From VR to Esports: Empowering Students Across Europe, Middle East, and Africa

Face-to-face learning and investment in education have never been more important. Education is the foundation of a better future, breaking down barriers, fostering equity and lifting the next generation through knowledge and opportunity.

The role technology plays in education cannot be overstated. It helps to offer solutions that create safer, more accessible, and collaborative experiences to empower teachers and inspire students.

BETT, running from 29th – 31st March 2023, is the world’s ‘Leading Education Technology Show’ and acts as a moment to reflect on the critical role technology plays in education. The event will bring together EdTech leaders from across the education landscape, showcasing cutting-edge and impactful products and services to aid educational institutions and initiatives.

As part of our mission to deliver Smarter Technology for All, we’re placing a spotlight on some of the educational initiatives we’re investing in across Europe, Middle East and Africa, to help meet tomorrow’s challenges. It is through these investments that we can both empower and enhance a diverse range of communities, anticipating the needs of students and teachers.

Technology’s lessons for life

The role of technology in education stretches far and wide. One way in which Lenovo has helped further education is through the teaching of tech skills, together with supporting programs and schemes aimed at encouraging the younger generation into the field.

Jane Govindsamy leads Lenovo’s Girl Code initiative, a project based in South Africa designed to train girls in soft skills. The mission of the program is to empower 10 million women and girls with tech skills by 2030, by creating a network of women who are highly skilled in software development and leadership. Through Lenovo’s partnership with Girl Code, 160 individuals have been directly impacted, with Lenovo employees volunteering their time to help.

A similar scheme was implemented in Italy. The Campus 2022 project delivered 42 hours of lessons about emerging technology using Lenovo’s smarter devices to over 2,500 students and 110 teachers across the country.

It is not just upskilling that’s important, as technology can support education more widely. In Hungary, for example, in partnership with WWF Hungary, Lenovo used its Lenovo Mirage VR S3 glasses to show students, using virtual reality, the beauty of Hungary’s forests and water plains. Through this partnership technology was able to highlight the importance of sustainability to the younger generation in an immersive, memorable way.

Investing in esports

The growing interest in esports amongst children is no secret, but leveraging this interest can be instrumental in education.

Esports provides a natural pathway for students interested in the world of technology and STEM disciplines, and can help develop soft skills such as teamwork, strategic planning, effective communication and leadership. Not only this, but esports can also offer a safe space for children who might otherwise feel excluded. When it comes to extracurricular activities, the focus in schools has traditionally been placed on sports on the pitch. Esports, meanwhile, can offer an inclusive and engaging activity for all students.

In the UK, for example, Lenovo partnered with King Edward’s School in Bath to develop a media suite that houses a flourishing esports programme for children across the local community. In Italy, meanwhile, Lenovo partnered with Maker Camp to host Lega Scolastica Esports (LSE), a national gaming championship across the country.

Women in STEM are the future

According to the Ministry of National Education and Youth in France, only four in every 30 female students choose to specialise in Digital and Computer Science.

Lenovo is committed to driving positive change here, supporting organisations such as BECOMTECH in France, a non-profit organisation which offers educational programs for young women in STEM. The partnership has been a pedestal for our mission to spread the benefits of technology, and since its inception, Lenovo has donated consistently to support its work.

Placing tech in the hands of the next generation

In south-east Europe, in the town of Peristeri in Greece, our Greek team acted as tech advisors and counsellors to aid schools in the area in choosing the best technology to enhance pupils’ education. Through implementation of interactive whiteboards, group collaboration platforms, electronic learning materials and tablets, Lenovo was able to play a key role in advancing the way children learn, communicate, and collaborate in the region.

A key pillar in Lenovo’s support for the development of education is through donating technology itself. In Andalusia in southern Spain, Lenovo donated technology to help teachers provide a better education for their pupils. Lenovo partnered with Google to present a competition for all public schools in the region to promote the use of technology and the digital transformation of the classroom. Teachers throughout Andalusia were tasked to present a project that emphasised ways in which technology could be used to improve the education of their students. The winning project won 30 Lenovo Chromebook 500e computers to use in their classrooms. Similarly, in Germany products were donated to Margarete Steiff School, a school for disabled students.

Education is the foundation for a better future

As a leader in the technology industry, publicly showing support for the development of education could not be more integral. An agreement between the Ministry of Science and Education of Poland and Lenovo Poland marked a political milestone for the country. In a bid to further the digital transformation of the country’s education system, Lenovo Poland committed to the exchange of knowledge and experience, highlighting how tech is at the heart of the country’s education system.

Across Europe more widely, through a partnership with EuropeanSchoolNet Lenovo provides insights and expertise to forums and workshops run by the network. Covering the whole of Europe and involving over 760 projects, 1,200 events and 1,011 Scientific Ambassadors, the aim of the partnership is to help promote and support European collaboration among STEM stakeholders.

Education is the foundation for a better future, and we will continue our commitment to drive forward educational initiatives such as the ones highlighted in this piece. Technology is a key enabler in delivering modern education to future generations, and Lenovo as an industry leader is here as a true partner to deliver Smarter technology for All.