This Friday, 7 December, Mr. Babacar Kane, General Manager of IBM Senegal, and Prof. Mouhamed Moustapha Dieye, President of the ISM Group, signed a partnership agreement centered on an innovative and generous initiative: IBM Digital - Nation Africa (D-NA). This programme aims to address the lack of digital skills, particularly among young Africans.

For ISM students in general, and those enrolled in Digital Campus Dakar programmes in particular, this is a unique opportunity to upskill and earn sought-after certifications. A valuable partnership for ISM — IBM Senegal is a committed partner that regularly takes part in campus activities and initiatives (participation in the incubator, the hackathon, and more).

Through a freely accessible online learning environment hosted on the IBM cloud, IBM Digital - Nation Africa offers a wide range of enabling resources, from computing fundamentals to highly sought-after advanced skills. Students will be able to explore social communities, digital privacy, and cybersecurity. Advanced users will be able to study career-oriented computing topics, including programming, cybersecurity, data science, agile methodologies, critical thinking, innovation, and entrepreneurship. The initiative also aims to empower citizens, entrepreneurs, and communities across Africa by giving them the knowledge and tools needed to design, develop, and launch their own digital solutions.
Students will be able to log in and access the digital platform, while benefiting from IBM support for onboarding, monitoring, and tutoring. The deployment of D-NA at ISM will thus contribute to promoting digital culture by developing educational activities that foster access to online knowledge.
Each module completed and validated will allow students to enrich their CV and proudly display it on professional networks such as LinkedIn. This platform is connected to job boards in Africa and worldwide, which users will be able to browse. Mr. Babacar Kane is a firm believer in lifelong learning and continuous upskilling: "Thanks to artificial intelligence, this platform is able to analyse and suggest courses to take in order to bridge the gap between your profile and a position sought by employers." Users earn "badges" or certifications that attest to a specific skill — a real advantage when it comes to finding a job or starting your own business.