Technology company Huawei has announced an investment of $150 million to fund its Seeds for the Future Program 2.0 for digital talent development over the next five years.

Huawei held a “Tech & Sustainability: Everyone’s Included” forum, co-hosted by 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.

Quoting the 2020 report by Unicef and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Huawei said about 2.2 billion people aged 25 years or younger still lack internet connections at home.

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“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,” said Liang Hua, chair, Huawei. “Huawei’s Seeds for the Future Program 2.0 is part of our commitment to continuously develop talent help college students and young people improve their digital skills. This program is expected to benefit more than 3 million additional people.”

Scholarships

Huawei is committed to helping develop digital talent in the countries where it operates. In 2008, Huawei began to roll out talent development programs, through scholarships, technology competitions, and digital skills training and has invested more than $150 million in these programs. Huawei has since benefited more than 1.54 million people from over 150 countries.

Initiated in 2008 in Thailand, the Seeds for the Future program is designed to inspire local talents and encourage seeds for society to tackle digital challenges. The program has benefited more than 5,000 students across the Asia Pacific.

As an echo for the forum, Huawei Asia Pacific held the APAC Media Virtual Roundtable with a laser focus on addressing digital inclusion and sustainable development of this region.

APAC talents

Jay Chen, VP of Huawei Asia Pacific, announced Huawei’s plan to cultivate more than 40,000 ICT talent in the next five years through multiple programs including Seeds for the Future in the region.

“In the digital economy, digital talent is playing an increasingly important role in driving digital transformation and economic growth. 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,” said Chen.

In APAC, Huawei has been a firm enabler for building an inclusive talent ecosystem. Huawei Asean Academy has been launched in Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia since 2019, and has cultivated more than 100,000 talents for preparing the digital future. Amid the pandemic, according to Jay Chen, “collaborations with top universities are accelerating. Till now, Huawei has built collaborations with around 200 universities in countries across the Asia Pacific.”