The activities of the first phase of the 'Seeds for the Future' program 2023 came to a close on Saturday at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, under the patronage of Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA).
The final ceremony of the regional event that was organized by Huawei Technologies honored the winning teams of the first phase of the program who will compete in the second phase which will be hosted by Dubai from September 10-16. These teams represent Qatar, UAE, Jordan, Uzbekistan, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijan.
Dr. Salem Al Naemi, President of the University of Doha for Sciences and Technology and representative of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, stated: "Developing ICT learning and digital skills in the education field has become an integral part of strategic planning in Qatar. In an era of digital transformation, we aim to nurture young talents with the necessary skills and knowledge to advance and lead in their careers." He added that the Seeds for the Future program provides one of the best training grounds for all future ICT practitioners and enhances international knowledge transfer among participants. "We are committed to nurturing young ICT talents and providing them with the skills and knowledge necessary to develop their professional skills and advance economic and social development in Qatar and the region." CEO of Huawei Technologies LLC Alex Zhang praised Qatar's efforts for the first phase of the Middle East and Central Asia leg of the Seeds for the Future program and Tech4Good competit ion and noted as well the efforts of Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA) and all their partners - Ministry of Education and Higher Education, Qatar Tourism, Qatar Foundation, Vodafone, Aspire Zone and all other partners who made this event happen. "We are confident this gathering was a milestone in nurturing ICT talent and harnessing the youth power to drive digital innovation and shape the sustainable future of the Middle East and Central Asia region." Public Relations and Communication Unit Manager, CRA, Eng. Hussain Salatt noted the importance of the "Seeds for the Future" program and the successful completion of its first phase, which hosted exceptional talents from 15 countries representing the Middle East and Central Asia region. He thanked to all the entities that supported the program and express his appreciation to Huawei for their continuous efforts in nurturing youth talent in the ICT field and promoting innovation.
A total of 175 students from elite universities across 15 Middle East and Central Asia (ME &CA) countries participated in the first phase of the Seeds for the Future program in Doha. This included Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Bahrain, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Oman, Uzbekistan, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Azerbaijan, Mongolia, and Kyrgyzstan.
16 Qatari students participated in the program, hailing from renowned educational universities in Qatar, including Qatar University, Hamad bin Khalifa University, Qatar Community College, and the University of Doha for Science and Technology.
The first phase of the Tech4Good regional competition, aimed at empowering and engaging the youth in driving positive change within their communities, was also held in parallel. Participating students presented their Tech4Good projects to the judges, and seven outstanding teams of 40 students were selected to move on to the second phase of the Tech4Good program.
The students participated in eight days of intensive training sessions and workshops in Qatar, which covered cutting-edge ICT technologies, scientific and technological leadership, discussions on global topics, Tech4Good group projects, etc. Through learning and mutual exchange, participants gained a better understanding of 5G, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and cloud technologies, built more strengths for future growth, and improved their competitiveness in the job market.
Following the second phase of Tech4Good regional competition in Dubai, UAE, the winners will then qualify to compete in the final global competition in China against other teams from around the world. The students will jointly explore ICTs huge potential to drive sustainable development. Winners from the Tech4Good Global Competition will be invited to the Tech4Good Startup Sprint in China.
Source: Qatar News Agency