The UAE’s Ministry of Education, Telecommunication Regulatory Authority and ICT Fund have partnered with Huawei to launch the firm’s Seeds for the Future 2018 CSR initiative, an educational challenge that offers university students a platform to present their ideas and turn them into viable projects.
Launched in 2008, Seeds for the Future aims to cultivate local ICT talent and improve people’s interest in and understanding of the ICT industry.
His Excellency Dr. Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, minister of state for higher education and advanced skills, as well as Essa Al Zaabi, senior vice president of the institutional support sector, Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry and David Wang, CEO of Huawei UAE, attended the opening ceremony of the 2018 program.
Over 150 projects from the UAE are expected to be presented at Seeds for the Future.
“We are proud to continue our flagship global CSR programme in the UAE and offer students with outstanding abilities and bright ideas the opportunity to develop their skills and become tomorrow’s ICT leaders,” said David Wang, CEO of Huawei UAE. “Huawei’s mission is to work with government partners to develop a robust ICT ecosystem, and a core element of this agenda is to support and nurture young ICT talent. We hope that Seeds for the Future will not only develop the digital abilities of the UAE’s top students, but also give them access to organisations and funding that will allow them to develop technologies that will help the UAE reach the targets outlined in its Vision 2021.”
The initiative aims to develop ICT talent among Emirati students.
They will also receive focused mentoring from top Huawei executives and a chance to travel to Huawei’s global headquarters in Shenzhen, China.
This year, Seeds for the Future is extending its outreach to over 10 universities across the UAE, expanding from five in the past year.
“I would like to thank Huawei for the opportunity to once again support Seeds for the Future, an important initiative that enables closer ties between the private sector and university students in the UAE,” HE Dr Belhoul Al Falasi said. “I am delighted this year’s programme will see greater participation from universities across the country, allowing more students to showcase their technology skills and innovative ideas. The ICT sector is key to the UAE’s transition to a competitive knowledge-based economy and initiatives such as Seeds for the Future help foster the entrepreneurial thinking among our youth necessary to drive our sustainable growth and development.”
Al Zaabi said, “Dubai Chamber is proud to be associated with this unique initiative and I look forward to learning about the innovative ideas and projects that the participants come up with, and offering support to talented students through training and hands-on experience, as well as networking and access to career opportunities.”
He added, “The Chamber’s support for the competition falls in line with the non-profit public organisation’s strategy, which aims to foster a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship among youth in the UAE, and encourage students to develop their skill sets and turn their ideas into a reality.”
Commenting on the event, Omar Al Mahmoud, acting CEO of the TRA’s ICT Fund, said, “Since its launch in September 2016, the initiative has achieved successive successes through the innovations of university students. One has invented a smart cane for the blind, able to alert the user to surrounding obstacles, another has invented a smart system for vehicles, which alerts drivers about safe driving distance and tracks violators, and many other bright examples. Students also traveled to the People’s Republic of China, to Huawei’s headquarters, as part of a professional training programme to refine their skills and broaden their knowledge.”
