‘Igniting Innovation Through Education’ – Huawei & UNESCO IITE host summit

Huawei partnered with the UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education (IITE) as well as public and private sector entities from across the Middle East to analyze the essential role of ICT and education as a catalyst for national development, bringing people closer and making society more sustainable and prosperous. The virtual summit was held under the theme ‘Igniting Innovation Through Education’.

The summit welcomed experts from the global ICT ecosystem including keynotes from representatives of government and international non-governmental organizations, including Hou Tao, Global Vice President of Huawei, and Zhan Tao, Director at UNESCO IITE, who delivered the summit’s opening remarks. Other presentations were shared by representatives from the Pakistan’s Ministry for Education and Vocational Training, Arab Information & Communication Technologies Organization, GSMA, Communication and Media Commission, Artificial Intelligence Society Bahrain, Ankabut, leading universities from the Middle East region, and more. They shared their perspectives on the talent requirements of tomorrow, education models for the future, and methods for deepening public-private partnerships in the field of ICT education.

Zhan Tao, Director at UNESCO IITE, said: “We have enjoyed working very closely with Huawei as our partner, and especially since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, to minimize education disruptions for students and teachers in the Middle East, Africa, and other regions around the world.”

Hou Tao, Global Vice President of Huawei, said: “Nowadays, the possibilities of digitalization are widely recognized around the world. The COVID-19 pandemic has only accelerated this realization. We all now acknowledge that building a digital world requires utilizing innovative technologies. Science and technology are the primary production forces, while talent is the driving force behind digital development.”

Growing the global ICT talent ecosystem by investing in youth has been a key focus for Huawei, who have long provided development and training opportunities that enable more people to become participants and leaders in the technology field. Through a series of social responsibility initiatives – including the company’s Middle East ICT Competition currently in progress – Huawei seeks to enhance knowledge transfer, promote a greater understanding of and interest in the technology sector, and to encourage regional participation in the growth of the digital economy.

Space Lee, Vice President of Huawei Middle East, concluded the summit by commenting: “With ICT solutions now widely recognized as the building blocks of an intelligent society, supporting innovation and imagination through education is increasingly important to the national development agendas of nations across the Middle East. Developing the region’s ICT talent pool will enable the successful growth of the ICT ecosystem as a whole, which in turn, will contribute to the growth and success of the digital economy as well as more connected, intelligent societies.”