SCU Partners with Microsoft for Future Ready Skills Program

Soochow University has become Microsoft’s first partner among Taiwan’s universities in offering the company’s Future Ready Skills (FRS) program. With long-term effort in cultivating interdisciplinary integrated talents, Soochow will provide six courses in its School of Extension Education under the Microsoft Certified Trainer Program and the Microsoft Certification Program, starting July 6^th, 2020.

By receiving such educational training in innovation and technology, SCU students may earn professional certificates, and connect to the industry and job market more easily. So far, over 200 participants, including faculty, students, and alumni, had taken courses of the programs; 25 of them have passed the certification exam, and in six months more than 50 of them are expected to become Microsoft Certified Trainers.

In late August, 2020, twenty or more certification courses are expected to be offered. They are divided into four categories: business applications, data management and analytics, artificial intelligence, and cloud platform and infrastructure. Soochow students and alumni can get discounts on the fees if they enroll by the end of this year.

SCU President Wei-Ta Pan said that Microsoft is an expert in offering online-offline software-related services with its products widely used in all kinds of industries. Microsoft’s FRS program uses Microsoft Learn, the company’s online learning platform, to provide IT-related certification courses, which help Soochow students earn international professional certification based on their needs.

Serving as a great example of industry-university cooperation, the FRS program offers courses, trainer training, and certification exams in a one-stop format, which will become a trend in the future. And Soochow University has taken a lead among Taiwan’s universities and colleges, he added.

Patrick Pan, the general manager of the public sector group, Microsoft Taiwan, stated that the Future Ready Skills program allows students to gain IT-related skills, the most needed ability in the 21^st century, and cultivates them into AI specialists. He also mentioned that with Soochow signing as the first partner of the program, Microsoft expects more universities in Taiwan to join and to better prepare their students for future careers.