2023 Huawei Thailand seeds for the future hold the closing ceremony. 5 winner students have been selected to represent Huawei Thailand back to China for seeds tour.
In the digital era, skilled ‘tech talents’ are crucial in helping organizations prepare for technological changes and digital transformations. In Thailand, demand for ICT experts across all sectors is consistently higher than the current supply despite the Thai Government’s roll out of several strategic plans for digital technology and skills development. It’s at this critical juncture where the private sector is doing its part to help get the next generation of Thai talents prepare for an increasingly digital future.
Huawei, a leading global provider of information and communication technology infrastructure, has supported Thailand in shaping tech talent for years through numerous initiatives and partnerships with both the private and public sector. ‘Seeds for the Future’ is one of Huawei’s key initiatives to cultivate Thai university students into becoming skilled and qualified ICT experts.
The Seeds for the Future 2023 program recently concluded and successfully trained students in both tech and non-tech fields who have an interest in technology. During the 8-day intensive course, students were trained both online and offline by instructors and experts from Huawei and had the opportunity to demonstrate their technological capabilities and creativity through numerous hands-on activities, culminating in the submission of a startup project aimed at creating a more digitally advanced world. Following the program’s conclusion, students who had performed exceptionally well were then selected to attend a field trip to China on September 15-20, 2023.
Dr. Chawapol Jariyawiroj, President of Huawei Technologies (Thailand) Co., Ltd., explained further about the Seeds for the Future project: “This is a 15-year initiative that Huawei has invested in as we believe that the future will be in the hands of these young people. Huawei has been working with the government sector as well as our customers and partners to drive forward Thailand’s vision to become the future digital hub of ASEAN. To achieve this goal and advance Thailand towards becoming a fully empowered digital economy, there are four pillars that we must focus on: digital infrastructure, digital platforms and ecosystems, sustainability, and digital talents. The participants, which included 20 students from Thailand’s leading universities, have gained invaluable experiences and knowledge about ICT industries, sustainable development goals, Chinese culture, and Huawei’s core values.”
Professor Wisit Wisitsora-At, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (MDES), added his thoughts on the Thai Government’s partnership with Huawei: “On behalf of MDES, I would like to express our gratitude to Huawei for their continued support. The Seeds for the Future program is another important initiative that will boost Thailand’s competitiveness by educating our youth about new technologies and innovations. We need to invest in R&D and lay a solid educational foundation that will ensure that the next generation has enough knowledge and opportunities to prosper in the future. This is also one of MDES’s core missions. I would like to congratulate all the students who have completed this intensive course, as well as those who are going to attend the trip to the People’s Republic of China. I hope this opportunity was a rewarding experience that will inspire you to open your eyes and learn as much as you can in every stage of your life.”
During the September 29 closing ceremony, Huawei announced five winners from the Seeds for the Future 2023 program. The winners will receive an opportunity to attend the field trip and training course in China. They will travel to Huawei’s headquarter in Shenzhen, China, receive training on ICT industry advanced technologies, and learn how to run a start-up business. The participants can apply this knowledge for future programs and contests on the global stage or for their future careers.
One of the two winning projects at the Seeds for the Future 2023 contest was the ‘SabuydeeSenior’ application concept, which aimed to provide peace of mind to the ‘sandwich generation’ in taking care of their aging parents or handling household tasks. The app can be used to find in-home nurse services or carers to assist in taking their parents to hospital if the users are unavailable. The app can also address the needs of those in the middle-aged generation who have money but lack the time and resources to take care of their senior family members. This concept is similar to ride-hailing services, but instead of connecting passengers and drivers together, the app aims to connect consumers with senior care workers.
The second winning project was a solution aimed at reducing waiting times for patients at public hospitals. Recent data from the Ministry of Public Health shows that over 40% of patients in Thailand spend up to 8 hours waiting to see a doctor. The team wanted to create an app to provide more options for patients. If presented with the option to go to another clinic or healthcare service provider where they could be seen quicker, this would help reduce congestion in big hospitals while reducing the number of critical situations or deaths while waiting for treatment. Patients wouldn’t have to wait for hours when they could receive suitable treatment much more easily and, more importantly, more people would have access to healthcare. The team saw that this solution had high potential to grow further by applying Huawei’s cloud technology.
All the winners acknowledged that the ‘Seeds for the Future’ program provided them with additional knowledge beyond what they have learned at school, and that this knowledge can be applied for their future careers. The students not only learnt about leadership and business management, but also expanded their network with peers from different institutions. They also learned to manage their time to meet deadlines and increase their knowledge about technology-related careers that might suit them in the future.
