Huawei announced its Seeds for the Future Program 2.0, through which Huawei plans to invest USD 150 million in digital talent development over the next five years. The program is expected to benefit more than 3 million additional people.
“Digital skills and literacy are not just the foundation for the digital economy; they are also a basic human right defined by the United Nations. Today we are announcing Huawei’s Seeds for the Future Program 2.0. As part of our commitment to continuously developing talent, we will invest US$150 million in this program over the next five years and help college students and young people improve their digital skills. This program is expected to benefit more than 3 million additional people.”
Liang Hua, Huawei Chairman
Promoting equal access to education and talent development
Huawei is committed to helping develop digital talent in the countries where it operates. It began rolling out talent development programs in 2008. These were through scholarships, technology competitions, and digital skills training as well as invested more than USD 150 million in these programs. Since then more than 1.54 million people from over 150 countries have benefitted.
The Seeds for the Future program is designed to inspire local talents and encourage seeds for society to tackle digital challenges. The program has benefitted more than 100 students in the Philippines.
Huawei Asia Pacific held the APAC Media Virtual Roundtable with a laser focus on addressing digital inclusion and sustainable development of this region. Jay Chen, Vice President of Huawei Asia Pacific, announced the company’s plan to cultivate more than 40,000 ICT talent in the next five years through multiple programs in the region.
“In the digital economy, digital talent is playing an increasingly important role in driving digital transformation and economic growth. The access to education is vital for creating opportunities that support sustainable and fair development. Due to the pandemic, we are moving the program online and opening it up to more outstanding students than ever before.”
Jay Chen, Vice President of Huawei Asia Pacific
The company is a firm enabler in the Asia Pacific for building an inclusive talent ecosystem. Collaborations, amidst the pandemic, with top universities are accelerating. It has built collaborations with around 200 universities in countries across the region and over 40 universities in the Philippines.
Addressing environmental challenges
The Seeds for the Future program 2.0 was announced at the Tech & Sustainability: Everyone’s Included forum, which the company co-hosted with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Representatives from Huawei, IUCN, the World Economic Forum, Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), Global Enabling Sustainability Initiative (GeSI), and Singapore Institute of International Affairs (SIIA) participated to discuss the role of technology in driving sustainability and building a more inclusive, eco-friendly world.
“Green and sustainable development has become a top priority for global economies,” said Liang. “Huawei has been leveraging its extensive experience in power electronics and energy storage as well as technical expertise in 5G, cloud, and AI, to develop its digital power business and provide digital power solutions for different industries. As of December 2020, Huawei’s digital power products and solutions have generated 325 billion kWh of electricity from renewable sources and saved a total of 10 billion kWh of electricity. These efforts have resulted in a reduction of 160 million tons in CO2 emissions.”
In Singapore, the Huawei FusionSolar Solution has supported Sunseap Group to build the world’s largest offshore floating photovoltaic farms. It includes 13,312 solar panels, 40 inverters, and more than 30,000 floats that is estimated up to 6,022,500 kWh of energy per year. This is enough power for 1250 four-room public housing flats on the islands and offsetting 4258 tons of carbon dioxide.
“By working together, countries can mutually support one another to meet their sustainability commitments. There are many areas where digital technology can support this, such as in enabling a transparent and verifiable carbon market. Singapore’s public and private sectors have expressed interest in working with its neighbors on climate action,” said Associate Professor Simon Tay, Chairman of SIIA at the forum.
Ram found his love and appreciation for writing in 2015 having started in the gaming and esports sphere for GG Network. He would then transition to focus more on the world of tech which has also began his journey into learning more about this world. That said though, he still has the mentality of "as long as it works" for his personal gadgets.
