholarship Great Minds in STEM (HENAAC) HENAAC promotes career and networking opportunities in science, technology, engineering and math for students of Hispanic or Latino descent. The HENAAC Scholars Program addresses the immense need to produce more engineers and scientists within the U.S.  Congratulations to Recipients: Irvin Cardenas, Kent State University, Ohio $10,000 Oracle Academy graduate fellowship Bryce Badura, University of Notre Dame, Ind. $2,500 Oracle Academy undergraduate scholarship Kyle Romero, University of California, Los Angeles $2,500 Oracle Academy undergraduate scholarship United Negro College Fund (UNCF) UNCF aims to strengthen students, communities and the U.S. by helping African American students and other students of color attend and complete college. Congratulations to Recipients: Wishes to Remain Anonymous $10,000 Oracle Academy graduate fellowship Jai Huntley, Hampton University, Hampton, Va. $2,500 Oracle Academy undergraduate scholarship Sebastian Cousins, Winston- Salem State University, N.C. $2,500 Oracle Academy undergraduate scholarship We look forward to these accomplished students continuing to do great things in computer science and technology.

Oracle Academy's mission is to advance computing education, and an important part of this is making computer science accessible to all students. We were pleased this year to partner with several U.S....

Oracle Academy, as principal sponsor, supported a recent IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers) conference in Bali, Indonesia, aimed at promoting collaborative innovations for society development. The IEEE is the world’s largest professional association dedicated to advancing technological innovation and excellence for the benefit of humanity. Together with the Indonesian Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, the conference gathered an audience of 300-plus students, lecturers, and professionals from the technology industry from countries across the Asia Pacific. Oracle Academy provided a keynote presentation and conducted a workshop for attendees over the three-day conference. The IEEE vision is to foster collaborative development by strengthening the bonds between young leaders in the region to uplift society at large with knowledge sharing and skills development. Oracle Academy is a global, philanthropic program for educators using computing education resources to teach at higher and secondary educational institutions who seek flexible modular tools and resources, and care about diversity and creating better life and career opportunities for their students.

Oracle Academy, as principal sponsor, supported a recent IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers) conference in Bali, Indonesia, aimed at promoting collaborative innovations for society...

As part of our mission to promote diversity in computing, Oracle Academy hosted Girls in ICT Day events in Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, and Peru featuring Oracle and Oracle Women Lead speakers. More than 700 young women participated. Girls in ICT Day is a global event that empowers and encourages young women to consider fulfilling career paths in tech that can enrich both themselves and the tech sector. More than 300,000 young women have taken part in 9,000-plus Girls in ICT Day celebrations in 166 countries worldwide. New Oracle Academy Girls in ICT Event Videos Released Oracle Academy captured the excitement of its Girls in ICT events in Latin America with a series of new videos. English subtitled: Oracle Academy Celebrates Girls in ICT 2018—Latin America Oracle Academy Celebrates Girls in ICT 2018—Brazil With Gerando Falcões, Recode, SENAC Vocational and Technical School, and Kroton Universities, Sao Paulo. Oracle Academy Celebrates Girls in ICT 2018—Colombia With Gustavo Morales public school, Bogotá, and public schools at Universidad de Medellin. Oracle Academy Celebrates Girls in ICT 2018—Mexico With Benemerita Universidad Autonoma de Puebla. Spanish: Oracle Academy Celebrates Girls in ICT 2018—Latin America Oracle Academy Celebrates Girls in ICT 2018—Mexico Portuguese: Oracle Academy Celebrates Girls in ICT 2018—Latin America Oracle Academy Celebrates Girls in ICT 2018―Brazil Read our blog post on all the events.

As part of our mission to promote diversity in computing, Oracle Academy hosted Girls in ICT Day events in Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, and Peru featuring Oracle and...

Explore What’s New Now By William McCabe, Director, Member Education and Curriculum Development The Oracle Academy curriculum team is excited to share the results of our hard work over the past year: new curriculum resources based on member feedback that further add to the topics Oracle Academy members can teach and learn. Oracle Academy Education Bytes are short, flexible learning modules in programming, database, data science, and big data that teach new concepts and enhance existing knowledge and skills, problem solving, creativity, and learning retention. They can be used alone or to enhance Oracle Academy curriculum, and provide self-directed learning experiences in programming, SQL, PL/SQL, big data, R, Hadoop, and more. They include: Hands-On Labs—Step-by-step instruction-based labs on database, programming, and data science. They are designed to be facilitated by—but not led by—an educator, or self-studied by an individual learner. Some labs may require prior knowledge or completion of curriculum; others do not. Projects and Challenges—Stand-alone projects focused on database, programming, and data science that can be used independently of, during, or at the end of an Oracle Academy Workshop in a Box or course. Solutions are hosted on Oracle iLearning and require a Teacher account. Videos and Presentations—Featuring Oracle Academy courses, these can be used within the classroom or viewed by individual learners at their own pace to learn more about computer science. All Education Bytes include a content synopsis, recommended prerequisite knowledge and skills, level of difficulty, target age group, and any required software, equipment, and/or prerequisite knowledge. Artificial Intelligence with Machine Learning in Java is a new 40-hour course that helps students build a working knowledge of artificial intelligence and machine learning, both of which are increasingly widespread in business today. Providing practical, hands-on activities and project-based learning, this course is well suited for secondary and postsecondary students who possess fundamental knowledge of object-oriented concepts, data structures, recursion, terminology, and syntax in Java—all of which are learned in Oracle Academy Java Foundations and Java Programming courses. In this course, students discover machine learning concepts relevant to artificial intelligence, learning terminology, and syntax, and work on projects that challenge them to design, implement, and demonstrate a machine learning solution in Java that could be implemented for a business or organization. We’re excited about these new offerings, and look forward to continuing to enhance our computer science education portfolio. Learn more: Oracle Academy Bytes Artificial Intelligence with Machine Learning in Java

Explore What’s New Now By William McCabe, Director, Member Education and Curriculum Development The Oracle Academy curriculum team is excited to share the results of our hard work over the past year:...

Artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and big data are emerging technologies on the forefront of advancing business. To provide education on these topics to government officials and educators, Oracle Academy was pleased to support a recent event offered and hosted by the South East Asian Ministry of Education Organization Regional Open Learning Centre (SEAMOLEC) in Indonesia. With support from Oracle, the event focused on these newer technologies. Guest speaker Ivan Chandra (pictured), product solutions manager for Oracle ASEAN Big Data & Analytics, shared perspectives on how these technologies are impacting the education sector. He included a demonstration on image recognition and Oracle machine learning in data visualization. The event was attended both in person and online by more than 350 participants from the Indonesian government and education. Learn more on AI and machine learning here.

Artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and big data are emerging technologies on the forefront of advancing business. To provide education on these topics to government officials...

In June 2018, Oracle Academy Latin America started a second phase of a success story—a partnership with the Gerando Falcões Institute, a non-profit organization located in Sao Paulo, Brazil. I was fortunate enough to be able to attend the inauguration of this second stage, and meet the students and the founder of the NGO, Eduardo Lyra. This second phase will benefit 30 new students who will have the chance to take Java Foundations and Java Fundamentals courses. Through this partnership, we help students develop key programming skills for college and career readiness. Students also have the opportunity to learn English and social development skills to become better prepared for the labor market. The beginning of this story was in 2016, when Oracle Academy offered the first class of IT courses, bringing opportunities of professional and social development to 30 young people from low-income areas. From those, 15 were offered job opportunities in their areas of interest, including one young woman who was hired by Oracle. At least eight students were motivated to transform their lives through education and pursue different paths. Currently, two students from the initial class are still committed to this initiative and are coming back as teacher assistants in this year’s project. This success story would not be possible without the support of Fernando Lemos, VP Product Management, Oracle Cloud Platform-Latin America. Fernando has always been a strong advocate for Education in Latin America and an important partner for Oracle Academy. Watch our video on the project! Gerando Falcões Established in 2012 by Eduardo Lyra, one of the most relevant social entrepreneurs of Brazil, the Gerando Falcões Institute aims to improve self-esteem and offer a safe haven while helping people rise up from drugs, crime, and poor financial conditions. The organization brings development and opportunities to young people, with the main objectives of working on their self-esteem and desire to reach higher than their present circumstances. The initiative has reached and inspired more than 100,000 young people and benefited 1,200 families. The Institute plans to become a global organization, this year growing to 10 new subsidiaries and improving the lives of 18,000 families nationwide.

In June 2018, Oracle Academy Latin America started a second phase of a success story—a partnership with the Gerando Falcões Institute, a non-profit organization located in Sao Paulo, Brazil. I was...

Oracle Academy always celebrates students becoming career ready with expertise in database management. On June 19, 2018, the Faculty of Cybernetics, Statistics and Economic Informatics from Bucharest University of Economic Studies (ASE) held the graduation ceremony for 65 students who successfully completed their Master of Databases for Business Support (BDSA) degree program. Bucharest University of Economic Studies, a long-term and active member of Oracle Academy, created the Master BDSA program as part of its Oracle Excellence Centre - ASE, which was established in 1999 following a collaboration between Bucharest University of Economic Studies and Oracle Academy. BDSA students study online a variety of curriculum provided by Oracle Academy: Database Design and programming with SQL, Programming with PL/SQL, Application Development Foundations with APEX, and object-oriented (Java) programming. In addition to their curriculum studies, the students have benefited from extramural support provided by experienced Oracle specialists from the technical line of business with expertise in database management. They have volunteered their time to deliver a series of technical and practical workshops to these students during the master program. Our colleague Bogdan Petcu, Director, Customer Support, Support - Enterprise Tools (pictured) spoke with the students to advise them on how they should use the knowledge they gained during the master program to succeed in their careers in the technology sector. At the students’ graduation ceremony, Professor Ion Lungu, PhD, Director of the Master BDSA program, said, “You know how it is said: ‘The education we receive is a rehearsal for the life we choose to live.’ We are glad that we were together on this road and we hope it is only the first step towards the career (and the life) that you want,” he said. “We thank our partners from Oracle, who have supported us since the establishment of the Master's program, and who are here with us for the moments of joy that mark your graduation.” We at Oracle Academy and Oracle look forward to the students’ continued success as they utilize their knowledge and degrees, fulfilling the strong demand for workers with database management skills.

Oracle Academy always celebrates students becoming career ready with expertise in database management. On June 19, 2018, the Faculty of Cybernetics, Statistics and Economic Informatics from Bucharest...

To reach 30,000 students over three years in Turkey, Oracle Academy partner the Turkish Private Schools Association has an ambition to educate more than 300 teachers on teaching object-oriented programming (Java) and database technologies. Turkish Private Schools Association, a current member of the European Council for Independent Schools Association (ECNAIS) and the European Council of International Schools (ECIS), has 1,103 members in 53 provinces throughout Turkey. The Association aims to encourage the Turkish private sector to invest in the field of education in order to provide a better quality educational environment for students. Two schools that are members of the association, Eyuboglu Schools, have started on this pathway by integrating the Oracle Academy Java Foundations curriculum into the Eyuboglu High School and Eyuboglu Science and Technology High School curriculum. IT teachers of Eyuboglu Schools, who completed Oracle Academy teacher training in 2017, now have successfully implemented the Oracle Academy Java Foundations course throughout the 2017-18 academic year. Students who successfully completed this course received course completion certificates at a recent ceremony. Eyuboglu Schools are the first CIS Accredited Turkish schools in Turkey, and the first Turkish school authorized to offer the three International Baccalaureate programs: the IB Primary Years Program, IB Middle Years Program, and IB Diploma Program. The schools focus on academic excellence, international understanding, inter-culturalism, and social awareness. Leadership of Eyuboglu Schools issued a statement saying, “We’re proud to contribute to the success of ‘innovators of tomorrow’ through our computer science education resources.” Also in Turkey, Oracle Academy in collaboration with the Ministry of National Education of Turkey (MONE) and the General Directorsate of Secondary Education trained 120 IT teachers from 120 high schools across Turkey on Java Fundamentals to support the delivery of the new national IT curriculum in the classrooms. Training classes that took place in Afyon and Ankara provided the teachers with the opportunity to develop their Java programming skills and discover Alice and Greenfoot, two visual development environments that support early computer science learning. They also learned how to collaborate using these tools in their classrooms to grow their students' interest in computing. These trainings were also a great opportunity for teachers to meet, network and share experiences with other teachers on computing education. We are thrilled to have joined forces with MONE to make our Oracle Academy learning resources available to all participating high schools to support raising digitally-skilled future generations who are using/producing technology safely and responsibly.  Students becoming skilled in computing is vital for economic growth,  research and development and innovation in all industries locally and globally.      

To reach 30,000 students over three years in Turkey, Oracle Academy partner the Turkish Private Schools Association has an ambition to educate more than 300 teachers on teaching object-oriented...

By Damian Haas, Regional Director, JAPAC More than 150 senior academics from 85 universities and vocational colleges across Indonesia attended an Oracle Academy Faculty Day on July 26, 2018. The event provided higher education professionals with an opportunity to explore how programs such as Oracle Academy help bridge the gap between what students are learning in their degree courses and what employers expect of them when they enter the workforce. A presentation by guest speaker Mohamad Rizal Arryadi, principal solution consultant for Oracle Cloud Applications, included insights into how technology advances are transforming our world, lives, industry, and workplaces.   The chief information officer of Indo-Rama Synthetics, Shailesh Thulaskar, provided information on industry expectations. He discussed what students need to know to bridge the gap from student learning to becoming an effective contributor in the workforce—including development of soft skills, knowledge of general industry domain (such as manufacturing, finance, retail, and the like), core IT skills such as coding and database, and select computer specialist knowledge, such as on big data or networking. Helping Educators Support Students Into the Workforce “Oracle Academy continues to support higher education institutions in Indonesia with programs and offerings that help educators build a compelling curriculum and syllabus to support their students’ pathways into the workforce,” says Damian Haas, regional director for Oracle Academy, APAC. “In 2018, Oracle Academy trained more than 1,200 educators across Indonesia on how to incorporate the free Oracle Academy program curriculum into their classrooms, and labs focusing on core programming and database skills that are in high demand across all industries,” he says. “At Oracle Academy, we believe in providing educators with the tools to help their students expand their skills and opportunities and chase their dreams,” said Nurul Huda, Oracle Academy country manager for Indonesia and Malaysia. “We are committed to providing educators with computer science teaching resources to support learning at all levels. These resources allow students to learn fundamental computer science concepts and develop their IT and business skills so they’ll be able to open career doors regardless of industry,” she says. “Through events such as Oracle Academy Faculty Days, we help educators keep pace with current technology and bring industry authenticity to classroom experiences through free, ongoing professional development,” Huda says. In addition to Faculty Days, Oracle Academy offers a wealth of training opportunities for educators in a variety of formats, including online and in-person training and workshops. Learn more.

By Damian Haas, Regional Director, JAPAC More than 150 senior academics from 85 universities and vocational colleges across Indonesia attended an Oracle Academy Faculty Day on July 26, 2018. The event...

To continue in our support of K-12 educators, on June 18, 2018, Oracle Academy was a proud sponsor of the third annual WeTeach_CS Summit, in Georgetown, Texas, organized by The University of Texas at Austin’s Center for STEM Education. Created specifically to help K-12 CS educators, the summit offered a lineup of national speakers, panel discussions, and breakout sessions to support computer science education. Cassi Elliott, North America Regional Marketing Specialist, Oracle Academy, assisted in presenting the UT Austin Computer Science Change Maker and Administrator Awards, sponsored by Oracle Academy. The UT CS Change Maker Awards were presented to eight Texas high school CS teachers who have made significant impacts on his/her students or the community through CS instruction. Each teacher received an award of $750. The UT Austin Administrator Awards recognize the contributions of administrators who have gone above and beyond to help expand CS education in their schools, districts, and communities. Additionally, Oracle Academy Curriculum Developer Lisa Palombo hosted a session featuring our newest workshop, focused on Bloodhound. This workshop incorporates real-life scenarios around the world’s fastest car and encourages students to learn object-oriented programming by coding in a Java language. Learn more about the Bloodhound project or any of our other workshops on our website. Oracle is proud to support and partner with educators as we work to bring computer science to all students, everywhere. Congratulations to the award winners, and thank you for making a difference!

To continue in our support of K-12 educators, on June 18, 2018, Oracle Academy was a proud sponsor of the third annual WeTeach_CS Summit, in Georgetown, Texas, organized by The University of Texas at...

Oracle Academy was selected as the winner of the Digital Skills Award in Spain, in the “Digital Skills in Education” category. The award was announced on June 20 at the Forum for the Development of Digital Talent, an event organized by AMETIC, a major employer in the Spanish technological and digital industry. Oracle Academy was chosen as the winner over other formidable finalists in the category, including Samsung and Salesforce. AMETIC selected 20 finalists out of 83 projects presented in the first edition of the Digital Skills Awards Spain 2018. These awards, created in the framework of the Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition of the European Commission, aim to recognize and reward projects that boost skills and talent development within the industry and education, digital transformation, smart cities, and training in digital competencies. Judges for this prestigious award were representatives of the European Commission, Spanish Public Administration, business leaders, and the main stakeholders of the Spanish Digital Ecosystem. They looked at a series of variables such as scalability, replicability, originality, and clarity of the presentation. The Oracle4Girls initiative also was a finalist in the 2018 awards in the "Digital Competencies for Women and Girls" category. This prestigious Digital Skills in Education award recognizes the strong and ongoing work of Oracle Academy to foster growth in computer science education within Spain. This award was made possible by Oracle Academy and Oracle teamwork within Spain and EMEA by Angel Bellas, Oracle Academy program manager for Spain (featured in photo), Anna Moreu, Fabián Gradolph, Beatriz Herencia, Leopold Boado, and many other Oracle Spain colleagues who continuously support the work of Oracle Academy. An article on the award winners appeared in The Economist, Spain: http://www.eleconomista.es/ecoaula/noticias/9230191/06/18/Oracle-Academy-ganadora-de-los-Digital-Skills-Awards-Spain-2018.html  

Oracle Academy was selected as the winner of the Digital Skills Award in Spain, in the “Digital Skills in Education” category. The award was announced on June 20 at the Forum for the Development...

The XIX Virtual Educa was held in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, June 4-8, 2018, bringing together over 18,000 attendees, among them Secretaries of Education of Brazil, education representatives from various Latin American countries, Commissions of Education, Science and Technology of the Latin American Parliament, teachers, and students. Oracle Academy had the opportunity to sponsor this event, encouraging innovation in computer science education across Latin America and Caribbean schools to generate a positive impact in local communities and help create better opportunities for students. The strategic importance of education in the plural societies of the 21st century was discussed during the five days of the event, where Oracle Academy led a conversation around computer science education at the Global Forum. I had the opportunity to present Oracle Academy initiatives as well as best practices in education. During the event, we also delivered five short Alice 3D programming workshops, working with more than 150 teachers learning how to program objects in Alice. They enjoyed creating stories with 3D programming and shared their experience with the participants. Teachers also had the opportunity to learn more about Oracle Academy and the free computer science education resources we provide. We also had the opportunity to speak directly with more than 360 teachers and students who attended Vitual Educa. Fabiana Valente, Oracle Academy Brazil Manager, and Liliana Vargas, Oracle Academy Operations and Marketing Manager, represented Oracle Academy and lead conversations regarding membership, curriculum offerings, and diversity initiatives to encourage young students to discover CS education.   Oracle Academy also had the opportunity to meet the Federal Senator and Secretary of Education of Bahia State, Mr. Walter Pinheiro. We discussed the importance of computer science education for students in Brazil and the work of Oracle Academy. Oracle Academy is proud to be part of the XIX Virtual Educa, the most important event in education and innovation in Latin America and the Caribbean. As a key part of our mission, Oracle Academy encourages the inclusion of computer science education for teachers and students across classrooms in Latin America and the Caribbean to drive knowledge, innovation, skills development and diversity in technology fields.  

The XIX Virtual Educa was held in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, June 4-8, 2018, bringing together over 18,000 attendees, among them Secretaries of Education of Brazil, education representatives...

Recently, Oracle Academy was recognized for its outstanding contributions to the Greek educational system and corporate citizenship with three of the country’s top awards: Gold Impact Bite Award 2018 for Corporate Citizenship Initiatives Silver Education Leaders Award 2018 for Digital Education Bronze Education Leaders Awards 2018 for Innovation in Education In June, Oracle Academy was awarded the Gold Impact Bite Award 2018 for Corporate Citizenship Initiatives, specifically, Oracle Academy’s activities and contribution to the Greek educational system. It is the second year in a row that Oracle Academy receive the highest award in this category in the most prestigious awards of the ICT industry in Greece, demonstrating the Oracle Academy program’s continuity and consistency in the country. Impact Bite (Business IT Excellence) Awards are the most impactful business IT awards in Greece, organized by the leading B2B publishing company, Boussias Communications, in cooperation with ELTRUN, the E-Business Research Center of the Athens University of Economics and Business (AUEB). The annual awards have been granted for the past seven years and are acknowledged by all major ICT institutions of the country. At the 2018 ceremony, more than 550 senior ICT executives from major companies in Greece celebrated excellence, learned from best practices, and networked with peers.   In May, Oracle Academy was twice recognized for its contributions to the Greek educational system during the Education Leaders Awards, receiving the Silver Award for Digital Education and the Bronze Award for Innovation in Education. This is the third year in a row that Oracle Academy was recognized in the Education Awards; Oracle Academy received an additional six awards in various categories in 2016 and 2017. The Education Leaders Awards recognize educational organizations that systematically invest and innovate, so the human capital of Greece may bring to society wisdom, knowledge, skills, talents, and inspiration leading to innovation and progress. More than 350 educational organizations and companies from Greece and Cyprus participated in the awards. On behalf of Oracle Academy, all three of these awards were accepted by and made possible by the hard work of Eleni Tsipa, public relations and corporate citizenship specialist for Greece, Cyprus, Malta, Macedonia, Albania and Kosovo (GCMM) cluster, Oracle.

Recently, Oracle Academy was recognized for its outstanding contributions to the Greek educational system and corporate citizenship with three of the country’s top awards: Gold Impact Bite Award 2018...

In celebration of the first ever Digital Literacy Day in Toronto, Ontario, Oracle Academy, along with Oracle Toronto, conducted workshops for K12 students on May 31 at the Toronto Public Library as part of a series of more than 110 free events and workshops for all ages. Oracle Academy offered beginning programming – Getting Started with Java Using Alice Workshop in a Box – at three different library sites. Educators brought classrooms of K-12 students to participate in this digital learning opportunity. The program included guided learning sessions with Oracle Academy Curriculum Manager Lisa Palombo and Executive Director of Alice, Carnegie Mellon, Eric Brown, with support provided by Oracle Volunteers and coordinated by Shazia Hemraj: David Ahchong Alan Chin Sabrina Feng Marium Ibrahim Ranjith Kuduva Amanpreet Singh Adeline Wong Many of the students who attended the Oracle Academy workshops had never had any exposure to any computer programming before the Digital Learning Day event. “The goal, in participating in this amazing event, was to ensure the students’ first experience with computing was fun and engaging,” says Tyra Crockett, Oracle Academy senior manager, North America. “I felt very proud and inspired teaching grade 8 students computer science using Alice for their first time,” says Marium Ibrahim, customer success manager, Oracle Toronto. Smart Cities Digital Literacy Day Toronto is part of the Smart Cities Initiative. The Toronto Public Library hosted 78 events in 49 branches, and Mayor John Tory and the Toronto City Council proclaimed May 31 as Digital Literacy Day. The event was established by Councillor Michelle Holland, the City’s Advocate for an Innovation Economy. “With the rapid pace that technology is transforming our workplaces and social spaces, digital literacy is a critical skill set to learn in order to capitalize on these changes,” said Holland. “It’s vital that we future-proof our workforce and provide ample opportunities for the public to learn digital skills to ensure that no one is left behind in the innovation economy.” Tory noted, “We are a tech leader in Canada and throughout the world, and it is important that we continue to be competitive in this area. Fostering digital literacy now and in the future is essential for us to maintain our city's prosperity and livability.” Digital Literacy is Key Events and workshops raised awareness of what digital literacy means and skills that are required in areas such as coding, digital privacy, digital banking, design, video editing robotics and other tech career areas. Discussions explored career options and how digital literacy impacts work environments and accessibility.  “The Toronto Digital Literacy Day was an amazing experience and was a great way for the youth to combine technology and imagination. It truly allowed them to let their creative minds run wild, and the Alice application provided the blank canvas for their art piece,” says Amanpreet Singh, client success specialist, Oracle. Franco Amalfi, director of Innovation, Oracle Public Sector North America, says, “With a strong presence in Toronto, Oracle Canada was pleased to support this innovative event. We thank our staff who volunteered their time and talent to introduce students to programming. One of our goals is to help Toronto youth build their computer science skills so they can enjoy the fun of coding and be better prepared for the digital economy.” Digital Literacy Day was the result of the City of Toronto and the Toronto Public Library collaborating with a diverse group of more than 35 partners in the academic, arts, corporate and non-profit communities to produce and host digital literacy-themed events throughout the city. Toronto recognizes that digital access and digital literacy are critical for living and working in today’s knowledge economy. Oracle and Oracle Volunteers were pleased to support this innovative initiative.

In celebration of the first ever Digital Literacy Day in Toronto, Ontario, Oracle Academy, along with Oracle Toronto, conducted workshops for K12 students on May 31 at the Toronto Public Library as...

International Girls in ICT Day is an initiative backed by all International Telecommunications Union member states. The event, which takes place each year on the fourth Thursday in April, aims to create a global environment that empowers and encourages girls and young women to consider car​eers in tech, enabling both girls and technology companies to reap the benefits of greater female participation in the ICT sector. This years’ event took place on April 26, 2018, with numerous events held during that week. To date, over 300,000 young women have taken part in more than 9,000 celebrations of International Girls in ICT Day in 166 countries worldwide. As part of its mission to promote diversity in computer science fields, Oracle Academy was proud to support Girls in ICT in Latin America with events in Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, and Peru that featured Oracle leaders, including speakers from Oracle and the Oracle Women Lead group. More than 700 young women participated. Following are highlights from the week’s events. Brazil       More than 60 young women students from the nonprofit Gerando Falcões e Recode, SENAC Vocational and Technical School, and Kroton Universities came together at Oracle Brazil, Sao Paulo, to enthusiastically discuss with industry leaders the real benefits and challenges of STEM and computer science careers. A panel discussion on “Women in Tech” was headed by leading IT industry professionals, including Francislaine Muratorio, Oracle VP of Alliances & Channels; Priscila Siqueira, Oracle Digital VP; and Dr. Luciana Allan, Ph.D. Education, a specialist in technology education and executive director of Instituto Crescer para Cidadania. The panel addressed the importance of learning computer science and the role of women in the tech industry, illustrated with success stories. It was moderated by Fernando Lemos, Oracle VP of Technology. A separate group discussion led by Rodrigo Galvão, Managing Director of Oracle Brazil, addressed future opportunities and IT career pathways.   Chile Oracle Chile hosted a group of 20 secondary school girls from Santiago school Chile Liceo Comercial B72 to celebrate Girls in ICT day. Oracle Academy coordinated this event in conjunction with Programa tus Ideas Chile, which encourages children to learn about technology. During this event, the girls had the opportunity to learn more about Oracle Academy program offerings, technology trends, and development opportunities in computer science. The event was hosted by Maria Locatelli, OU Global Operations Sr. Manager for Latin America and Oracle Academy Country Manager. Costa Rica To encourage young women to choose science and technology for their future and professional growth, Oracle Academy led a Girls in Technology Day celebration with a group of 60 students from the Miravalle School in Cartago. The event, celebrating knowledge, inspiration, and innovation, featured exciting projects including a 3D programming workshop using Alice, and an inspirational discussion on the role of women in technology and guest speakers’ experience in the field. Volunteering guidance and information on their experience were special guests Dr. Gabriela Marín, Director of the Master in Computing program at the University of Costa Rica; Oreana Rodríguez Recio, Oracle Human Resources Senior Manager; Diana Blanco Gonzalez, Oracle Central America Field Marketing Manager, and Rodolfo Yglesias Piza, Oracle Sales Consultant, who led the Alice workshop. Special thanks to Richard Delgado Cascante, Oracle Senior Director, Alliances & Channels M&A, for his support and leadership of this engaging event. Colombia In Bogotá, 51 young women from Gustavo Morales Morales Public School enjoyed and event that featured learning, inspiration, innovation, and networking. In the day’s events was a talk, “Get on my cloud,” by Monica Yepes Osorio, Oracle Digital Sales Director, who shared the importance of dreaming big, recognizing their own potential, and making the most of opportunities for professional and personal development for the future. A conversation on women in ICT was led by Carlos Sarmiento Guevara, Oracle Digital Senior Vice President, and Monica Lopez, President of the Technology and Talent department at SENA, the National Vocational Training Agency of Colombia, which focuses on developing the workforce of the future. In the workshop “I can be,” higher education access and financing were addressed by Clara Cardona, representing the Colombia Ministry of Education. The day ended with a mentoring session where girls developed teamwork and communication skills, and a networking lunch with Oracle employees. Additionally, an event was held in Medellín at Universidad de Medellin, with more than 280 participants from public schools. Oracle Academy partnered with  Alianza Futuro Digital Medellín, Ruta N and Intersoftware to provide a day filled with talks, connection with computer science universities and colleges, and a fun outdoor picnic where the girls had the opportunity to exchange ideas and learn more about CS careers. Ecuador In collaboration with CITIC—the Centro Internacional de Investigación Científica en Telecomunicaciones, Tecnologías de la Información y las Comunicaciones—Oracle Academy Ecuador celebrated Girls in ICT with more than 200 students in Quito. The objective was to inspire girls to study computer science and technology and consider careers in the ICT sector, where women are underrepresented. Activities included a workshop in which students developed 3D models with Alice, educational software that helps teach computer programming to youth with no prior knowledge. The Oracle Academy-CITIC partnership program alliance in Ecuador support 9,000 students, 650 computer science educators from 76 higher education institutions (including universities, polytechnic schools and technological institutes), 157 secondary schools, and 24 mega-infocenters of the Ministry of Telecommunications and Information Society (MINTEL). Mexico Oracle Academy held a Girls In ICT event in the offices of Oracle de México, Mexico City, welcoming 34 students and two educators from the Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (BUAP). During the day, the students learned about work dynamics within Oracle from inspiring Oracle Mexico leaders who volunteered their time, including Javier Cordero, Jose Luis Varela, Corinne Garcia, Silvia Diaz, Aide Bernal, Ana Lucia Moraes, Patricia Cardenas, and Alejandra Malvaez. These volunteers dedicated their time to inspire the students to continue their studies and provided a wide view of the different areas of computer science in which they could develop their skills to work in the future. Oracle Academy Mexico is proud to provide free software, training and resources to more than 350 educational institutions within the country.   Peru Together with San Ignacio de Loyola University, Lima, Oracle Academy organized an event that more than 40 young women students attended to learn more about developing their professional careers in the technology field. Seminar topics included digital transformation and the power of data. The girls and volunteers from Oracle Women Lead (OWL) and Oracle also took part in a discussion panel and conversation regarding empowering women in IT. Special thanks to the Oracle team who volunteered their time and talent to make this event a success: Andrea Alvarez Soto, Senior Sales Consultant for LAD TECH Presales & Overlay; Juan Pablo Guizado Serrano, Enterprise Architect Public Sector; and Chiarella Bencan, Sales Consulting Manager. Promoting diversity in computer science fields is a key part of the mission of Oracle Academy. We look forward to continuing our global efforts to help educate young women learn more about computer science and career options in technology fields. Learn more about our work to bring computer science to all at academy.oracle.com.  

International Girls in ICT Day is an initiative backed by all International Telecommunications Union member states. The event, which takes place each year on the fourth Thursday in April, aims to...

At the 2018 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) event on May 17, Oracle Academy presented US$5,000 scholarship awards to each of ten talented winners who had embedded computer science into their abstracts in the system software category. The Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, a program of Society for Science & the Public, is the world’s largest international pre-college science competition. Through a global network of local, regional, and national science fairs, millions of students are encouraged to explore their passion for developing innovations that improve the way we work and live. Each May, a group of these students is selected as finalists and offered the opportunity to compete for approximately US$5 million in awards and scholarships. This year’s event took place May 13-18 in Pittsburgh and featured inventions from nearly 800 young innovators. Oracle Academy awards were presented by Oracle Academy’s Danielle Ferretti, Manager, Suite Academy. Finalists were selected by the following judges from the Pittsburgh area, all who volunteered their time and have technical backgrounds. Lead judge, Bruce Regittko, Principal Instructor, Oracle Academy Christine Falconer, Risk Management Director, Oracle Sharjeel Farooq, Technology Sales Representative, Oracle David Pawloski, Solution Architect, Oracle Vasu Rao, Director, Product Strategy for Software Support Development, Oracle Daniel Abeshouse, Carnegie Mellon University Farooq said, “This was my first time attending/judging this event. I was blown away with the talent I saw. It was simply an amazing experience.” Judges were required to be science, engineering and industry professionals who hold a Ph.D. or equivalent (six years of related professional experience) or are senior graduate students with doctoral-level research in one of the 22 scientific disciplines in which projects fall. And the Winners Are… Fair finalists in all categories were selected from 420 affiliate fairs in 81 countries, regions and territories. Oracle Academy Award winners of $5,000 for outstanding project in the systems software category were: Background Noise Reduction by Using Spectral Selection to Remove Unneeded Frequencies Kevin Xiao, Tuscaloosa, AL – Alabama School of Mathematics and Science, Teacher Grey Gaillard A Sensor-Enhanced Digital Stethoscope (SEDS): Design and Development of an Intelligent Sensor-Enhanced Digital Stethoscope for Patient-Friendly Remote Auscultation Syamantak Payra, Friendswood, TX – Clear Brook High School, Teacher Alaina Garza Using SONAR, LIDAR, and Computer Vision to Assist the Visually-Impaired Samuel Cadotte, Kailua, HI – Kalaheo High School, Teacher Crystal Stafford Implementing Deep Learning Techniques to Detect Abnormal Cells Gaurav Behera, Rochester, MN – Century High School, Teacher Janelle Milliken Creation of a Mobile Application to Enhance Communication in Children with Autism Joshua Santiago-Ibarra, Trujillo Alto, PR – Escuela Especializada en Ciencias, Matemáticas y Tecnología, Teacher Jenipher Gonzalez TreLop Javid and Jeyla Huseynzade, Baku, Azerbaijan – Lyceum Academician Zarifa Aliyev, Teacher Vugar Huseynli AzureVoice: A Novel Approach for the Early Detection of Parkinson's Disease Using Android Apps and Artificial Intelligence Koushik Sridhar, Charlotte, NC – Ardrey Kell High School, Teacher Rachel Robinson Wireless Brainwave Classification for Alzheimer's Patients via Efficient Neural Network Computation Grant Sheen, Irvine, CA – Sage Hill School, Teacher Annalise Miyashiro Utilizing Blockchain to Revolutionize Privacy and Security of Medical Records Divya Amirtharaj, Beaverton, OR – Westview High School, Teacher Debbie Cooper Pawloski said, “These impressive students represent hope for our world’s future and I’m so proud to have had a small role, representing Oracle, Pittsburgh and higher education.”   Innovators Solving Global Challenges Guided by the belief that advances in science and engineering are key to solving global challenges, Society for Science & the Public has organized and produced this competition since it was founded in 1950 as the National Science Fair. Intel took on title sponsorship of the International Science and Engineering Fair in 1997 as part of an effort to bring greater attention to science, technology, engineering, and math achievement, encourage more youth to embrace these fields, and highlight the impact these subjects have on the future of innovation. Maya Ajmera, President & CEO of the Society for Science & the Public and Publisher of Science News, said, “The innovative ideas presented at Intel ISEF demonstrate the power of scientific curiosity and the desire for all of our finalists to make the world a better place.” “I regularly mentor graduate and post-graduate future entrepreneurs—and I was astonished and impressed by the professionalism, maturity and expertise demonstrated by these high school students,” Rao said. “This filled my heart with hope for the future of this world with so many developing bright minds trying to make a positive impact with their innovation and enthusiasm,” he said. “I’ll look forward to more such events sponsored by Oracle Academy. We, Oracle, as a company, definitely need to do more to encourage the younger generation to use Oracle technologies by providing them with the tools and platform they need to develop these ideas.” Falconer said, “I felt lucky to be there and to represent Oracle; we are fortunate to have leaders who believe in investing in the future,” she said. “A moment I would like to share: As I walked down a long, empty corridor with a large wall display of all the hundreds of ISEF finalist names listed with their “Think Beyond” motto, I came upon someone who was sitting alone on a bench contemplatively looking at the display. I stopped to ask if she was a finalist. She immediately got up and pointed to her name, and said she was representing the Philippines. Her actions and words spoke of honor, appreciation and self-satisfaction of coming this far. I walked away feeling that she will make a difference in this world… like so many others there.”  As Oracle’s flagship philanthropic educational program, Oracle Academy advances computer science education globally to drive knowledge, innovation, skills development, and diversity in technology fields. Supporting more than 3.5 million students annually in 120 countries, the program works with public and private partners to provide the tools educators need to engage, inspire and prepare students to become innovators and leaders of the future. Content submitted by: Rebecca Dinan Schneider

At the 2018 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) event on May 17, Oracle Academy presented US$5,000 scholarship awards to each of ten talented winners who had embedded computer...

Our Oracle Academy Country Program Manager, Camelia Ditescu (pictured), was invited to present to the Romania Oracle User Group on 22 May, 2018. At the event, Romanian User Group members had the opportunity to discuss the benefits and key aspects of the Oracle Academy program, and most importantly, understand how they may become engaged with the dedicated teachers and and students who are learning our curriculum in university and school. Of particular interest was how in Romania we try to be much closer to the students by providing extracurricular technical workshops, or by mentoring students with their university teachers for a better understanding of the technologies. Many Oracle User Group members are the "employers of the future" for our students, and attendees were encouraged to know that many of these students will be leaving university with Oracle-based knowledge and skills.  

Our Oracle Academy Country Program Manager, Camelia Ditescu (pictured), was invited to present to the Romania Oracle User Group on 22 May, 2018. At the event, Romanian User Group members had the...

We are proud to announce the winners of a new Java competition for university students, which was launched by our Oracle Academy partner Adfaber, and designed to give every Romanian student the opportunity to create solutions that could change society for the better through technology. Students from universities across Romania used Java programming to make their world a better place, under the theme of "The Smart City." Students were invited to develop applications that make their city a smart one using Java and Oracle Database technologies. In total 35 teams registered for the competition, submitting over 20 valid projects. The top four teams had the opportunity to present their projects to the jury and were awarded prizes by Adfaber and Oracle Academy at a ceremony held at the Oracle office in Romania. The winners of the competition are:  In first place: Tufa Adriana and Boicu Ionut, who presented their "Recycle Quest" project, an incentive for recycling. "Such a platform does not exist, and we strongly believe it would improve the recycling rate, at least among the younger population," Adriana said. Recycle Quest is a platform that was built with the goal of inspiring and encouraging more people to recycle, a problem that deserves much more attention. "Not only does it facilitate the entire recycling process, but also encourages its users to recycle more often through benefits offered in the platform that stimulate recycling," said the winners.  In second place: The SPark - A Community-Driven Smart Parking project, presented by Mercea Otniel-Bogdan and Baban Gabriel. "The project aims to solve a problem faced by most modern cities, namely the management of parking spaces in an efficient way. Practically, community members make available to their fellow residents the parking spaces they own, for periods when they are unused, to optimize the use of this critical resource." team members said. The solution consists of a mobile application backed by a Java EE complex back-end, through which citizens of a city can view and reserve real-time parking spaces free at any time of the day in an interactive and dynamic way. In third place: An ambitious project that aims to digitally transform hospitals in Romania and improve the experience of doctors and patients. The project, conducted by Nedelcu Stefan-Daniel, is a system for medical data management of patients. "Physicians, in formulating a diagnosis, rely exclusively on anamnesis (patient recollection), on hospital archives, or on patient papers. With a centralized system available, this information can be accessed from a central server, knowing with certainty the patient's medical history. Nowadays, the lack of digitization of the system hinders the medical act, and the access to information is very difficult," said Stefan-Daniel. I am so pleased that Oracle Academy is continuing its collaboration with Adfaber in advancing computer science skills in Romania. The Java competition for universities challenges students to use technology in ways that can improve their local communities and have a positive impact on society.

We are proud to announce the winners of a new Java competition for university students, which was launched by our Oracle Academy partner Adfaber, and designed to give every Romanian student...

With the aim of continuing to help build IT educational strategy and growth, on 29 May, 2018, Oracle Academy participated in an IT conference organized by the University at the Intera Technology Park in Mostar, which was attended by Ministers of Education from several counties in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The objective of the conference was to present the IT strategy of the university, strengthen partnerships with the IT industry, and encourage the development of the University Computing Centre (SUMIT) to create a network of connected primary and secondary schools from four counties in the region. Situated in the cultural and economic capital of the Herzegovina region and world-known for its famous Old Bridge, the University of Mostar hosts 14.000 students, 1,000 lecturers and 50 different majors. It is now the fastest growing university in Bosnia and Herzegovina and an Oracle Academy member since December 2015. The university will host Oracle Academy training classes for teachers from across the region in the upcoming academic year 2018-2019. Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of the fastest growing countries in terms of Oracle Academy memberships in Eastern Europe, with 45 new institutional members in the current academic year. Oracle Academy training classes have been held in other local cities such as Tuzla and Banja Luka. This invitation by the University of Mostar to participate in this vital conference is another important step in expanding our presence and positive cooperation with academic and educational communities in the region. Darko Jurekovic, Oracle Academy Program Manager, is featured on the University Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/svemo.ba/photos/a.448797058878606.1073741836.354920018266311/448857408872571/?type=3&theater). I look forward to sharing more good news from Bosnia and Herzegovina in the next academic year!  

With the aim of continuing to help build IT educational strategy and growth, on 29 May, 2018, Oracle Academy participated in an IT conference organized by the University at the Intera Technology Park...

An “Oracle Academy Open Doors" event recently was held at which former Oracle Academy students who now have jobs at Oracle provided mentorship to a new class of students from Colegiul National “Mircea cel Batran” Rm. Valcea, Romania. The event was held for the third time. The event was organized to celebrate the fact that Colegiul National “Mircea cel Batran” Rm. Valcea have been members of Oracle Academy for over 10 years, supported by IT teacher Miana Arisanu, who has six former students now working at Oracle, Romania. These "Oracle Academy alumni" were pleased to share their experiences with the current students from their former high school. All 41 participants visited the local Oracle office to learn more about Oracle, Oracle Academy benefits and how “curiosity did NOT kill the cat” – how important it is to be curious. Our experience in hosting these events for the last three years has shown how important it is for new students to learn face to face from former students how to prepare themselves for a career in the IT field, to keep in touch for more information, and to benefit from their experiences working at Oracle. “The amount of information was quite large. I enjoyed every moment spent at Oracle Romania, where I met wonderful people whom I’d like to meet again in the future,” said student Alexandra Voicila, 10th grade. “The experience gained from visiting Oracle Romania made me think a lot about my future, and I enjoyed every moment spent there,” said student Dragos Spiridon. “I was pleasantly surprised by the way we were welcomed and by the information received during this visit, especially those about the extracurricular activities in which we should engage in order to grow in our careers,” said student Francesco Petrovici. "This visit represented a unique chance for our students to interact with employees from IT field, in such an important company. Besides the extremely useful advice that they received about certifications, involvement and encouragement to follow their passions, they had the opportunity to visit several departments and to speak with Oracle Romania employees," said Antonia Haller, IT teacher at CN Mircea cel Batran, Rm.Valcea. "All the students were delighted by the visit, impressed by the opening and the warmth with which they were welcomed, and motivated by the discussions held with Oracle Romania employees.”

An “Oracle Academy Open Doors" event recently was held at which former Oracle Academy students who now have jobs at Oracle provided mentorship to a new class of students from Colegiul National “Mircea...

Over 350 students from Iasi County in Romania came together to learn more about Oracle and Oracle Academy benefits, and to hear how important our technologies are, directly from Oracle Romania Iasi colleagues. We are grateful for the time and effort from our colleagues, who interacted with students during the course of three dedicated presentations and two workshops outlining the main elements of the Database and Cloud features provided by Oracle. From 25 April through 18 May 2018, Oracle Academy was involved in three events in the city of Iasi county, namely "IT Marathon", “Days of the Electronics Student", and "Student Scientific Symposium" at the Faculty of Computer Engineering and Automatic Control. With the help from our colleagues at Oracle Romania, Iasi County, Oracle Academy can build closer bonds with our Iasi university students and student associations. At the three events students were interested to learn about Oracle Academy Database and Java curriculum and how they can implement all this knowledge in day-to-day work as technical engineers in the IT domain. “Sustained by Oracle Academy curricula, the students, who defined themselves as 'the new generation who will re-architect IT' were encouraged to extend and develop their critical knowledge of key topics and trends in hardware (processors and storage) and software (OS, database, cloud, Java). My personal message for professors and students in Iasi is to better work together by becoming more strategic in our efforts for better education offerings”, said Gabriel Amarandei, Manager, Customer Support, DB Admin, Sup – DBS Foundation, EMEA. Our thanks go to all our Oracle colleagues in Romania for their time and enthusiastic support to our Oracle Academy students, and to Camelia Ditescu, Oracle Academy Program manager for Romania, for organizing these fantastic events!  

Over 350 students from Iasi County in Romania came together to learn more about Oracle and Oracle Academy benefits, and to hear how important our technologies are, directly from Oracle Romania Iasi...

On 23 May, 2018, Frane Urem, (pictured) Vice-Dean at the Polytechnic of Šibenik and Oracle Academy Instructor in Croatia, presented a paper on Oracle Academy activities in Croatia to the Croatian Society for Information and Communication Technology, Electronics and Microelectronics (MIPRO) at its International Convention. In his presentation, Frane emphasized that “in the field of European and Croatian education, the objective of digital competencies development for all citizens is particularly emphasized” and that in achieving this goal, the key stakeholders are teachers of informatics for whom the contemporary rapid development of information technologies poses great challenges in the field of their professional development. As the self-assessment of 126 respondents demonstrated, that of range of professional development programs offered to them by the Education and Teacher Training Agency (ETTA), Oracle Academy with its curricula, software and training resources matches their development needs well. In light of the ongoing curricular reform in Croatian schools which puts emphasis on ICT and computer science, Oracle Academy is on the right track with its resources, which will continue to expand in the upcoming academic year. The paper that Frane presented at the convention also will be indexed by IEEE Xplore digital library, available on http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/Xplore/home.jsp.  

On 23 May, 2018, Frane Urem, (pictured) Vice-Dean at the Polytechnic of Šibenik and Oracle Academy Instructor in Croatia, presented a paper on Oracle Academy activities in Croatia to the Croatian...

Coolest Projects is an annual global STEM showcase that inspires the next generation of digital creators, innovators, and entrepreneurs. Orlaith Lawton, Senior Marketing Manager EMEA, (pictured) representing Oracle Academy took a tour into the future with Oracle Academy member Raspberry Pi on Saturday, 26 May, at the RDS in Dublin.  More than 1,000 young people participated from across Ireland as well as 15 additional countries, including Argentina, Bulgaria, France, Italy, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, and Japan. Kids ages 7-17 had the opportunity to showcase over 700 coding projects created at their local CoderDojo, Code Club and Raspberry Jam clubs. Projects varied in content and format from apps, personalised websites, interactive games, and hardware projects.  Flying drones, STEM escape rooms, a minecraft server, a 3D snake with ping pong balls with LED lights inside, and helping robots were all part of the fun! Enthusiastic parents and volunteers also took part in the event, including many Oracle staff such as Turloch O’Tierney, Senior Member of Technical Staff, and Frank Bradley, EMEA Sales Communications Operations Lead. O’Tierney, who runs the Dublin 3 CoderDojo in the Eastpoint Oracle office, is a regular attendee to the conference. His advice was to encourage the kids to talk fluently about their project to the judges. Bradley is assisting in organising the upcoming October 2018 Dojocon event which will take place in Kilkenny.  Learn more about CoolestProjects at  http://coolestprojects.org/project-registration-faqs/

Coolest Projects is an annual global STEM showcase that inspires the next generation of digital creators, innovators, and entrepreneurs. Orlaith Lawton, Senior Marketing Manager EMEA, (pictured)...

I had a very inspiring visit to MICA, the first international vocational school in Egypt, which welcomed the Oracle Academy team to visit their premises and see first-hand the impact Oracle Academy has had on their students and faculty. MICA is the first vocational/technical international school in Egypt to create and deliver a three-year diploma in computer programming. I am proud that the diploma course developed by MICA uses the entire Oracle Academy curriculum in Java and Database as its content.   Now in its second year of delivery, the diploma course is accredited by PVTD (Productivity, Vocational and Technical Development) under the Ministry of Industry for Egypt. During this visit, we had the chance to visit the classrooms, tour the labs, and meet with students who have come from all parts of Cairo to study at MICA. It was interesting to see the projects created by the students who study computer programming and discuss with them their future plans for developing a career in the technology sector, and their interest in professional certifications. MICA faculty have attended two Oracle Academy training classes run by our EMEA instructor Gary Miller, who delivered the training in April 2018. We look forward to continuing to see the success of the diploma program and the students of MICA! 

I had a very inspiring visit to MICA, the first international vocational school in Egypt, which welcomed the Oracle Academy team to visit their premises and see first-hand the impact Oracle Academy...

It was with great pleasure that I recently attended an Oracle Academy Day and roundtable discussion with our members from colleges and universities in Jordan. Attended by faculty from some of our key universities in Jordan, it was good to hear how they are using our Oracle Academy curriculum in their degree granting courses and how some of them are creating their own Oracle Academy Clubs for students to share their experiences and learn with each other. The session provided an opportunity for our members to hear from our Oracle Academy program manager in MEA, Ola Ramadan, about Oracle Academy program benefits and updates. The discussions were lively and gave me an understanding of how Oracle Academy can continue to develop our program to meet the changing needs of faculty and their students. We discussed how we can work with our members to map our curriculum to local learning outcomes to facilitate the delivery of learning and Oracle Academy curriculum content in the academic sector. It was great to have our colleagues from the Oracle Jordan local team deliver interesting presentations on different topics such as "Insights for Business Transformation using Oracle Big Data and Cloud Analytics", and "The Next Big Things: AI, Machine Learning, Chatbots, and Blockchain." Many thanks go to Raed Hajarat, Country Manager, Jordan, Sultan AlKilani, Cloud Domain Sales Consultant, and Dr. Mutaz M. Al-Debei, Principal Cloud Platform Consultant,  Big Data & Business Analytics, at Oracle for their inspiring presentations to our members.            

It was with great pleasure that I recently attended an Oracle Academy Day and roundtable discussion with our members from colleges and universities in Jordan. Attended by faculty from some of our key...

Content provided by Danielle Ferretti This May, I had the pleasure of attending the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Each year, Intel ISEF hosts nearly 2,000 students from around the world as they showcase their research and compete for prizes and this year, I had the privilege attending and seeing them in action. Oracle Academy sponsored nine $5,000 scholarships and invited a team of Oracle volunteers to serve as judges at the event. During my visit, I had the chance to meet some of the judges and walk through the exhibit halls to view the students' work. There were two giant rooms filled wall-to-wall with exhibits! The exhibit categories ranged from environmental studies to mathematics to robotics (and everything in between!) I saw some incredible research projects ranging from early disease detection to climate change solutions. It was a far cry from my volcano science experiment days and was both humbling and inspiring to witness such young, bright minds at work. The most exciting part of the day, however, was the special awards ceremony where sponsors such as Oracle Academy had the opportunity to present their awards to the students. I was totally blown away by the entire production! The arena was filled to capacity and the stage was complete with special lighting, professional cameras and energetic music. It was like the Oscars of Science Fairs! I got on stage to present the nine awards on behalf of Oracle Academy, and it was so fun to watch the students run full speed to the stage after hearing their names called. They were so excited and so grateful. We took some photos backstage and wished them luck in their future endeavors – because they truly are our future!  

Content provided by Danielle Ferretti This May, I had the pleasure of attending the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Each year, Intel ISEF hosts...

Oracle Academy was delighted to participate in the Java Day Istanbul 2018 conference held on 5 May, 2018, with over 800 participants. The conference is one of the most effective international community-driven software conferences in Turkey, organized by Istanbul Java User Group. It helps developers learn more about the newest technologies in Java, web, mobile, big data, cloud, DevOps, Agile and Future, as well as establishing solid networks. We had the opportunity to be a part of this fantastic conference and meet developers, startups, tech companies and academics at the Oracle Academy booth hosted by our Oracle Academy Program Manager for Turkey, Sena Aydogan (pictured below). An interesting roundtable session was run by Oracle’s Cloud Digital Expert on current trends and future developments in Java and cloud.  This key conference was a great opportunity for Oracle Academy to showcase how we advance computer science education globally via our free resources, which range from curriculum in Java and database to training opportunities for educators and the new IoT Hands-On Labs. https://javaday.istanbul  

Oracle Academy was delighted to participate in the Java Day Istanbul 2018 conference held on 5 May, 2018, with over 800 participants. The conference is one of the most effective...

Oracle Academy is delighted to showcase a project developed by volunteers from our Romanian Oracle office representing different business lines, designed to support students from Oracle Academy member institutions to study more extensively Oracle technologies.  Oracle Romania has developed an Oracle Academy Club which has enrolled 20 students from five Bucharest universities, into which our colleagues in Romania bring their expertise and experience to discuss with students different subjects such as Database, WebLogic, Java, and last but not least, soft skills. The club has run for a period of three months, offering 14 different workshops of three hours each from January until the end of April 2018, all hosted at the Oracle Romania offices in Bucharest. At the end of this fantastic volunteer-led project, Oracle Academy Club students were proud to confirm that they now trust they could complete a project using database and Java, and understood how important it is for them that now they can mention in their CVs completion of the Java and database curriculum offered by Oracle Academy. In addition, they have had the opportunity to experience working in teams on various projects due to their participation in the Oracle Academy Club. “At the Oracle Academy Club, we aim to prepare our students for the moment they start to contribute to society’s prosperity. As they transition from full-time learning to delivering services or creating products, we bridge the gap from the theoretical IT training to the practical day-to-day work," said Bogdan Petcu, Director, Customer Support, Support - Enterprise Tools, Oracle. Students made use of Virtual Machines, where they explored SQL, webservers, web services and Java coding in a real-life environment, he said. They also participated in SCRUM-like meetings, learned professional communication skills, and for the first time ever, worked as part of a team rather than competing for points and awards. "Our goal is for every student to have a clear idea of what their dream job could be and how they can prepare themselves to reach it. We believe there is no greater difference one can make for the community, than making sure each of our generations has the best opportunity possible for finding motivating employment to enable a thriving economy,” Petcu said.  Oracle and Oracle Academy share pride in everyone involved in this great project!

Oracle Academy is delighted to showcase a project developed by volunteers from our Romanian Oracle office representing different business lines, designed to support students from Oracle Academy member...

Oracle Academy was pleased to take part in yet another outstanding Oracle User Group event in Europe, JavaCRO, an international conference organized by the Croatian Association of Java Users (HUJAK) and the Croatian Oracle User Group (HrOUG). This year the conference was held from May 7 to 9 at St. Andrew Island, next to the picturesque city of Rovinj in Croatia. The event was attended by more than 300 participants, with many newcomers, and importantly, young programmers, in attendance for the first time, a sign of how vibrant and healthy the Java community is in Croatia. JavaCRO is one of the largest Java conferences in Europe, hosting prominent Java experts from all around the world, including Oracle colleagues David Delebassee from Belgium, Duško Vukmanović from Croatia, and Marek Kratky from the Czech Republic. Oracle Academy was pleased to provide a presentation about our experiences in Eastern Europe; following the presentation there was a lively and interesting discussion between the audience and Darko Jureković, Oracle Academy Program Manager for 10 countries in Eastern Europe. Discussion topics included the decisions that contemporary students are facing when selecting Java as a programming language, and the challenges that the IT industry is facing across the region due to a lack of developers. This lack of talent means that many companies begin recruiting Java developers at the very beginning of their studies, as most students in their later years of study are already working while studying in parallel, and also are seeing opportunities outside of Croatia being open to them. This challenge to supply the IT workforce of the future is being addressed by Oracle Academy, which provides support through continued training of teachers in the country and engages with universities to support their use of free Oracle Academy curriculum, technology and learning resources.  http://2018.javacro.hr/eng/Program/Oracle-Academy-Java-EE-experiences-2015-2018    

Oracle Academy was pleased to take part in yet another outstanding Oracle User Group event in Europe, JavaCRO, an international conference organized by the Croatian Association of Java Users (HUJAK)...

We were delighted to be represented at the joint ITU and European Commission celebration of Girls in ICT Day 2018, which took place on 28 April, 2018, in Sofia, Bulgaria. The event also coincided with the new Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Bulgaria has one of the highest numbers of female participation in the ICT sector in Europe. This special occasion provided an opportunity for Oracle Academy to share and discuss how to achieve a higher share of female ICT specialists and identify Bulgarian best practices to be shared among other European countries. George Alexandrov, Country Leader, Oracle Bulgaria, who has over 15 years of experience in information and communication technology, represented Oracle at the role model panel discussion. We thank him for sharing his insights. International Girls in ICT Day is an initiative backed by all International Telecommunications Union member states. The event, which takes place each year on the fourth Thursday in April, aims to create a global environment that empowers and encourages girls and young women to consider car​eers in tech, enabling both girls and technology companies to reap the benefits of greater female participation in the ICT sector. This years’ event took place on April 26, 2018, with numerous events held during that week. To date, over 300,000 young women have taken part in more than 9,000 celebrations of International Girls in ICT Day in 166 countries worldwide.  http://www.digitaleurope.org     

We were delighted to be represented at the joint ITU and European Commission celebration of Girls in ICT Day 2018, which took place on 28 April, 2018, in Sofia, Bulgaria. The event also coincided with...

Oracle Academy in Italy attended the recent CLUSIT Security Summit in Milan, which was a huge success with over 1,200 participants.  Oracle Academy was represented by Roberta Battagli, Oracle Academy Program Manager, who emphasized the importance of Oracle Academy resources for institutes of higher education across Italy - not just in the computer science department, but across various disciplines. CLUSI offers an academic competition on its Thesis Award portal, with an emphasis on projects including security. This year, universities that offer law programs also have entered this prestigious competition.  Due to the success of the event, Oracle will attend the next CLUSIT Security Summit in Rome, June 7-8. We are looking forward to it! https://clusit.it/blog/newsletter-31032018/ https://www.securitysummit.it/event/Milano-2018/atti https://tesi.clusit.it/vincitori.php] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibeTwDJwAto&feature=youtu.be    

Oracle Academy in Italy attended the recent CLUSIT Security Summit in Milan, which was a huge success with over 1,200 participants.  Oracle Academy was represented by Roberta Battagli, Oracle Academy...

Oracle Academy member institutions across India, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Nepal joined our Oracle Academy Student Virtual Day—a unique online virtual conference with Oracle experts presenting key technology and IT career topics to help attendees build their technical and industry knowledge. Student registrations hit a record number with more than 11,000 attending to learn about Big Data, NoSQL database, IoT smart devices, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, blockchain, cryptocurrencies, digital experience, and database security. In addition to the technical offerings, students learned about career building blocks during sessions entitled “How to Get Your Career Started” and “How to Prepare for a Corporate Career.” This event was one in a series of Oracle Academy Student Virtual Days happening around the globe. Although Student Virtual Days are open to any Oracle Academy Individual members, many Institutional members choose to encourage their students to participate. These universities, polytechnics, colleges and schools often provide computer science (CS) education programs using Oracle Academy curriculum, including Java and database courses, as a part of their CS syllabus. In cases like this, Oracle Academy Student Virtual Day events create a unique and fun opportunity for students to engage with content that complements their formal coursework. Watch our events calendar for more Oracle Academy Student Virtual Days coming soon.

Oracle Academy member institutions across India, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Nepal joined our Oracle Academy Student Virtual Day—a unique online virtual conference with...

Written by Chris Saxon. SQL. You’ve mastered the basics. You write where clauses in your sleep. You can throw together a join with ease. But you can’t help but feel there’s more to it. You’ve played with subqueries, but struggle to get to grips with them. You’ve seen colleagues perform SQL wizardry, transforming rows to columns. But you don’t know how. Null continues to confound you. SQL is the most widely used data access language there is. So whether you’re a developer, data scientist or DBA, you’ll encounter it often during your working life. Top-notch SQL skills is an asset that will pay dividends throughout your career. To help you do this, we’ve created Databases for Developers: Next Level, a free 10-week bootcamp. It will take your Oracle SQL skills to the next level and set you on the path to SQL mastery. This self-paced course starts each module with a video on a database topic. Then, so you can practice your newfound skills, there follows a LiveSQL interactive coding tutorial. And, to fix the material firmly in your memory, we finish with a set of quizzes designed to reinforce the key points. The first module starts on Monday, 14 May. You can register for free now! Missed the start? No problem! You can join Databases for Developers: Next Level at any time. The course is 100% online and available whenever you have time for more SQL. Dive right in!   Frequently Asked Questions What will I learn on this course? There are ten modules in the course. The first nine cover the topics below and the final reviews all the course material. -  Module 1: Null -  Module 2: Subqueries -  Module 3: Sorting and Top-N queries -  Module 4: Analytic Functions -  Module 5: Pivot and Unpivot -  Module 6: Union, Intersect & Minus -  Module 7: Hierarchical queries -  Module 8: Merge -  Module 9: Read consistency -  Module 10: Course Review. Includes a live Q&A. How much does this cost? Nothing. Nada. Nil. Zilch. That's right, it's 100% FREE! I missed the start. Can I still join? Yes! You can join Databases for Developers: Next Level at any time When does the course end? The modules have no fixed end date. Once you're registered you can take open classes whenever you want How much time will it take? We estimate that each module will take up to 30 minutes to complete What if I fall behind? This is a self-paced course. Once registered, you have lifetime access to these materials to review at any time. So you can complete it at your leisure. But to get the best value from this course we recommend that you complete each module in the week it opens. What is the format of this course? The course is a combination of videos, coding tutorials and quizzes. Each module starts with a video introducing the concepts. An interactive coding tutorial follows, allowing you to put these ideas into practice. Finally a series of quizzes reviews the material, ensuring you’ve mastered the principles. Do I need access to an Oracle Database? No! This is a fully online course. We’ve designed the materials so you can complete the course without a database. I don't have access to an Oracle Database. Where can I practice what I've learned? Head to LiveSQL. This is a free, browser based tool you can use to write SQL. Will I get a certificate for completing this course? Yes! If you complete all the exercises then we'll send you a certificate of your achievement. Which language is this course in? All the videos and quizzes are in English. The videos include English subtitles I don't know anything about SQL. Is this course right for me? This assumes a working knowledge of SQL. If you're starting from scratch, take Databases for Developers: Foundations first. I already have a good working knowledge of SQL and Oracle Database. Is this course right for me? We've designed this course to level up your SQL skills. If you're stuck at basic joins, this class is perfect. If you're an advanced user there may be little new for you. But it never hurts to brush up your skills, right? ;) I still have unanswered questions. Where can I ask them? You can reach out to Chris Saxon on Twitter. Ready to join? Head to the registration page and sign up!

Written by Chris Saxon. SQL. You’ve mastered the basics. You write where clauses in your sleep. You can throw together a join with ease. But you can’t help but feel there’s more to it. You’ve played with...