INVESTING IN EDUCATION AND KNOWLEDGE

SAP recognizes the value of education as a key driving force for innovation. It is apparent in the ideas and dreams of students and in the strategies and plans of business and community leaders around the world. We believe that our engagement is not only beneficial to SAP but to our stakeholders as well. That is why we focus on education, because knowledge is a powerful tool – one that will help individuals, societies, and economies succeed, progress, and sustain growth.

Through our University Alliances (UA) program, SAP is committed to educating today’s students so they can become tomorrow’s business leaders. In 2004, over 130,000 students in more than 500 universities around the world participated in the UA program – including students from new schools in China, India, and Russia. SAP donated more than €125 million in software licenses, trained professors and instructors, and developed curricula. Membership in the UA enables faculty and students to experience real everyday business processes, increase their ability to handle and use mission-critical information, and understand the importance of good corporate governance. University Competency Centers provide software hosting facilities, so schools can focus their efforts on teaching and using the software.

Last year also saw increased faculty involvement in curriculum initiatives. SAP partnered with Indiana University, Indiana (USA), to pilot the integration of RFID technology into a supply chain management curriculum. At the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee (USA), SAP funded the installation of the SAP NetWeaver platform and provided support for curriculum development and research. And at the University of Würzburg, Germany, more than 70 mySAP ERP business processes were recorded, placed on line, and are now being shared and used by other UA universities and students.

SAP is also committed to education in the communities in which we live and work:

• Together with other organizations, SAP has set up the “Africa Drive Project” in South Africa, which develops new learning strategies and technologies to foster the skills of mathematics and science teachers in secondary schools.
• SAP Argentina employees, through their “Solydar” initiative, care for children in a neglected suburb of the capital city Buenos Aires. The 150 children receive tutorial help after school to ensure they earn the required grades to complete their education – as well as basic assistance, including daily hot meals and clothing.
• In the United States, SAP supports the “Knowledge Is Power Program.” It was created in 1994 to encourage learning among children and young people in socially deprived areas. SAP supports schools in six major U.S. cities.

SAP understands that investing in success means investing in the future – the education of future professionals who will become the managers and leaders of tomorrow. As a company, we are aware of our responsibilities as a global corporate citizen and are committed to helping societies build the intellectual capital that stimulates growth and prosperity.