Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — This year, 150 students, 14 educators, and academic representatives from 14 countries in the Middle East and Central Asia are participating in the flagship educational program "Huawei Seeds for the Future" in Uzbekistan.

As part of the "Seeds for the Future" program, Huawei is hosting the regional Tech4Good competition in Tashkent, aimed at youth with ideas to solve social issues through the latest ICT technologies.

Supported by the Ministry of Digital Technologies of Uzbekistan, the IT Education Association, and regulators, telecommunications, and labor agencies, as well as educational institutions from the Middle East and Central Asia, Huawei announced the launch of its prestigious annual educational program "Seeds for the Future 2024" for university students in these regions. The official opening ceremony took place on 12 August 2024, in the conference hall of the Ministry of Digital Technologies.

This year, the corporate social responsibility project "Seeds for the Future" is being held for the 10th time and marks the 25th anniversary of Huawei’s operations in Uzbekistan. Considering the country’s rich history and rapid digital development, this year’s program week is closely tied to the idea of fostering cooperation and talent development on the digital Silk Road.

Uzbekistan’s Minister of Digital Technologies, Sherzod Shermatov, attended the opening ceremony of "Seeds for the Future," welcoming young talents from the Middle East and Central Asia, as well as distinguished guests participating in this year’s project. "This event is significant for transforming Uzbekistan into a regional IT hub and achieving the goals set by our State’s leader. To reach these goals, we need talented young people. The Seeds for the Future program is an important step towards expanding global cooperation in ICT. We are pleased to have a partner like Huawei, which understands the need to develop digital talents and create an advanced platform for building a digital and green world," said Minister Shermatov.

Commenting on the program’s launch, Huawei’s Vice President for the Middle East and Central Asia, Mr. Wang Shunli, said: "Digitalization has transformed how we live, work, and communicate, and skilled personnel are at the core of this transformation. At Huawei, we believe that collaboration between governments, organizations, and academia is necessary to address skill shortages and teach youth how to seize the opportunities of tomorrow. We have a shared responsibility to empower future ICT talents and contribute to the development of the regions in which we operate. We are very excited to host the Seeds for the Future 2024 project and look forward to seeing regional ICT talents in action."

The Seeds for the Future program, aimed at university students, focuses on developing local digital talents, sharing knowledge, raising ICT awareness, and fostering a digital community for young talents. This year’s participants include 150 students from leading universities in 14 regional countries, including Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Jordan, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Qatar, Kyrgyzstan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, the UAE, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia.

Fifteen students from Uzbekistan were selected to participate in the Seeds for the Future 2024 competition from eight local universities, including Tashkent University of Information Technologies, Inha University in Tashkent, Amity University in Tashkent, New Uzbekistan University, Turin Polytechnic University in Tashkent, Tashkent International University of Education, Westminster International University in Tashkent, and Mirzo Ulugbek National University of Uzbekistan. Over the past nine years, 147 students from Uzbekistan have participated in Huawei’s global educational program.

This year’s Seeds for the Future 2024 program will feature intensive training in advanced ICT technologies, lectures on technological leadership skills, discussions on global topics, and group startup projects through Tech4Good. Through education and mutual exchange, participants will gain a deeper understanding of technologies like 5G, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and Wi-Fi 7, unlocking more opportunities for future growth and enhancing their competitiveness in the job market.

In addition to exploring ICT innovations and engaging with industry experts, students will participate in a series of events and tours in Uzbekistan to build cross-cultural relationships. Ahead of the opening ceremony, a major cultural event, "Global Village," was held at Amity University in Tashkent. Each student team presented their country’s cultural heritage, traditions, national attire, and cuisine. The event was attended by Minister Shermatov, who visited each team’s stand.

The program also includes the Tech4Good competition, aimed at empowering youth and involving them in making positive changes in their communities. This unique platform fosters innovative ideas that effectively address pressing social issues by leveraging the vast potential of the latest ICT technologies. Participating students will present their Tech4Good projects to the judges, with two outstanding teams selected to compete in the Global Finals next year in China. Last year, a team from Uzbekistan emerged as the regional champion in the Tech4Good competition.

Seeds for the Future is Huawei’s flagship CSR initiative focused on developing ICT talents worldwide. Since its launch in 2008, the program has reached over 18,000 students from 141 countries. With the support of more than 360 high-ranking officials and heads of state, the program partners with over 500 universities to nurture a new generation of ICT leaders and innovators.