ICANN Launches New Curriculum Program to Promote Universal Acceptance in Multilingual Internet

ICANN Launches Universal Acceptance Curriculum Program

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has recently unveiled its Universal Acceptance (UA) Curriculum Program aimed at enhancing multilingual access to the internet. The program is a crucial step towards ensuring that all valid domain names and corresponding email addresses can be utilized by every internet-enabled application, device, and system, regardless of script, language, or character length. This initiative is designed to facilitate a more inclusive online experience.

Purpose of the UA Curriculum Program

The UA Curriculum Program allows educational institutions to seamlessly incorporate essential topics such as Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs), Email Address Internationalization (EAI), and UA into their curricula at no cost. ICANN works closely with universities to provide training for instructors and to embed these critical subjects into either new or existing courses.

So far, three academic institutions have entered into agreements with ICANN to implement the UA curriculum in their educational offerings, including:

- American University of Bahrain (AUBH)

Dr. Marwan Hameed, Dean of the College of Engineering and Computing at AUBH, expressed pride in signing the agreement, stating that this collaboration marks a significant milestone towards strengthening the university's position in the fields of computer science and advanced digital technologies. The integration of the UA curriculum into their programs will enhance the readiness of graduates, enabling them to keep pace with rapid changes in the technology landscape and broadening their contributions to development.

- Universidad Modelo

Dr. Jorge Carlos Canto Esquivel, the academic coordinator of the Silvio Zavala Research Center at Universidad Modelo, shared that their institution embodies the spirit of inclusivity, which is echoed in the UA initiative. The motto 'Para Si, Para Todos' aligns seamlessly with ICANN’s vision for a globally interoperable internet accessible to all.

- Sri Ramakrishna Institute of Technology (SRIT)

Dr. J. David Rathnaraj, director of SRIT, noted that this partnership represents a pivotal step in the institution’s commitment to the future of internet governance.

ICANN is also collaborating with the Association of African Universities to extend the UA curriculum across African universities, demonstrating its global outreach.

Key Components of the UA Curriculum

The UA curriculum comprises twelve modules covering UA and related topics, including the internationalization of software applications, IDNs, and EAI. These components are essential for creating a multilingual internet and domain name system. The significance of UA cannot be overstated, as it ensures that domain names—including longer and newer top-level domains in various languages (like Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, Tamil, and Thai)—function as intended within the Domain Name System (DNS).

By facilitating a broader selection of digital identities for users, UA empowers people to better reflect and promote their cultural traditions online. Organizations in both the public and private sectors are increasingly making their systems UA-ready to better serve their communities by supporting domain names and email addresses associated with local languages and scripts. Companies that embrace UA are well-positioned to reach a wider array of current internet users, including the next billion who will connect online.

Raising awareness and understanding of internationalization, IDNs, EAI, and UA offers students aspiring to careers as software developers or related technical fields a competitive edge, especially with firms at the forefront of rapid technological advancement in multilingual technology and DNS.

For further details about this significant initiative, please visit ICANN's website.

About ICANN

ICANN is dedicated to ensuring a stable, secure, and unified global internet. To connect with another person online, it's necessary to enter a unique address—either a name or a number—into your computer or device. This uniqueness is essential for computers to locate each other. Established in 1998 as a non-profit organization, ICANN coordinates the global use of unique identifiers. For more information, visit ICANN’s official website.