60 Kenyan students graduate in Huawei 5G program

A Huawei logo is pictured during the media day for the Shanghai auto show in Shanghai, China April 16, 2019. [Reuters]

60 Kenyan students from different universities across the country have graduated in the Huawei Seeds for the Future program which offers training around technology fields.

The students who attended a virtual graduations ceremony crunched their brains for five days of studying, 5G, Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, and Cloud Computing.

The program is a flagship CSR program from Huawei which aims at developing ICT expertise and experiences in the global business environment, young people from different countries can learn about advanced technologies in the ICT industry.

Students who participated in the program were able to work with Huawei products and services through virtual tours and presentation by the technology company’s employees.

“We learnt about cutting edge technologies like 5G which is the next generation of mobile networks, Artificial Intelligence, cloud computing and HMS Core. The best part of this program was that it was not only about technology as we also learnt life skills such as strategic leadership and teamwork, said Mabel Karani, a student at JKUAT University in telecommunication and information engineering.

Such opportunities have come at an opportune time when technology and its potential is exploding in African with Covid-19 forcing a huge reliance on the magic of tech.

In just 7 months, many people have started working from home, virtual meetings becoming the norm, doctor appointments being conducted through telemedicine and the explosion of home delivery services through platforms such as Glovo.

Unfortunately, most of these technological innovations are owned by expatriates. With exposure to the expanse of technology in programs such as Huawei seeds, a clear path of where technology is headed can be projected by the young people who can be able to shape the future of ICT and tech in the country.

Prizes were awarded to the best team, best essay, and reativity. Alexander Mutua from Kisii University and Jacqline Kamau from JKUAT walked away with internship offers.