Global leading ICT provider Huawei today hosted the closing ceremony for Seeds for the Future, its flagship global CSR program which aims to engage and inspire local ICT talents through a study trip to China, and bridge communication between countries and cultures, as well as address the digital talent gap in Singapore.
With cross-border limitations brought upon by the pandemic, Huawei substituted its China study trip with an eight-day online program. This program is designed as a Virtual Teaching Lane (VTL) between Singapore and China to help students in Singapore overcome travel restrictions brought about by the pandemic and continue their learning.
The program provides students in Singapore with a deep dive into the latest developments in information and communications technologies (ICT), including cloud computing, Internet of Things (IoT), and 5G, to truly immerse themselves in China’s traditional and modern culture. They also gained first-hand insights into China's highly competitive digital economy, a pivotal aspect for Singapore’s future success.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the program in Singapore. In July 2021, Huawei announced, Seeds for the Future Program 2.0, where the company plans to invest US$150 million in digital talent development over the next five years globally. To date, nearly 200 Singapore students have joined the program and have become Seeds Alumni.
Mr Foo Fang Yong, CEO of Huawei International, spoke about the importance of grooming talent to shape the digital future. “We are proud to help bridge this divide by supporting local talents through our Seeds of the Future program. This year also marks Huawei’s 20th anniversary in Singapore, I hope that this program will revert to a physical one next year for a wholly immersive experience. In the meantime, we will continue to work with the local government, our partners and the institutes of higher learning through our dedicated curriculum, training and leadership programs as well as collaborations to further cultivate and grow local talent as we train them to become the leaders of tomorrow.”
The Seeds for the Future program is open to all outstanding undergraduates/graduates from universities or polytechnics with strong interest in ICT industry and China. Students who have recommendations from their university or polytechnics, IMDA SG:D Scholarship Winners or IMDA recommended students will be shortlisted for the program.
Scaling beyond local boundaries with cross-cultural learning
To further boost resources, Huawei also launched a wider range of courses including the latest Huawei Mobile Services (HMS) development, Android APP development, TECH4ALL sessions, and entrepreneurship trainings this year. Participants also explored various learning opportunities via Huawei exhibition hall live visits, live Chinese cultural sightseeing, pre-recorded visits, and live Q&A sessions with growing companies.
To continue the learning journey, all Seed Alumni will also be granted access to The Smart Urban Co-Innovation Lab @ East Coast which brings together Grassroots Organisations, schools and businesses in East Coast to offer better jobs, more opportunities for collaboration and co-creating of solutions for the community and businesses, as well as equip students and working adults with future-ready skills.
The closing ceremony culminated with a panel discussion joined by industry experts including Mr Pang Yan, Associate Professor from the National University of Singapore, Ms Jessica Tan, MP of East Coast GRC and Seeds Alumni, Mr Yu Peng Fei, Associate Cybersecurity Specialist, GovTech, and Mr Ivan Low, Chief Strategy Officer of Huawei International, discussing the importance of developing local ICT talent, its challenges and Huawei’s role in expanding collaboration, and the exchange of resources, knowledge, and new ideas between Singapore and China.
Strengthening local partnerships with the National University of Singapore
At the closing ceremony, Huawei also announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the National University of Singapore Business Analytics Centre (NUS BAC), jointly formed by the NUS School of Computing and NUS Business School, as part of its commitment to nurture talent and upskill students to help Singapore fill the talent gap in the technology sector.
This collaboration aims to empower NUS students and researchers, giving them the opportunity to tap into Huawei’s expertise and resources in ICT technology, Big Data, Cloud Computing, and software development. The students in the NUS Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA) programme can also look forward to capstone internship opportunities with Huawei and its partners.
In addition, NUS BAC will organise a Huawei-NUS analytics innovation challenge for students and researchers in the developer community to create innovative solutions for problem statements based on realistic business challenges from Huawei and its partners.
