Vietnam's Government Recognises Cisco Certification

Vietnam's Ministry of Education and Training Recognizes Cisco for Efforts to Raise Country's Technology Skills

HANOI, Vietnam, June 5, 2008 - Cisco® today announced that it has been honored with two awards from Vietnam's Ministry of Education and Training for its contribution to advancing education and research in the country. The awards are the one of the highest forms of recognition that the Vietnamese government gives to private companies and individuals upon recommendation by Vietnam's university community.

The first award is a certificate of appreciation to Cisco for its commitment to technical education in the country through its Cisco Networking Academy® Program. The second is a Education Career medal, given to Professor Christopher Hoang Pham, a Cisco senior engineering manager of the U.S.-based Network Software and System Technology Group, for his contribution to research and development through the networking laboratory in the Hanoi University of Technology (HUT) and other educational activities.

The Networking Academy program fosters local economic growth by developing and supporting technical education worldwide. Cisco provides educational institutions with leading-edge information technology (IT) curricula and hands-on lab exercises to train a workforce that may attract highly desirable employers. The Networking Academy program was first launched in Vietnam in 2001 with only one academy and now has developed to 19 academies throughout the country. Over six years, the program has produced more than 600 alumni. Nearly 4,000 students have been taught by about 200 instructors in 650 courses.

Beside the Networking Academy program, Cisco has carried out a series of educational activities under Pham's guidance. These include:

Providing equipment and consultation for the networking laboratory in HUT;
Facilitating numerous science and technology seminars and conferences in Vietnam for professors and students;
Arranging the visits of Vietnamese educational groups to the United States for on-site experience and discussion;
Providing technical consultation for and designing the networking infrastructure of government offices and classrooms in Vietnam to raise classroom quality to international standards;
Creating a network for student and teachers to enhance their knowledge and understanding through consultations with experts abroad; and
Contributing to disaster relief through donations.
The Cisco Asian Affinity Network, in which Pham serves as a core team member, reaches out globally to mentor educators and students in Vietnam and many other Asian countries.

"Cisco is honored with these awards from the ministry," said James Chia, general director for Cisco Vietnam. "We always place a high priority on giving back to the community, and the Cisco Networking Academy Program represents the best way that we can do that. The program provides students with an excellent foundation for life in the technology industry, and these youths will in turn become the backbone for an economically vibrant Vietnam."

The Cisco Networking Academy Program is a comprehensive program that provides students with the Internet technology skills essential in a global economy. The program delivers Web-based content, online assessments, student-performance tracking, hands-on labs, instructor training and support, and preparation for industry standard certifications.