Huawei, a global provider of ICT infrastructure and smart products, has announced the launch of the latest edition of its annual education program Seeds for the Future in the Middle East. Recognizing the current skills shortage in the technology sector, the initiative brings together students, academics, and other stakeholders to help establish a better and more sustainable technological ecosystem in the region.
By enhancing international knowledge transfer among students, creating a broader awareness of and interest in the technology area, and encouraging involvement in the region’s growing digital economy, the program eventually fosters the development of local ICT talent.
The program will take place this year in ten countries across the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Pakistan. Following the successful introduction of a virtual Seeds for the Future program in 2020, this year’s edition will be held entirely online in order to comply with social distancing regulations.
Commenting on the launch, Charles Yang, President of Huawei Middle East, said: “Today, information and communications technology infrastructure is as vital to the prosperity and competitiveness of countries as electricity and transportation. This is recognized in nearly all of the national development and digitalization strategies of counties in the region. As the digital economy expands—accelerated by the changing models of industry brought about by the pandemic—the reality is that there is a significant gap between what is taught in classrooms and the skills that are needed in the real world. Through the Seeds for the Future program, Huawei is once again addressing these concerns while opening up new opportunities for more individuals and institutions to participate in the construction of the future digital society.”
Students will receive technology and cultural training, study cutting-edge technology such as 5G, cloud computing, AI, and IoT, and take virtual tours of Huawei’s exhibition halls, campus, and stores while gaining real-world experience through hands-on workshops in collaboration with higher education institutions and public sector partners. The training consists of eight days of live-streamed sessions as well as pre-recorded courses available on Huawei’s free online platform iLearningX.
Students will also take part in the newly announced Tech4Good project this year. Participants are challenged to think about how they can use technology to address the region’s most critical social and environmental issues. Through teamwork with students from many nations, it will also help students to improve their social entrepreneurship, problem-solving, and leadership abilities. Participants will present their concepts to a panel of judges, with the top 10 worldwide teams being selected to compete in a global finale competition for a chance to be recognized at the end of the year.
Seeds for the Future is Huawei’s flagship and long-term worldwide CSR program, which began in 2008. As of June 2021, the program has been conducted in 131 nations and territories, reaching 9,000 students from over 500 universities and receiving support from over 120 heads of state and high-ranking government leaders around the world.
The program attracted nearly 3,000 students from 103 countries in 2020. In 2020, 1,691 students from Middle Eastern nations applied, with 333 being chosen to complete the program.
