Huawei annual Seeds for the Future program opens for 2022 edition in Lebanon

Mobilk - The 2022 edition of the annual Huawei Seeds for the Future program has opened in Lebanon, inviting university students to explore Huaweis cutting-edge technology, experience traditional and modern Chinese culture, and enhance their professional development. This year also sees the return of the Tech4Good initiative for the second year, a program that asks students to identify a social issue and propose a technical solution based on the ICT skills they learn throughout the program. 

This year will see more than 27 students participate from various reputable Universities in Lebanon. 

The Seeds for the Future program has been held in Lebanon since 2018. In 2021, 30 students from multiple universities in Lebanon attended the program, out of which 26 graduated, giving Lebanon a graduation rate of 86% against a worldwide average of 73%. Last year also saw a team from Lebanon emerge among ten finalists in the Tech4Good Global competition, selected from 79 initial submissions globally through a competitive online voting process. The teams "Intelligent Firefighting System"  proposed a firefighting solution combining existing systems with drones, using 5G, IoT and AI to react automatically to wildfires before they spread.

The opening ceremony in Beirut was attended by Hassan Mourad, Head of Education Committee at the Lebanese Parliament, who noted the challenge posed by the knowledge divide, resulting in different and unequal opportunities to contribute effectively to society. "The pandemic has served as a wake-up call that the digital divide and inequalities within and across countries can no longer be addressed partially. What will be necessary is a sustained effort to democratize access to digital technologies." 

"That is why initiative such as the Huawei Seeds for the Future Program is essential and highly commended, not least for its outreach to young people that gives them an excellent opportunity to explore the digital world and take their learning into exciting new areas of ICT," he added.

In his keynote speech, Mohamad Sharara, Huawei Public Relations and Government Affairs Director, Lebanon, stressed on the importance of empowering Lebanons youth with global knowledge and new skills that will significantly support Lebanons economic revival and digital transformation journey, saying: "As a global technology provider, we feel we have a responsibility to advance digital skills globally, and here in Lebanon specifically, where current challenges impose an additional responsibility to build an advanced ICT infrastructure and use new technologies to boost socio-economic growth." 

"The Seeds for the Future education program is very special as it marks one of Huaweis significant investments in our wonderful country and demonstrates our commitment to nurturing local ICT talents who will become the future ICT leaders of Lebanon and the regions growing digital economy," he added. 

As of July 2022, the Seeds for the Future program has been implemented in 137 countries and regions, reaching more than 12,000 students from over 500 universities and gaining endorsement from more than 180 heads of state and high-level government officials globally. 

Huawei remains committed to working with our local partners to pursue more opportunities for talented young people to develop the ICT talent ecosystem through education and training.