Huawei together with Addis Ababa University today officially launched Huawei-AAU ICT Practice Center in Addis Ababa Institute of Technology.
The project is realized by Huawei with the aim of delivering hands-on practical experience for students and professionals. The target of the center is to train more than 2000 engineers including students and teachers to boost talent ecosystem of Ethiopia in the coming three years.
The practice center located in AAU pharmacy campus was inaugurated in the presence of H.E. Dr. Mulu Nega, State Minster of Science & Higher Education, Mr. Philippe Wang, Executive Vice-President of Huawei Northern Africa, and Prof. Tassew Weldehanna, President of Addis Ababa University, along with other invited guests and members of media.
As part of the cooperation, Huawei installed the up-to-date telecom equipment in AAU pharmacy campus for educational purpose. After 3 years’ know-how transfer, Addis Ababa University will gain 100% ownership of the ICT Practice Center. The 2.1 Million USD investment of the project includes donation scope of 1.9 Million USD worth equipment for training and demonstration, and Train the Trainer program to Addis Ababa Institute of Technology (AAiT) teaching staff.
During the ceremony, Huawei also handed over 30,000 USD scholarship fund to Addis Ababa University for 10 postgraduate students annually within 3 years.
Mr. Philippe Wang, CEO of Executive Vice-President of Huawei Northern Africa during the occasion stated that “Building a long-term relation and platform for resource sharing, joint development efforts and mutual benefits is the responsibility for us all. I firmly believe Huawei-AUU ICT Practice Center, together with Huawei ICT Academy will be the cornerstone in achieving this common target.”
Dr. Mulu Nega State Minster of Science & Higher Education on the occasion highlighted “Huawei is very active in the field of digitalization of education and ICT content embedding is a global trend and the future of the nation.”
Prof. Prof. Tassew Weldehanna, president of Addis Ababa University noted that “This practice center built in partnership with Huawei will serve not only our university, but for all Ethiopians. I would like to thank Huawei for this great initiative.”
Huawei is currently implementing multiple projects benefiting thousands of students and industrial practitioners with a view of building ICT capacity and improving ICT development in Ethiopia. These projects include the flagship program Huawei ICT Academy, Huawei ICT Competition, Seeds for the Future exchange program, as well as ICT Handshaking forum – a job fair connecting the industry and ICT talents. Since first ICT academy launched in 2018, Huawei has partnered with 36 universities on educational activities. Huawei also aligned with Jobs Creation Commission in talent cultivation and hiring projects.
Founded in 1987, Huawei is a leading global provider of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure and smart devices. We have more than 197,000 employees, and we operate in more than 170 countries and regions, serving more than three billion people around the world. The Company’s vision and mission are to bring digital to every person, home, and organization for a fully connected, intelligent world.
To this end, we will drive ubiquitous connectivity and promote equal access to networks; bring cloud and artificial intelligence to all four corners of the earth to provide superior computing power where you need it when you need it; build digital platforms to help all industries and organizations become more agile, efficient, and dynamic; redefine user experience with AI, making it more personalized for people in all aspects of their life, whether they’re at home, in the office, or on the go.
As a global leading ICT solution provider, Huawei advocates for an open, shared, ICT talent ecosystem that benefits all parties. In 2013, Huawei launched its ICT Academy, a global industry-university
cooperation project that involves higher education institutions, to help build that talent ecosystem. Over the past six years, Huawei has invested heavily in exploring practices with universities and colleges and replicating successful experiences.
Huawei has built a talent supply chain covering the entire process of learning, certification, and employment by deepening the cooperation mechanism between universities and enterprises, aiming to promote industry development, and innovate talent development models based on enterprise requirements. Huawei helps universities cultivate ICT talent that meets industry requirements, providing high-quality talent for industry development.