The First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports Hon. Janet Museveni flagged off ten Ugandan ICT Students to undergo a two-weeks hands on ICT training in China under Huawei’s ‘Seeds for the Future’ program last Thursday 29th March 2018.
The “Seeds for the Future” is Huawei’s global Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) flagship program that selects top college students in ICT-related courses for a technological study trip in China.
The flagging off ceremony for this third team of Ugandan students was held at State House Nakasero on Thursday afternoon. It was witnessed by the Chinese Embassy Charge De Affairs H.E Chu Maoming, Huawei’s Managing Director Jerry Liujiawei and the Principal College of Computing and Information Science Makerere University Tonny Oyana among others.
Hon. Janet Museveni, on behalf of Government of Uganda, thanked the Republic of China and in particular Huawei for this Corporate Social Responsibility Programme saying it is crucial to the development of ICT which is now a key driver for economic development globally. “I really thank you for standing with Uganda in our struggle to build our muscle in ICT for our developing country in the global community”, she said.
She encouraged the successful students to maximize the opportunity and make the best of it to learn more and on return, to pass on the knowledge to others. “As you are going to China remember to be a good citizen and also learn the principle of serving others first and yourself last. If you remember this in life it will take you a long way and give you mileage”, she said. She also urged them to be good ambassadors for Uganda when in China and to make good friends for themselves and Uganda.
Huwaei’s Managing Director Jerry Liujiawei thanked the government of Uganda through the Ministry of Education and Sports for making Huawei’s vision of bridging the digital divide and making Uganda a better-connected place real through the Seeds for the Future program. He said “In Uganda the program successfully started in 2016 with President Museveni flagging off the 10 ICT talents to Beijing and Shenzhen. We pledge our continued support to the digitization process of this nation by using this program to cultivate more ICT talents that are crucial to ICT sector development, thus boosting industry growth and driving development of different other sectors”.
Mr. Liujiawei further said that the Seeds for the Future program has been implemented in 96 countries and international organizations worldwide benefitting over 30,000 students from 280 Universities.
He pledged that Huawei will continue to work with Government and other relevant parties to build vital ICT systems in Uganda.
The Charge De Adffairs Chinese Embassy in Uganda H.E Chu Maoming thanked Huawei for continuing to implement the Seeds for the Future Programme over the years. He also thanked the Ministry of Education for being part of the process.
H.E Maoming thanked President Museveni and the people of Uganda for the congratulatory message to the Republic of China’s President Xi Jinping who was recently re-elected. He said China’s leadership has committed to further developing its relationship with Africa and Uganda in particular. The Ambassador also congratulated the Ugandan students and hoped that they learn a lot from China.
Tonny Oyana, Principal College of Computing and Information Science Makerere University, who represented the Vice Chancellor, thanked Ministry of Education and Sports for allowing Makerere to coordinate the Seed for the Future programme. He appreciated the judges who considered the 35 Technological proposals from the Public Universities and Huawei for the competence-based learning and opportunity for exposure they are offering to the students. “You are opening a new chapter in your life. Remember to be a productive citizen and to serve others first other than yourselves”, Oyana advised the students.
The ten successful students from the Universities of Makerere, Muni, Lira and Busitema, chosen from the 35 who presented technological proposal for consideration, leave for China on the 6th of April 2018. They will visit Beijing and Shenzhen and will have opportunity to study and gain work experience at Huawei’s headquarters and also be exposed to Chinese culture and cross-cultural work experience in a global business environment.
