'Seeds for the future': 25 students to travel to China for Huawei's digital skills training

Twenty-five (25) from different universities across the country are set to travel to China for one week of digital skills training.

Under Huawei’s 2024 Huawei Seeds for the Future program, the 25 are part of the tenth cohort of students to go through the program since it started in 2014 and the first cohort to be trained in the program after its resumption to being a physical program.

The program which had been done virtually for four years aims to cultivate local ICT talent by enhancing knowledge transfer at a local and international level, promoting a greater understanding of and interest in the technology field and encouraging participation in the country’s growing digital economy.

By sharing ICT expertise and experiences in the global business environment, young people globally can learn about advanced technologies in the ICT industry and accumulate ICT expertise and skills through the Seeds for the Future program, contributing to the progress of the global ICT industry.

The Kenyan students will be studying alongside their counterparts from around the world.

In her keynote address, Principal Secretary of Higher Education and Research Dr Beatrice Inyangala said the Ministry of Education has taken the initiative to increase the use of technology in the learning process, giving the students a chance to progress in their education with ease.

“The Seeds for The Future program aims at providing Kenyan university students with digital skills training, enabling them to better engage with the most mainstream technologies before entering society, and improving the overall ICT levels,” said Dr Inyangala.

According to her, such is a platform that allows its recipients to exchange ideas, and improve their ICT knowledge and practical skills.

The students underwent a 5-day virtual training covering cloud training by one of the Huawei ICT Academy professional lecturers.

The students will also take part in a digital tour of Nairobi, visiting the Huawei training centre, Konza Technopolis and other centres relevant to the program before traveling to China for a one-week digital and cultural tour.

As part of the tour, they will work on a group project dubbed Tech4Good aimed at levering on technology to address current social and environmental issues.

The winning teams at the global level will proceed to compete with counterparts at a later date.

“I want to commend Huawei for their willingness to provide a range of programs, to ensure they meet the real needs of students and the country more broadly, and the long-term commitment that Huawei has shown over the last decade to Kenya,” said Mr Thomas Bwaley, Director of Programmes and Standards at ICT Authority.

Bwaley said digital skills are a critical part of the country’s efforts to grow the digital economy; this includes digital skills for professionals, partnerships to train on key strategic competencies, and access to digital skills for citizens to participate in the digital economy.

He said the ICT Authority has worked closely with Huawei several years to implement the Seeds for the Future program as well as other initiatives related to digital skills.

Huawei’s Kenya Deputy CEO Steven Zhang in his sentiments said talent is crucial for the growth and development of any industry and the rapidly growing ICT industry has greatly changed business models and customer requirements.

“Across the ICT ecosystem, there is an urgent need for large numbers of technical staff who can address the challenges posed by this transformation and help the country take advantage of new technologies,” said Mr Zhang adding, “With the Ministry of Education’s help, we have signed partnership agreements with over 50 academic institutions in Kenya.”

Zhang said the ICT Authority has been a partner for Seeds for the Future since Huawei’s first MoU in 2014, jointly promoting the program.