Huawei and the Department of Telecommunications and Postal Services are sending a second batch of 10 South African students on a two-week study and cultural exchange trip to China. They will get training in cutting-edge technologies such as 5G, LTE and cloud computing, giving them the tools they need to drive the growth of our telecommunications industry.
Mathiba Molefe
Their futures are our futures, and by supporting them in pursuit of their dreams, we ensure our success as a people. These were the sentiments expressed by Siyabonga Cwele, minister of telecommunications and postal services, at the 2017 Seeds for the Future launch on Thursday, 12 October.
For the second year running technology giant Huawei’s CSR programme, Seeds for the Future, is sending 10 South African students on a two-week study and cultural exchange trip to China. This was made possible by the partnership between Huawei and the Department of Telecommunications and Postal Services, with the support of the Chinese embassy.
“We’re very happy with the positive feedback received from students who participated last year, many of whom are now contributing to the growth of our economy,” Cwele said, speaking to the second group of students, who were in the audience.
“We cannot grow our economy if we don’t improve our education, our skills and opportunities for employment. We need to focus on ensuring that we’re not left behind in the digital era by upskilling our workforce.”
The 10 students were selected from some of South Africa’s leading tertiary institutions, such as Tshwane University of Technology, North-West University, Durban University of Technology, Central University of Technology and Nelson Mandela University.
They will get training in cutting-edge technologies such as 5G, LTE and cloud computing to help develop South Africa’s telecommunications industry.
Chinese ambassador to South Africa Lin Songtian wished the students well on their trip and encouraged them to absorb and learn as much as they could from their experience and the technologies they’d be exposed.
“When you come back to South Africa, you can use this knowledge to improve the digital economy and to grow the local telecommunications industry.”
Work hard, play hard
Much of the experience will be about furthering their studies and getting a look at the inner workings of Huawei’s most advanced labs, located in the capital city of Beijing and at the company’s headquarters in Shenzhen.
But it’s not only about the work.
Like South Africa, China has a rich and diverse culture, along with a colourful history.
During their two-week stay, the students will get the opportunity to take in the sights and smells of China, such as the Great Wall, which stretches more than 21,000 kilometres across 15 of the country’s 23 provinces.
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