Over the next five years, Huawei will be investing US$150 million in digital talent development through its Seeds for the Future Program 2.0 as announced in the recently held Tech & Sustainability: Everyone’s Included forum, co-hosted by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The Seeds for the Future program is designed to inspire local talents and encourage seeds for society to tackle digital challenges. It has benefited more than 100 students in the Philippines since its inception in 2008 in Thailand. In the Asia Pacific, Huawei has been a firm enabler for building an inclusive talent ecosystem. Amid the pandemic, collaborations with top universities are accelerating. Till now, Huawei has built collaborations with around 200 universities in countries across the Asia Pacific and over 40 universities in the Philippines. 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.
According to a 2020 report by UNICEF and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), about 2.2 billion people aged 25 years and below have no access to the internet. “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 Huawei’s Chairman Liang Hua at the forum. In 2008, Huawei began to roll out talent development programs, through scholarships, technology competitions, and digital skills training and has invested more than US$150 million in these programs. Huawei has since benefited more than 1.54 million people from over 150 countries and will continue its commitment to developing digital talent in the countries where it operates.
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. Jay Chen, Vice President 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 Jay Chen.
Climate change and environmental issues are becoming global challenges. Though carbon emissions declined over the past year due to the economic slowdown and worldwide lockdowns, emissions are rapidly rebounding as economies reopen. Shifting to a circular economy and achieving sustainable development is now a common goal for all countries. “Green and sustainable development has become a top priority for global economies,” said Liang. “Huawei has been leveraging its extensive experience in power electronics and energy storage as well as technical expertise in 5G, cloud, and AI, to develop its digital power business and provide digital power solutions for different industries. As of December 2020, Huawei’s digital power products and solutions have generated 325 billion kWh of electricity from renewable sources and saved a total of 10 billion kWh of electricity. These efforts have resulted in a reduction of 160 million tons in CO2 emissions.”
In Singapore, Huawei FusionSolar Solution has supported Sunseap Group, a solar energy solutions provider, to build the world’s largest offshore floating Photovoltaic (PV) farms. With 13,312 solar panels, 40 inverters, and more than 30,000 floats, this five-hectare sea-based solar plant is estimated to produce up to 6,022,500 kWh of energy per year, supplying enough power for 1250 four-room public housing flats on the island and offsetting an estimated 4258 tons of carbon dioxide, according to Bruce Li, Managing Director of the Huawei Asia-Pacific Enterprise Digital Power Business. “By working together, countries can mutually support one another to meet their sustainability commitments. There are many areas where digital technology can support this, such as in enabling a transparent and verifiable carbon market. Singapore’s public and private sectors have expressed interest in working with its neighbors on climate action,” said Associate Professor Simon Tay, Chairman of SIIA at the forum.
For more updates on Huawei and its Seeds for the Future Program 2.0, visit https://www.huawei.com/
