daniel chigunwe
Herald Correspondent
Telecommunications giant Huawei, has embraced the Government’s Education 5.0 model, by closing the gap between the theory students get in school and the practical aspects of their studies.
In that regard, Huawei organised an ICT Career Expo at the University of Zimbabwe in Harare on Tuesday to allow students in ICT and other fields to familiarise with career opportunities that exist in the ICT sector, including at Huawei.
Kupakwashe Makuvaza, a University of Zimbabwe student studying medical physics said: “I think Huawei would greatly improve things in my area of learning by applying themselves in Software Engineering and Artificial Intelligence and Radiation Oncology and Nuclear Medicine technologies.”
Tinayeshe Kariwo, an electrical and electronics engineering student at the University of Zimbabwe, also said: “From my participation in this event, I learnt that there are quite a number of job opportunities that I was not quite aware of that I can also pursue after completing my programme.”
Dean of the Faculty of Science at the University of Zimbabwe, Professor Idah Sithole-Niang, said Huawei’s Career Expo helps students make informed decisions when they seek employment.
“It gives our students opportunities; it strengthens our partnerships. We endeavour to internationalise our programmes so such platforms are extremely ideal for such a purpose.
“We have the Seeds for the Future programme, and we have the ICT academy, and through those platforms, our students have been able to participate in global competitions, which is a plus for the University of Zimbabwe,” said Prof Sithole-Niang.
The Seeds for the Future Programme is Huawei’s top corporate social responsibility programme which seeks to develop local ICT talent aimed at knowledge transfer and promoting deeper understanding of the telecommunications sector by youths.
Huawei Zimbabwe managing director, Mr Yang Shengwan, said they intend to close the gap between industry and academia in Zimbabwe.
“There is a gap between education and industry, as the industry itself is developing very fast, and every year we can see there is new technology applied in the industry,” said Mr Yang.
“To remove that gap, Huawei is conducting these programmes, including the ICT Academy, to provide a platform for students and teachers to get closer to the latest technology, to get a chance to be familiar with the latest technology.”
Huawei’s other programmes to support youths include the Huawei ICT Academy and Huawei ICT Competition.
Online Reporter