The winners of the 2021 edition of the Huawei Seeds for the Future (SFTF) competition have been announced. The winning teams from UAE University, the University of Dubai and the American University of Ras Al Khaimah were announced at a ceremony presided over by Shunli Wang, Vice President of Huawei Middle East. Huawei’s Seeds for the Future program aims to bridge the talent gap that exists in the technology sector today by involving students, academics, and various other stakeholders in building a stronger and more sustainable technology ecosystem in the region.
Jawaher Saif AIghfeli, Shamma Sultan Alsaedi, Aisha Fahad AIraeesi and Hanan Fekri Kharbash represented UAE University at SFTF 2021. Mohammed Mejren, Abdulrahman Aljasmi, Saud Almazmi, Mahra Alhosani represented the University of Dubai, while the American University of Ras Al Khaimah was represented by Maryam Al Ali, Naema Alharmi, Ghaya Alhebsi and Reem AlNuaim.
Meanwhile, Huawei has announced that Seeds for the Future will continue its collaboration with UAE’s Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) and the ICT Fund. The partnership between the parties has provided thousands of Emirati youth the opportunity to accumulate ICT expertise and skills, contributing to the progress of the UAE’s ICT industry and helping accelerate the UAE’s digital economy.
Shunli Wang, Vice President of Huawei Middle East, said, “Huawei remains committed to enriching UAE’s talent development pipeline through open collaboration and public-private partnerships. Every year, Seeds of the Future empowers local youth to reimagine what technology can do to create a better world. We are proud to be associated with this important venture and look forward to years of success.”
Eng. Omar Al Mahmoud, ICT Fund CEO, commented, “The ICT Fund is dedicated to advancing the UAE’s ICT sector, which is the biggest driver of development in all other sectors. We realize the value of collaboration to pursue this mission. This is why we support such initiatives to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge taught at universities and the practical skills required by digital companies. We are delighted to continue as a partner for Huawei and the Seeds for the Future to build on the success we have fostered so far.”
Dr. Maen Takruri – Director of ICONET and Associate Professor – Electrical Engineering, American University of Ras Al Khaimah, stated, “We are incredibly proud of our students’ performance during the Huawei Seeds for the Future competition. My heartiest congratulations to all the students – Maryam Al Ali, Naema Alharmi, Ghaya Alhebsi and Reem AlNuaim. I’m confident that they will all gain invaluable ICT knowledge and skills that will help their future careers. We’re also grateful to Huawei for allowing university students an opportunity to learn from its world-class ICT leaders and nurture their skills for a brighter future.”
The 2021 edition of SFTF was launched in August across the Middle East, running across 10 countries in the wider Middle East region, including Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Pakistan. Participating students benefit from technology and cultural trainings in cutting-edge technology such as 5G, cloud computing, AI, and IoT. Additionally, last year saw participants take part in the inaugural Tech4Good program, an initiative that challenges them to develop technological solutions to pressing social and environmental issues.
