Huawei invests in EECS students
Four students from the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science are right now in China participating in Huawei's two-week program "Seeds for the Future". In a cooperation between KTH and Huawei, they will have the chance to experience the world's largest economy through the world's largest telecom company.
"This is a fantastic testimony of collaboration between academia and industry and one of extreme importance. The demand for digitalisation in China has motivated companies to invest in areas which we perform research and education within at our school. Two examples are embedded system and computer systems both of which help enterprises carry out digital transformation. I have been to China several times, and have received the warmest of welcome and so will you", said Markus Hidell, associate professor and responsible for internationalisation at the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science in a speech to the students before their departure.
China has set itself the goal of building the world's largest 5G mobile network, and the total spending on 5G infrastructure, by mainland China’s three telecommunications network operators, is forecast to reach up to US$180 billion over a seven-year period. Only one of these, China Mobile (the world's largest mobile network operator) announced plans to start building 5G mobile networks in major mainland cities from next year and they will be able to launch full commercial services 2020 according to South China Morning Post.
It's the combination of technology and culture exchange that Huawei's global CSR flagship program "Seeds for the Future" focuses on. The program was launched by Huawei in 2008 with the aim to develop local ICT talents, improve knowledge transfer, promote increased understanding and interest in the telecommunications sector, and to enhance and encourage regional construction and participation in digital society.
The trip for our four students, Oscar Dahl,Mattias Stahre,Markus Palmqvist and Jacob Kimblad will involve two weeks of training at Huawei Training School in ICT technology, visits to Huawei's offices in Beijing and Shenzhen as well as discovering Chinese culture and historical landmarks. Minister for Housing and Digital Development Peter Eriksson visited China in 2017, and visited the Huawei Beijing Exhibition Center. That visit was to promote export in IT and digitalization but also to discuss sustainable cities, something Markus Hidell asked the students to pay attention to.
"You students have been carefully selected in a fierce competition, and some of you have also been my students which I am very proud of. During this trip, you will witness first hand this amazing development of digitalisation in China, so take the opportunity to learn and bring this knowledge back for your future studies and careers", said Hidell.
Students Markus and Jacob see this trip as a great opportunity to gain new insights, not only the ICT area in China but also the chance to learn more about Chinese culture.
"I believe this trip will boost our confidence and interest in the area, the more you invest in your studies the more likely it is to finish it. And at the same time is a great opportunity to learn more about the Chinese culture", said Palmqvist.
"To be able to travel and learn about the Chinese business culture, and combine it with the knowledge we will get in ICT, is a great opportunity for those who can't leave to study abroad for a whole year. I am glad that our school has given us that opportunity", said Kimblad.
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