Ericsson, Technical University of Sofia to prepare students for 5G-ready future

The Technical University of Sofia has embarked on a partnership with Ericsson to help its students become 5G-ready.

The Ericsson Educate: 5G University programme has the stated aims of raising digital skills, knowledge and awareness of 5G and emerging technologies among university students.

Bulgaria is the first country where Ericsson has implemented its global 5G University programme as an optional subject in the curriculum of third- and fourth-year bachelor’s students, as well as first-year master’s students.

The university regards 5G as a platform for service and innovation, with the capacity to positively impact societies, economies, people and the environment. As industries become increasingly digitised, governments, industries and the academic sector must work together to build a skilled, 5G-ready workforce.

The course will provide 64-hours of in-depth training on 5G technology and standards. It will be held in Bulgarian by professors from the Faculty of Telecommunications based on Ericsson learning materials covering 5G RAN, 5G Core and 5G Cloud. The course lasts two semesters in the 2022-2023 academic year.

“We are delighted to partner with Ericsson to address the existing skill gaps and prepare the students to be 5G-ready so they can play a positive role in driving the digital economy,” said Ilia Iliev, dean of the Faculty of Telecommunications at Technical University of Sofia.

“The goal of this programme is to help students to understand in-depth the impact of 5G on business, processes, competencies and models, as well as the socio-techno-economic paradigm.”

Through its Connect to Learn global education initiative, Ericsson said it is committed to positively impacting a million children and youth by 2025 by providing access to digital learning and skill development programmes.

“This 5G education collaboration with Technical University of Sofia represents a significant step forward in the direction of building an industry-ready workforce in Bulgaria through strategic public-private partnerships,” said Antonio Passarella, head of Western Balkans at Ericsson.

“The young talent that will come out of these courses will play a key role in accelerating Bulgaria’s digital transformation initiatives, helping drive the next wave of sustained and inclusive socioeconomic development in Bulgaria, driven by science, technology and innovation.”