Huawei will invest USD 50 million to develop 500,000 digital talents in Asia Pacific

Huawei will invest USD 50 million in the next five years to develop 500,000 digital talents in the Asia Pacific region. Jeffery Liu, President of Huawei Asia Pacific, has announced this while delivering his keynote speech at the Asia Pacific Innovation Day – Digital Talent Summit 2021, held recently. With a view to bridging the digital talent gap in this region, Huawei has also signed an MoU with the ASEAN Foundation at the summit.

The online summit brought together policymakers, researchers, and industry experts to share solutions and best practices in building a sustainable ecosystem that will help foster digital talents in the Asia Pacific. The Asia Pacific Innovation Day – Digital Talent Summit 2021 started strongly with a series of keynote speeches from governments’ leaders such as Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for ASEAN Political-Security Community H.E. Robert Matheus Michael Tene, Chair of the ASEAN Digital Senior Official Meeting H.E. Dato’ Sri Mohammad Mentek, the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications of Cambodia H.E. Dr. Chea Vandeth, the Chief of Presidential Staff of the Republic of Indonesia H.E. General TNI (Purn) Dr. Moeldoko, the Minister of Youth and Sports of Sri Lanka Hon. Namal Rajapaksa, the Philippine Ambassador to China H.E. Jose Santiago L. Sta. Romana, and Permanent Secretary of Thailand Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research, and Innovation H.E. Prof. Sirirurg Songsivilai, M.D., Ph.D. Their speeches underlined the importance of key stakeholders’ proactive participation in developing a solid foundation for the digital talent ecosystem in the region.

“The Digital Talent Summit 2021 aims to discuss and address the needs of ASEAN ICT youth talent, is obviously very relevant, especially in the midst of the global pandemic which forced us to significantly rely more on the digital platform. This auspicious event is very much aligned with the ASEAN Digital Masterplan 2025 objective of improving people’s capability to participate in the digital society economy,” said the Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for ASEAN Political-Security Community H.E. Robert Matheus Michael Tene.

“Innovation and development rely on a talent ecosystem. Huawei is prepared to work with its partners to build a talent development ecosystem conducive to innovation. Huawei’s tenure in the Asia Pacific have been a journey to find like-minded friends. Let’s work together to build an inclusive, innovative, and vibrant ecosystem, attract and cultivate more digital talent, and jointly promote the development and prosperity of the region”, Huawei Senior Vice President and Board Member Catherine Chen noted during her opening remarks.

The importance of digital talent in sustainable development was emphasized in the virtual roundtable discussion involving notable speakers from UNESCO, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and Maxis.

Another key activity of the summit is a presentation of Huawei’s 2022 Asia Pacific Digital Talent Insights. The white paper, which was presented by Senior Consultant for National Digital Talent Development Alex Lee, chronicled the tech company’s efforts and journey in fostering digital talent in the Asia Pacific.

“Cultivating innovative ICT talent ecosystem is fundamental to the digital transformation. Leveraging shared innovations with win-win outcomes, we can harness the power of ICT skills to fly us into a digital future. Together with our partners, Huawei will invest $50 million in the next 5 years to develop 500,000 digital talents in the Asia Pacific region,” President of Huawei Asia Pacific Jeffery Liu announced in his keynote speech.

The commitment to bridge the digital talent gap in the Asia Pacific, particularly ASEAN, was further strengthened with the signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding between the ASEAN Foundation and Huawei ASEAN Academy. The agreement highlights both entities’ readiness to implement ASEAN Seeds for the Future, which is a scaled-up version of Seeds for the Future, Huawei’s global CSR flagship initiative that has been providing world-class digital skills training for young people across the globe since 2008.

The ASEAN Seeds for the Future will also help achieve the objectives of ASEAN Digital Masterplan 2025, which are to increase the capacity of youth in the region to participate in the digital economy and create a digitally inclusive society in ASEAN. The ASEAN Seeds for the Future is set to launch in early 2022, inviting youth aged 15 – 30 in ASEAN to immerse themselves in a virtual journey of capacity building on leadership and digital skills.