Two teams from the Middle East are among ten finalists in Huawei's inaugural Tech4Good Global competition 2022. Tech4Good is a key part of Huawei's flagship CSR program, Seeds for the Future 2021, an initiative that aims to help cultivate young talent, equipping them with the skills and mindsets needed to be competitive in the workplaces of the future.
The two groups, "Spirit and Opportunity" from Iraq and "Intelligent Firefighting System" from Lebanon, were selected from 79 initial submissions globally through a competitive online voting process. The Iraqi team demonstrated an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-based air pollution monitoring and tracking system that can replace costly and inadequate fixed stations monitoring stations. Meanwhile, the Lebanese representatives proposed a firefighting solution that combines existing technologies with drones, using 5G, IoT and AI to react automatically to wildfires before they spread.
During the opening of the awards ceremony, Huawei board member and president of public affairs and communications Catherine Chen explained how this year's program was a particular success. "In addition to our existing virtual classes and expert exchanges, we also added a new section to the program – the Tech4Good Global Competition. In this competition, participants are encouraged to team up and find an ICT solution for a social issue of their choice," she added.
Chen also noted that more than half of the participants from over 20 countries in last year's Seeds for the Future program were women. "Tech has no gender. A diverse, inclusive, and innovative world needs the perspectives and strength of women. We look forward to seeing more women participate in science and technology in the coming years," she added.
This announcement follows Huawei's new Women in Tech initiative, which encourages more women to join the technology industry and take on more leadership roles.
Huawei's Seeds for the Future program was launched in 2008 to develop skilled, local ICT talent and bridge communication gaps between countries and cultures. In it, young people worldwide study advanced ICT technologies and compete to build real-world expertise and skills. The 2021 program had a record-breaking 3,500 participants from 117 countries, bringing the total number of participants in the past 13 years to over 12,000 students representing 139 countries.
Seeds for the Future is one of several CSR initiatives undertaken by Huawei to nurture talent for Middle East youth. Together with the ICT Competition, Huawei ICT Academy, the Huawei Innovation Competition, joint university labs, and other initiatives, thousands of young people in the region benefit from an advanced skills development pipeline every year, equipping them with the necessary skills to lead digital transformation and development efforts within their country.
