ABU DHABI, 24 April, 05 (WAM) - Dubai Silicon Oasis (DSO),the technology park for the microelectronics and semiconductorindustry, has signed a 15 years renewable contract agreementwith AMA Group Holdings Corporation to provide hi-tech educationto UAE residents.

The agreement was signed by Dr Mohammed Al Zarouni, vice-chairman,DSO and director-general, DAFZA and Dr Amable Aguiluz, Chairman,AMACU and Special Envoy of the Philippine President to the GulfCooperation Council on April 19 at DAFZA premises, accordingto reports in the UAE's dailies.

Al Zarouni said: 'The key objective of partnering with AMACUis to ensure that we have adequate number of professionals tomeet the future needs of the hi-tech companies to exist in DSO."One of the main goals of Dubai Silicon Oasis is to link up industrialtechnology and academic circles to achieve the long-term goalof serving DSO target customers across the electronics valuechain.

Al Zarooni also added: ' It is essential to create a strongacademic platform to produce the right candidates specialisedin microelectronics, semiconductors, optoelectronics and Mechatronics(Mechanical Electronics) to take up the responsibilities of runningand operating the hi-tech operations here." ?Our team in DSOis highly geared up to put things in place for the new institutionto commence their operation by the year 2007, he acknowledged.

Dr Amable Aguiluz, said: "As an IT academic leader, AMACU playeda premier role in the creation of infrastructure for IT educationin Asia and Arab world.' He also said: 'Our plans to move toDubai Silicon Oasis is to provide hi-tech education for futureprofessionals will yield immeasurable output of great value tous and to the entire region.

We have selected Dubai Silicon Oasis to set up our institutionfor it has the right and unique location." According to Aguiluz,The IT University premises will be located at the DSO Headquartersat Nad Al Sheba area and will offer various educational programmesincluding electrical, electronic and computer engineering, microelectronics,mechatronics, business administration and business law.

Dr Eesa Bastaki, director, Technology & Development, DSO, said:"AMACU education system provides high electronic and computertechnology education specialised in certain significant areasof future great need, like mechatronics and microelectronics.""Our aim is to create a strong educational platform that synergiseswith our future research and development plans,' concluded DrBastaki.