Uniting for an Inclusive Digital Future: Huawei, ASEAN Foundation, and SEAMEO Spotlight Asia-Pacific's Emerging Tech Leaders at Seeds for the Future Summit 2023

In a collective move to fortify the digital skills pipeline, Huawei, the ASEAN Foundation, and the Southeast Asia Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) today hosted the Seeds for the Future Summit 2023. Under the theme "Connect, Cultivate, Contribute for Inclusive Digital Talent Growth in Asia-Pacific," the summit convened 91 exceptional participants of Seeds for the Future, Huawei' flagship talent initiative, from 19 Asia-Pacific countries, emphasizing the vital role of youth in the digital evolution of the region.

First launched in Thailand in 2008, the Seeds for the Future initiative aims to nurture local ICT talents and provide them with high-quality learning opportunities and multi-cultural experiences and has since expanded to encompass 137 countries and regions. As part of the 2023 Seeds for the Future program, Huawei Thailand selected students from leading universities in communications and electrical engineering fields as well as language-related and business management faculties to create an even more diverse group of future talents. In addition, Huawei Thailand has also placed greater focus on supporting students who are interested in internship opportunities or working as employees with them in future as well as running several other talent development initiatives throughout the year, such as the ICT Cloud Developer. To date, Huawei has successfully trained 70,000 digital talents in Thailand alone and plans to train an additional 20,000 cloud software developers, empowering them with the knowledge to make the country a future digital leader in the region.

Echoing with the theme, Mr. Simon Lin, President of Huawei Asia Pacific, stated: "This is the third year for Huawei to host the Asia Pacific Seed for the Future Summit. Every year, we can see this program grow into something new with even more partners joining us. Meanwhile, three things remain unchanged: Partnership, Commitment, and Youth empowerment."

The event was kicked off with a cultural parade, where the 19 delegations, in their own national costumes greeted the audience and shared their own cultures with pride. Officially opening the event, H.E. Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary-General of ASEAN, remarked: "I strongly encourage private-led initiatives that share a vision for attracting and nurturing digital talents such as the Seeds for the Future program. I hope it will provide more opportunities for youths, as well as pay special consideration for the vulnerable groups such as women, people with disabilities, and those from rural areas to ensure balanced participation and inclusivity."

H.E. Amb. Hou Yan QI, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People's Republic of China to ASEAN, appreciated that "this not only cultivates 'seeds' for the digital transformation of ASEAN countries, but also injects youthful impetus into the upgrading of China-ASEAN cooperation". In addition, H.E. Amb. Heng Sarith, Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Cambodia to ASEAN and Chair of the Board of Trustees of ASEAN Foundation, extended his appreciation to Huawei for "partnering with the ASEAN Foundation to create a platform that empowers young people in the Asia-Pacific region, enabling them to enhance their digital skills and expand their networks beyond national boundaries".

Dr. Kritsachai Somsaman, Centre Director, Southeast Asian Minister of Education Organization Regional Centre for STEM Education, underscored the urgency of digital talent cultivation: "In this fast-evolving digital landscape, the cultivation of digital talent is more critical than ever before. It is the key to boosting growth and resilience, and it holds the power to revolutionize industries, societies, and economies. The Seeds for the Future program, at its core, is designed to inspire and nurture this next generation of leaders."

As part of the summit, Huawei and the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) also announced a joint declaration focusing on six key areas of digital collaboration across Asia Pacific, including ICT policy and regulation, joint research, inclusive infrastructure, digital capacity-building, girls and youth empowerment, and digital practice-sharing.

The event concluded with a panel discussion led by Dr. Piti Srisangnam, Executive Director of the ASEAN Foundation. Joined by experts from the National University of Singapore (NUS), representatives from Huawei, and the Seeds for the Future participants, the panel delved into the intricacies of shaping tomorrow's leaders by closing gaps, harnessing digital skills, and nurturing lifelong skills.

Prior to the summit, the 91 students were taken on a tour of Huawei's campuses in Shenzhen and Dongguan, China, as part of an immersive experience. There, they gained unique insights into areas like information theory, digital power, automobile technologies, and cybersecurity. The students came from a range of countries including South Korea, Japan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Fiji, and the Solomon Islands. All the participants were collectively selected by Huawei, the ASEAN Foundation, and ITU.

Looking forward, Huawei Thailand has partnered with the Thai Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (MDES), the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI), and the Ministry of Labor, as well as several leading universities and partners, for the upcoming Talent Summit event to be held in Thailand in November. This will serve as another opportunity for Huawei and various government bodies and agencies to cooperate in promoting educational approaches and expanding employment opportunities for new graduates in line with Huawei's mission to continuously create value, powering a fully connected, digitalized, and green Thailand.