Leading global ICT provider, Huawei today hosts the 11th edition of the Seeds for the Future Program in Singapore. For the first time in conjunction with the program, Huawei also debuted the Tech to Build Your Career seminar at Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), which participants learn about the future of tech careers and foster entrepreneurship.
The seminar is a key component of the Seeds for the Future Accelerator camp starting from August 29 to September 2 in Singapore. Seeds for the Future is the global flagship CSR project run by Huawei since 2008. Aiming to inspire the next generation of leaders through technological innovation and cross-cultural exchange, the program has attracted over 12,000 students from 137 countries and regions to attend over the last 14 years. As of 2022, Huawei has trained a total of 203 participants in Singapore under the Seeds for the Future Program.
Huawei Asia Pacific Seeds for the Future Program 2022 was first kicked off in Bangkok on August 19. During the 9-day digital boot camp, 120 outstanding students from 16 countries across the Asia-Pacific region enjoyed a cross-cultural digital journey in Thailand. 33 out of 120 were selected for the Acceleration Camp. During their stay in Singapore, they will be guided by entrepreneurial leaders from various tech sectors, which will inspire them to consider the practicability and realization of their ideas.
“As part of Huawei’s Seeds for the Future Program, the Tech to Build Your Career seminar will connect the next-gen leaders from other ASEAN countries with top talents in Singapore and bring together great minds across the ecosystem to discuss, share and inspire ideas of innovation,” said Charles Cheng, managing director of Huawei International, “We believe that our collective effort will contribute to a more sustainable and progressive Singapore, and help the nation build a world-class talent pool in the long-term.”
The Tech to Build Your Career seminar began with opening remarks from Prof. Low Hong Yee, head of pillar – designate, associate professor & director of the Digital Manufacturing and Design Centre, SUTD. In her speech, she identified potential opportunities and risks that the new era posed, while addressing how the students could prepare for the upcoming challenges and bring their ideas from ideation to realization.
Culminated by a panel discussion, the session covered an array of topics, from entrepreneurship in the digital future to community creation in the digital era. It brought together a group of distinguished home-grown entrepreneurs including Zack Yang, chief operating officer and co-founder of FOMO Pay, Elroy Cheo, co-founder of ARC Community and Vivian Lim, co-founder and CEO of The Idea Co, lead curator and license holder for TEDx Singapore.
The panelists shared their personal experiences on finding the right career path for themselves and how technology has played an important role in their self-discovery journey, regardless of future developments and application of blockchain technology or tech-enhanced community building. They also provided future outlooks into what the technology industry would look like and provided industry insights on which fields they predict will be suitable for young talents to pursue.
The seminar closed with Tech4Good presentations, where participants were invited to present their solutions and ideas. Tech4Good is a competition designed to help young adults learn about the latest trends in digitalization and explore how digital technologies can address common social issues. Upon completion of the presentations, participants were given additional feedback and suggestions on how to strengthen their ideas.
The winning team of the Huawei Asia Pacific Seeds for the Future Tech4Good Competition will be announced at the Awards Ceremony of its Seeds for the Future Accelerator Camp in September. The winning team, as one of the top 10 finalists, will continue their journey for Huawei Seeds for the Future Tech4Good Global Competition next January.