STORY: Huawei bridges gap between ICT industry, academia in Zimbabwe
DATELINE: Sept. 27, 2023
LENGTH: 00:06:29
LOCATION: Harare
CATEGORY: TECHNOLOGY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the event venue
2. various of the event
3. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): YANG SHENGWAN, Managing Director of Huawei Zimbabwe
4. various of the event
5. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): TANAYESHE KARIWO, Student, Electrical and Electronics Engineering, University of Zimbabwe
6. various of the event
7. SOUNDBITE 3 (English): KAPAKWASHE MAKUYAZA, Student, Medical Physics, University of Zimbabwe
8. various of the event
9. SOUNDBITE 4 (English): IDAH SITHOLE-NIANG, Dean of the Faculty of Science, University of Zimbabwe

STORYLINE:

China's telecommunications giant Huawei is working on closing the gap between theory and practice in information and communications technology (ICT) education in Zimbabwe through initiatives aimed at developing robust ICT ecosystems in the country.

On Tuesday, Huawei held an ICT Career Expo at the University of Zimbabwe in the capital of Harare to familiarize students in ICT and other related fields to career opportunities available at the company and in the ICT sector at large.

Yang Shengwan, Huawei Zimbabwe's managing director, said the company seeks to bridge the gap between industry and academia in Zimbabwe.

SOUNDBITE 1 (English): YANG SHENGWAN, Managing Director of Huawei 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. To remove and reduce that gap, Huawei is conducting these programs, 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."

Besides availing career opportunities to Zimbabwean youth, Huawei also holds the Seeds for the Future Program -- its flagship corporate social responsibility program which seeks to develop local ICT talent, enhance knowledge transfer and promote a greater understanding of the telecommunications sector among the youth.

In addition, Huawei supports Zimbabwe's digital transformation through programs like the Huawei ICT Academy and Huawei ICT Competition.

Tinayeshe Kariwo, an Electrical and Electronics Engineering student at the University of Zimbabwe, and participant at the career expo, said the initiatives by Huawei provide local students with practical skills applicable to the real world.

SOUNDBITE 2 (English): TANAYESHE KARIWO, Student, Electrical and Electronics Engineering, University of Zimbabwe
"From my participation in this event, I learned that there are quite a number of job opportunities that I was not quite aware of that I can also pursue after completion of my program."

Another student from the University of Zimbabwe, Kupakwashe Makuvaza, a Medical Physics major, said the event was an eye opener, adding that his field of study can tremendously gain from working with Huawei.

SOUNDBITE 3 (English): KAPAKWASHE MAKUYAZA, Student, Medical Physics, University of Zimbabwe
"I think Huawei would greatly improve things in my sector of learning by applying themselves in Software Engineering and Artificial Intelligence and Radiation Oncology and Nuclear Medicine technologies."

She hopes that the Huawei Seeds for the Future program will also be opened to other students outside the ICT field.

Idah Sithole-Niang, the dean of the Faculty of Science at the University of Zimbabwe, said Huawei's initiatives empower students to be competitive in the industry.

SOUNDBITE 4 (English): IDAH SITHOLE-NIANG, Dean of the Faculty of Science, University of Zimbabwe
"It gives our students opportunities, it strengthens our partnerships. We endeavor to internationalize our programs, so such platforms are extremely ideal for such a purpose. We have the Seeds for the Future program, 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."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Harare.
(XHTV)