Billed as a "big win for top Australian ICT students", the Australian Technology Network of Universities (ATN), Huawei and students are reaping rich rewards including federal funding under the New Colombo Plan Mobility Programme.
Huawei’s Seeds for the Future programme. I recently covered the Australian delegation taking part in the 2016 program in my recent article entitled: “VIDEOS 2016: Huawei’s ‘Seeds for the Future’ reap rich harvests’, which contains a stack of fantastic videos of the event, including interviews with students, and top academic staff from seriously major Australian universities.
The Seeds for the Future programme "seeks to develop local ICT talent, enhance knowledge transfer, promote a greater understanding of, and interest in, the ICT sector, and improve and encourage regional building and participation in the digital community".
Now, an upgraded partnership between Huawei Australia in partnership with the Australian Technology Network of Universities (ATN) will give even more ATN students the opportunity to embark on a "unique learning experience at Huawei’s Global Research & Development centres in Shenzhen, following the announcement of receiving federal funding under the New Colombo Plan Mobility Programme".
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The announcement and ceremony at Parliament House was attended by the Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop and the Education Minister Senator Simon Birmingham.
The New Colombo Plan Mobility Programme is set to "offer significant support in delivering an enhanced Seeds for the Future programme, Huawei’s global initiative which offers undergraduate students the opportunity to travel to Huawei’s HQ in Shenzhen where they will get a unique insight in the latest emerging technology and products, visit Huawei’s Exhibition Centre, R&D labs and Logistics Centre, experience life on campus and learn about Chinese culture".
You can learn more about the experience the 2016 students had in my article linked above.
Chen Lifang, Huawei’s senior vice-president of the Public Affairs and Communications Department, said: “The Australian government has given high priority to building a skilled ICT workforce. Thanks to the strong support from the government and higher education institutions, Huawei's Seeds for the Future programme has achieved great success since it was launched in Australia in 2013.
“Seeds for the Future now offers a broader platform for young students, helping them increase their professional skills and broaden their global horizon.
"The programme aims to inspire more students to pursue a career in STEM fields, and to explore and build an intelligent world. Through Seeds for the Future, we will nurture more high-end talent and even leaders in technology, strategy, and management,” added Ms Chen.
Huawei says the new collaboration with ATN and the Australian Governments New Colombo Plan Mobility programme will enable it to increase the total number of students to 75 over the next three years who will experience working life at a global ICT company.
ATN executive director Renee Hindmarsh said: “We’re thrilled to receive this funding which will provide more opportunities for students to interact with state-of-the art technology, get first-hand experience and learn vital multicultural business skills at one of the world’s largest telecommunications companies.
“We’ve seen first-hand the benefits students get from overseas study experiences and there have already been some tremendous outcomes since the beginning of the programme.
“Past students have found the study tour invaluable, giving them rare insights into the latest innovation and trends in the telecommunications industry, opening up new doors for their future careers, with some inspired to return to China this year.
“With the nationwide spread of the ATN, and the potential future involvement of ATN researchers in joint research projects with Huawei, this program will stimulate and strengthen both institutional and student engagement with the massive Asian high-tech market.”