A group of 200 students got to cross the entrance doors of Apple’s pioneer iOS Academy.
located in San Giovanni a Teduccio, province of Naples last week. In a joint partnership with the world’s oldest university – Federico II of Naples, the American colossal has chosen southern Italy for their premiere European learning facilities. The student body will take part in a nine-month curriculum designed and supported by the Cupertino Company. During the first semester, courses will enhance and improve students’ software development skills on iOS; during the second semester, students will attend courses on the creation of start-ups and collaborate on the design of apps that could eventually make it onto the App Store.
Located at the ex-Cirio factory, the academy is the newest addition to a campus entirely dedicated to engineering technologies. With the inauguration of the campus Engineering Department in Lot C just weeks ago, the Academy will share an enormous high-tech campus with around 900 students from all engineering fields. Academy premises host the didactic and laboratory facilities where hundreds of students will get the practical skills and hands-on training in developing apps for the world’s most innovative and vibrant app ecosystem.
The plan to create a specialised iOS Developer Academy in Naples, Italy, was announced in January by Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, and Prime Minister, Matteo Renzi to help boost the number of trained app developers in Italy and Europe. Just seven months later, the hightech enterprise sealed a multi-million dollar agreement with the southern Italian university.
The American colossal has agreed to invest 6 million Euros for the following three years in an academy, with the option of automatic renewal that would make the school permanent. In a commitment spread out over the next three years, Apple is going to cover the costs for resources destined to professor salaries and student scholarships, equalling 800 Euros per month, for those who participate in app developer training courses on the iOS platform.
The southern Italian academia has ‘seen’ the American investment with other 6 million Euros. As part of their commitment, the university has agreed to offer rooms, equipment and laboratories, with Internet access and audio/video systems, technical assistance and maintenance with technological updates. With ten-month contracts grossing Euro 40,000.00, fifteen experts from around the globe have equally been chosen and trained to guide pupils for this first academic year.
As part of the Campania Region’s vast 800 million Euro research programme in main sectors that include aerospace, high-tech, the automotive industry, agro-food and fashion, they have committed to investing 7 million Euros just for Academy scholarships, calling the partnership with Apple an extraordinary opportunity to place the south in global competition. “Building a future through know how is the biggest weapon we have to stop the haemorrhage of ‘fleeing southern intelligence’ (cervelli in fuga),” asserts President of Campania Region Vincenzo de Luca.
The athenaeum welcomed local and national authorities led by Stefania Gannini, Minister of Education, in University Federico II in Naples’ Aula Magna on the via Protopisani campus for the inauguration ceremony that took place October 6th. After an initial grazie, Lisa Jackson, Apple’s Vice President of Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives, told the audience how proud she was of the 200 students chosen to participate in the first European academy after a tough and rigorous selection involving thousands.
“We believe unlocking the potential in you is part of our DNA,” the company manager explained, emphasizing: “the real work starts today and we hope the academy will offer you the best opportunity in technology with a future-orientated education.” Jackson also reminded the enthusiastic crowd that “just eight years ago, the app revolution started with 500 native apps. Ten million apps were downloaded in just one weekend. An industry was thus born. Now, there are three million registered iOS developers in Europe alone who are responsible for the over two million apps,” explaining the extraordinary feat of the Global marketplace available to everyone. As apps become more and more precious parts of our daily lives, hopeful developers cannot wait to take part in the unprecedented education offered in this European university.
When asked why Apple has chosen Naples for a pioneer investment of this magnitude, Chancellor Gaetano Manfredi the University said: “Apple scouted us out after a blind investigation on possible partners throughout the nation. They chose Federico II in part because of our track record in both scientific and humanistic faculties. On the average, we grant degrees to around 650 graduates per year. Undoubtedly, the technical giant has betted a lot on us. Choosing us demonstrates this university is capable of being one of the big world players,” he concludes.
While the record time 5-month construction site has delivered the academy ready to run at half steam this first semester, the 100% renovation of the third floor Engineering Department, required by Apple for the adaptation of its facilities, will be completed by April 2017. The Academy will be at full regime by the start of 2017/2018 academic year.
A group of 200 students got to cross the entrance doors of Apple’s pioneer iOS Academy.
