"Seeds for the Future 2022, Bangladesh," a CSR programme by Chinese telecom giant Huawei for aspiring science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and non-STEM students was inaugurated in the capital Sunday. It aims to inspire ICT talents and help them gather industry-oriented knowledge. To initiate the programme, roadshows are being arranged at the participating universities this month. Also read: Huawei holds campus recruitment event at IUT This year Dhaka University, the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology, Islamic University of Technology, Khulna University of Engineering and Technology, Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology, Brac University, East-West University and Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology will take part in Seeds for the Future. In the next stage, the winners will participate in the global platform along with other successful participants from different countries. Also read: Akij sets up rooftop solar plant with Huawei's technology At the inauguration ceremony, Deputy Minister for Education Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury said: "Many technology companies from different countries are doing business in Bangladesh. But very few have come out from that business domain and assisted our youngsters, our next generation to be skilled. So, I want to thank Huawei." Pan Junfeng, CEO of Huawei Technologies Bangladesh, said: "We keep organising different programmes to open up new avenues and platforms for the youth to gather knowledge and develop insights. Seeds for the Future is one such programme where the participants get to know about the industry practices directly from the experts and can put their calibre to the test." Read 'Seeds for the Future 2022 Bangladesh' starts with roadshows Launched in Bangladesh in 2014, Seeds for the Future has been nurturing ICT talents since its inception and become popular among academics as well as students.

The graduation ceremony of Huawei's program Seeds For The Future 2021 Bangladesh was held online Monday. In the event, Posts and Telecommunications Minister Mustafa Jabbar awarded the top 16 talents, selected under this programme from eight renowned universities of Bangladesh. This year, the winners from Bangladesh and other countries received a wide range of training and technological orientation in the online training sessions from Huawei Headquarters. Read: Huawei to invest $50 million to develop 500,000 digital talents in Asia-Pacific They got an overview of different issues and areas, including telecommunication networks, key technologies in ICT, 5G, artificial intelligence and cloud computing. The project presentations submitted by Bangladeshi students were shortlisted for a global competition round – with students from 130 countries. The top three projects will be announced in January 2022. At the graduation ceremony, Professor Md Akhtaruzzaman, vice-chancellor of the University of Dhaka, said, "Our students have innovative ideas. With proper knowledge and experience, they can transform those ideas into reality. From the university side, we are trying. But the ecosystem is also important. I would like to thank Huawei for working to develop future ICT talents." Read Toppers of Huawei's Seeds For The Future 2021 Bangladesh named Zhang Zhengjun, CEO of Huawei Bangladesh, said: "In Bangladesh, we have a huge number of amazing resources; and that is the large portion is youth talents. Huawei believes youth is the main engine of development as well as digital advancement. Huawei also values them and praises their competency." Huang Baoxiong, chief of the human resource department at Huawei Bangladesh, said: "Huawei acknowledges that every youth is like a seed. They are innovators, creators, and leaders who will carry the world towards sustained prosperity. That is why they must be empowered as learners, developers, contributors, entrepreneurs, and decision-makers. Seeds For The Future aims to do that." This year's Seeds For The Future programme started in Bangladesh on September 13. Read: Huawei hosts international summit 'Green ICT for Green Development' The University of Dhaka, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology, Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology, Khulna University of Engineering and Technology, Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology, East West University, and Islamic University of Technology joined the event. Later on, 16 ICT talents, one male and one female student from each university, were chosen from these universities through selection rounds. Seeds For The Future is Huawei's flagship corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme dedicated to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) students worldwide and is meant for inspiring ICT talents. It was launched in Bangladesh in 2014. Read First virtual human to join Huawei Cloud