Huawei launches 'Seeds for the Future' in Canada

Barcelona, March 3, 2015 - Huawei, a leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider, today announced the Canadian launch of the ‘Seeds for the Future’ program, which will provide 20 third-year engineering students from seven Canadian universities an opportunity to visit Beijing and work out of the company's headquarters in Shenzhen, China.

Designed to help bridge the gap between school and work, 'Seeds for the Future' will help develop ICT talent in Canada, promote a greater understanding of the telecommunications sector and encourage participation in the international ICT community.

Students participating in ‘Seeds of the Future’ will be given first-hand learning opportunities through interactions with Huawei staff and visits to Huawei laboratories, where they will witness live demonstrations of advanced communications technologies. They will also gain an understanding of the latest skills needed to be successful in ICT, while learning how to be effective in a multicultural business environment.

"Today's announcement reflects our continued commitment to Canada and to Canada’s flourishing ICT industry," said Sean Yang, President of Huawei Canada. "Through our partnerships with world-class Canadian universities, students will have a unique opportunity to work and study at Huawei’s headquarters, while experiencing Chinese culture and visiting major tourist attractions such as the Great Wall of China and the Forbidden City.  It is our hope that this program will further strengthen the growing educational ties between Canada and China.”

Huawei's ‘Seeds for the Future’ will enable students from Polytechnique Montréal, Carleton University, the University of Saskatchewan, the University of Waterloo, the University of British Columbia,the University of Ottawa, and the University of Toronto to experience first-hand what it is like to work in a global, cross-cultural business environment.

‘Seeds for the Future’ is another important element in Huawei’s efforts to work with Canadian Universities, and that has seen the company invest over $3 million in advanced communications research projects with universities across Canada. Since 2010, the company’s Canada Research Centre in Ottawa has played a central role in establishing Huawei as one of the global leaders in transformative 5G technology and innovative research supported by Canadian universities.

"This program shows Huawei's commitment to higher education in Canada and to Canada's future ICT ecosystem," said Jose Pereira, Director, Engineering Career Centre, University of Toronto. "It will enrich our students' school experience and prepare them for work in IT and telecommunications companies." 

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About Huawei

Huawei is a leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider. Huawei’s 150,000 employees worldwide are committed to creating maximum value for telecom operators, enterprises and consumers. Our innovative ICT solutions, products and services have been deployed in over 170 countries and regions, serving more than one third of the world’s population. Founded in 1987, Huawei is a private company fully owned by its employees, and was recently name by Interbrand as one of the world’s top 100 brands – the first Chinese company to receive this recognition. 

Huawei Canada has been in operation since 2008.  Huawei’s innovative wireless products and services support many of Canada’s leading telecommunications companies, and Huawei’s Canada Research Centre in Kanata, Ontario is a national leader in advanced communications technologies.  We are proud to be a key part of Canada’s ICT Ecosystem. 

For more information, please visit Huawei online: www.huawei.ca  

For media inquiries, please contact:

Scott Bradley, VP Corporate & Government Affairs

Huawei Canada

M: 613.558.5333

Email: scott.bradley@huawei.com