Huawei Brunei initiates annual program to develop local ICT talents

Brunei's Deputy Minister of Education Hjh Romaizah (1st R, front) takes a tour for the teaching environment of the "Seeds for the Future 2020" program in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei, Sept. 21, 2020. Huawei Technologies in Brunei officially commenced its "Seeds for the Future 2020" program on Monday, aimed at developing local information and communications technology (ICT) talents. (Photo by Jeffrey Wong/Xinhua)

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) -- Huawei Technologies in Brunei officially commenced its "Seeds for the Future 2020" program on Monday, aimed at developing local information and communications technology (ICT) talents.

As Huawei's flagship global Corporate Social Responsibility program, the "Seeds for the Future" was first launched in 2008 and designed to develop skilled, local ICT talent and bridge communication between countries and cultures.

By sharing ICT expertise and experiences in the global business environment, young people from different countries and regions can learn about advanced technologies in the ICT industry. Participants can accumulate ICT expertise and skills through the program and therefore contribute to the progress of the global ICT industry.

Brunei's Deputy Minister of Education Hjh Romaizah said at the launching ceremony that her ministry is taking a holistic approach to build a comprehensive ecosystem for digital learning.

"Vital to the success of our efforts is the continuous partnership with different stakeholders in technology, especially Huawei Technologies who are at the forefront of the ICT industry, to add value to the ministry's initiatives."

"As such, programs like the 'Seeds for the Future' are crucial not only to triggering interest in students, but also to ensuring a sustainable ICT talent pool for our nation," she said.

"With the travel restrictions still in place in many countries and in line with the 'new normal', I'm pleased to learn that Huawei Technologies is bringing the 'Seeds for the Future' program fully online," Romaizah added.

According to Zhang Jianwei, CEO of Huawei Technologies in Brunei, the Seeds for the Future 2020 is being held virtually this year with the support from Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD), due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 35 Bruneian students from UBD, Universiti Teknologi Brunei and other education institutions are participating in the program.

Zhang said participants of the program are exposed to Huawei's 5G, cloud computing, internet of things, artificial intelligence as well as many other cutting-edge solutions. A total of 32 Bruneian students, sponsored by Huawei, have participated in the program in Shenzhen and Beijing between 2015 and 2019.

"I am very grateful for this opportunity given as it provides us with an unprecedented range of industry knowledge and skills to complement our university study. I also look forward to learning a set of skills to be Industrial Revolution 4.0-ready," said Nur A'ishah, a second-year UBD student majoring in General Engineering.

"We are pleased to see that initial success was achieved in the China-Brunei digital economic cooperation," Chinese ambassador to Brunei Yu Hong told Xinhua.

"Both China and Brunei are motivated to advance digital economy and promote high-quality growth. I hope China and Brunei will deepen practical cooperation and further promote the economic and social development," she said.