The Higher School of Informatics and Management in Rzeszów was awarded the Golden Bridge Award as a partner of the Cisco Networking Academy. The award was given for the implementation of the Start IT programme as part of the Cisco4Ukraine initiative and support for Ukrainian refugees. The award is given to only four Cisco Networking Academy Partners in four regions of the world.

The Golden Bridge Award recognises particularly valuable initiatives that change the lives of communities through a combination of technology and education.  

This award acknowledges exceptional responsiveness and partnership in supporting Ukrainian refugees to build their digital skills and employability through the Start IT programme as part of the larger Cisco4Ukraine initiative. ‘The ability to act quickly and the scale of the endeavour: from 700 learners in the pilot phase to 5,000 new participants from the launch of the programme on 1 February 2023, is proof of real impact’, said Armand Leblois, Regional Manager, Europe-CIS.