KEY POINTS:
Throughout history, a person's prospects in life were largely determined by where he or she was born.
An average child in a rich, advanced society would likely live far better and significantly longer than the brightest, most talented child in a poor country.
That's probably still true today. But it's less true than ever before.
What's changing is that information and communications technology is making it easier for people and businesses in far-flung locations to communicate and do business with each other.
Enormous opportunities are opening up for many more people to participate in the global economy, wherever they may live.
Soon the prospects of a highly educated young person in China, India or almost any other emerging economy will exceed those of an unskilled young person in Europe or the United States.
This trend could help raise billions of people out of poverty and create a more stable, peaceful and just world. To thrive in this new world, developed and developing countries need to focus on building the productive capacities of their workforce.
One way to boost productivity is through investments in information and communications technology. Even greater competitive advantage can come from strengthening workforce skills through investments in education. In an increasingly globalised economy, knowledge and skills are the key differentiators of nations as well as individuals.
Fortunately, powerful new tools are available to help disseminate knowledge. Nearly 35 years ago, when I applied to study at Harvard University, I was attracted partly by the chance to hear great lectures from Nobel laureates and other members of Harvard's brilliant faculty.
Today, universities are offering online lectures, discussion groups, examinations and degrees to students all over the world.
Technology is making higher education, and economic opportunity, available to more people, regardless of their location.
At Microsoft, I have seen how software helps millions of people be more productive and creative.
I believe software can also play a critical role in helping societies address their most difficult challenges.
Because information technology and education are so critical to creating economic opportunities, Microsoft is deeply committed to improving technology access and fostering innovative teaching and learning methods.
To achieve these goals, in 2003 we launched a five-year, US$250 million initiative called Microsoft Partners in Learning. Since then, we've worked closely with educators, government policy-makers and community leaders in more than 100 countries. Partners in Learning programmes have reached more than 3.6 million teachers and more than 76 million students.
In New Zealand, we are funding a number of projects, including the Microsoft Innovative Teacher Scholarships (MInTS) and Microsoft Learning Objects (MiLO).
MInTS focuses on the development of resources to support technology education, enabling students to develop a broad technological literacy, while MiLO seeks to identify the role digital learning objects can play in helping learning and development.
Last year, as part of the Microsoft Innovative Teachers Network, six leading teachers were selected to represent New Zealand at the Asia and Pacific Microsoft Innovative Teachers Conference in Cambodia and, this year, through MInTS, four teachers will be mentored in local ICT industry workplaces.
The new knowledge and skills these teacher leaders develop will be applied back in their classrooms, schools and local communities.
Microsoft is renewing its commitment to Partners in Learning by making a second five-year investment that will bring total spending in the programme to nearly US$500 million ($627 million).
* Bill Gates is chairman of Microsoft. This piece is a New Zealand version of a keynote speech to a Government Leaders Forum in Scotland.
