Dell donates 900,000 yuan to schools

Dell Inc has donated computers and virtual reality equipment worth 900,000 yuan ($132,450) to two schools in Guizhou province.

The tech company's funding will help provide children in south-western China with access to high-quality education.

Based in the United States, Dell donated laptops, desktops and VR projectors, which are aimed at plugging the technology gap at regional level.

"We have always been caring and we have always supported China's educational system," said Lin Hao, vice-president of Dell.

The company will build learning centers for students, which will be equipped with more than 30 Dell PCs. They will be customized for Chinese children.

The centers will also provide teachers with vital resources, including "course ware" for different subjects as well as photos, videos, audios and cartoons.

Dell also plans to set up a VR Corner, where students can experience and get immersed in virtual reality scenarios through advanced technology.

Children will be either to "fly" to different planets and explore the universe or learn to escape from a blaze in a simulated fire scene by wearing a VR helmet.

"We are embracing the rapid development of VR and cloud education," said Chen Chong, president of Experimental Primary Schools attached to Guiyang Normal School, which is involved in Dell's project.

"The traditional way of teaching with blackboard and chalk is being replaced by 'Internet+Education'," Chen added. "So, we appreciate that Dell has brought high-quality resources to Guiyang."

Dell also cooperated with AsiaInfo, a leading software provider, to offer 100 sets of PC-cillin, a software to protect against dangerous viruses. The company plans to deploy other software to protect hard disks.

Since 2006, Dell has established four learning centers in Guizhou province and a total of 272 across China. Its donation in education exceeds 130 million yuan. This in turn has helped more than 300,000 students.

"We try to cooperate with leading companies in this field to create innovative educational projects," said Lin of Dell.

Contact the writers at masi@chinadaily.com.cn and chengyu@chinadaily.com.cn