Chinese tech giant Huawei has begun its popular Seeds for the Future program in Nepal to cultivate digital talents. The campaign was officially announced today Nov. 30 at an event in Kathmandu. Seeds is a widely celebrated flagship CSR initiative by Huawei, but this is the first time the Chinese tech giant has launched it in Nepal.
Huawei first launched the Seeds for the Future plan in 2008 in Thailand. Since then more than 9,000 students from 130 countries and regions have participated in the program. In Nepal, Huawei announced the opening of the applications for Seeds in October to much anticipation from Nepali ICT communities.
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Seeds for Future Nepal | 20 Undergraduates, 8 Days Training
Out of over 136 applications into the Seeds, the Seeds for the Future Selection Committee composed of distinguished ICT professors has selected 20 undergraduate students This includes 4 from outside the Kathmandu valley. The attendees will take part in the 8-day online training, visit a Huawei-built 4G base station in Ghandruk and attend classes from industry experts.
The trainees will also get a chance to participate in the Tech4Good global competition. There they can pitch their idea on leveraging technology to solve social and/or environmental problems and win prizes up to $20000.
Hon’ble State Minister, Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Bodhmaya Kumari Yadav was the guest of honor at the ceremony. She stressed the need for connectivity in rural Nepal and its need for educational purposes.
“Digital literacy and the development of digital talents are equally important for digital development”, she said. The Minister also pointed that Seeds will open an opportunity for Nepali students to forge friendships with international peers and to connect with a globally renowned company.
Huawei Investing $50 Million for ICT Talents in 5 Years
At the event, Huawei Asia Pacific Vice President Jay Chen delivered his welcome remarks. He then briefed about the company’s plans to invest in digital talent development in the region.
Chen mentioned that over the next 5 years, Huawei has already committed to invest an additional $50 million USD to develop 500 thousand ICT talents in the Asia Pacific region alone.
He mentioned that this would be possible through several digital talent development programs including Seeds for the future. Seeds for Future Nepal is part of Huawei’s larger strategy to invest in digital talent cultivation across the region.
Selection Committee Members Praises Huawei’s Seeds Nepal Edition
The Selection Committee members who have been involved with the program since the very beginning also shared their praises for the program and Huawei. Prof. Dr. Shashidhar Ram Joshi, Dean of TU Institute of Engineering, went into great detail about the selection process and mentioned how it was challenging to shortlist the final 20 students from the application pool.
Professor Joshi expressed his gratitude towards Huawei for initiating Seeds for the Future and the Tech4Good global competition. “Huawei did a really good thing with the Tech4Good Global Competition announcement. This opportunity would be really interesting for those students who want to start their own business”, he said.
Prof. Timila Yami Thapa expressed her great joy at Huawei including women in such talent development programs. “This message is very good for Nepal. Huawei’s Women in Tech initiatives across the world are exemplary”, she said.
One of the student representatives from the 20 finalists, Ms. Yunika Bajracharya, shared her experience of the first class of the Seeds for the Future program. She thanked Huawei for “bringing everyone together with such an amazing initiative. Students are feeling great to be a part of such a dynamic group and to meet with like-minded students who are all equally passionate about technology.” The class in concern had taken place on the afternoon of Nov 29.
Huawei Nepal CEO Mr. Zhang Congratulates The Finalists
CEO of Huawei Nepal, Mr. William Zhang congratulated the finalists in his closing remarks and thanked the selection committee for their continuous support of the program.
Mr. Zhang also reiterated Huawei’s commitments to develop 10,000 ICT talents in the next 5 years in Nepal and hoped for more female participation in the next edition of Seeds for the Future.
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Huawei’s Seeds program will resonate with ICT pursuant in Nepal. the flagship SCR program will open doors to Nepali aspirants to gain a learning experience with the leading tech company of the world. This is one of Huawei’s many contributions to Nepal’s ambitions of ICT growth.
How excited are you with Huawei’s global Seeds program launching in Nepal? Do share your views on it in the comments below.
