PUT started partnership with Huawei through the training courses on the Huawei Talent platform, and has integrated these courses into its curriculum.
By Piotr Zwierzykowski, Professor, Poznań University of Technology
Poznań University of Technology (PUT) is one of the premier technical universities in Poland, with a rich history as an educational institution spanning over 100 years. Currently, more than 14,000 students are enrolled across nine faculties, and among them, nearly 10% are international students studying in English. This diverse student body reflects PUT's commitment to fostering an inclusive and globally oriented environment.
First Huawei ICT Academy in Poland
In 2015, Poznań University of Technology became the first university in Poland to join the Huawei ICT Academy program. We chose to participate due to the wide variety of courses offered, which extend beyond traditional computer networks. The program includes training in essential areas like mobile networks, access networks, and wide area network technologies. Huawei does a lot of business in Poland – the strong use of Huawei technology by businesses and government institutions, along with Huawei's willingness to collaborate, certainly strengthened our commitment to this partnership.
Figure 1: Robinson Hu (Country Manager of Huawei) and Prof.
Tomasz Łodygowski (Rector of PUT) opening the first Huawei ICT Academy in Poland
Today, our team of instructors consists of 13 members, including faculty and PhD students from the Institute of Communications and Computer Networks at our university. Over the years, we have taught over 800 students, 500 of which enrolled within the last 3 years.
Putting emphasis on practical skills and professional certifications
Our partnership with Huawei began with training courses available through the Huawei Talent platform. We gradually expanded these industrial courses into an integral part of our curriculum. Today, much of the training for our networking pathway is embedded in our ICT degree. This integration has been supported by a network laboratory equipped with Huawei networking equipment.
In parallel, we translated and developed our own training materials, culminating in the 2024 publication of a laboratory manual. The exercises in this manual are organized according to the ISO OSI model, starting with Layer 2 protocols and Ethernet mechanisms, including VLANs, MSTP, and Ethernet rings. These exercises underwent a rigorous two-stage review process involving both instructors and students to ensure their quality and real-world applicability.
Future lab exercises will cover Layer 3 solutions, including IPv4/6 routing and IPSec, and network optimization techniques, with new sets planned for release in 2025 and 2026. These materials align with Huawei's HCIA, HCIP, and HCIE certification levels, providing students with the knowledge and skills required to succeed in the field.
The Academy's diverse courses, which are continually updated, attract students from various fields. Key areas of interest include datacom, WLAN, security, cloud, 5G, and AI. That being said, the majority of students go for the HCIA/HCIP Datacom training, as it complements their regular ICT and telecommunications courses. These programs emphasize practical, hands-on skills, with 70% of class time dedicated to lab work on over 40 real network devices, such as switches, routers, firewalls, and WLAN controllers.
Students access course materials through both the Huawei Talent platform and the university's own e-learning platform, where they can participate in discussions and seek instructor guidance beyond the classroom.
Recognizing the growing value of professional certifications in the job market, we encourage students to pursue certifications early in their studies. The most popular certification exams are the HCIA and HCIP in Datacom, with a success rate of over 65% in 2023. Students who complete certification exams may receive extra credits or be exempt from certain university exams, further enhancing their learning experience.
Empowering students through summer schools and hands-on learning
In order to offer our students better access to networking technologies, we began running networking schools over the summer. Our students have now been attending these extra summer courses for 3 years, organised and taught by our instructors. Participation was initially offered only to select students who showed a deeper interest in computer networking solutions. However, seats at our summer schools have become more and more sought after. As such, we plan to expand the program to provide more students with access to the workshops. To align with student interest, we are also planning to launch a hybrid format for English-speaking students. We are even working on a special edition of classes to prepare for the Huawei ICT Competition led by this year's competition winners.
Figure 2: Students getting to know networking equipment in their lab tour
During the summer school, students are split into groups to solve problems as their assignments, with each group given a specific networking issue. For each task, the instructor first introduces students to the surrounding theoretical issues, and then defines the problem that needs to be solved. Then students work in groups to find a solution. The group concludes by presenting their work and discussing it with everyone. At this stage, the instructor also shows other methods of solving the problem and underlines the advantages and disadvantages. Students that participated this year set up a community called 'NetWizards' dedicated to networking technologies. As part of their exercises, students themselves chose network issues that interested them and tested them in the network laboratory.
Our current focus is on offering students basic courses in the networking pathway. We plan to expand to include more advanced courses on cloud, 5G and AI.
Poznań University of Technology students shine in Huawei ICT Competition, winning top prizes in networks and cloud tracks
Through its partnership with Huawei, students at Poznań University of Technology now benefit from cutting-edge training materials. This collaboration has enabled five teams from our university to qualify for the regional finals of the Huawei ICT Competition, receiving their awards at the European Regional Award Ceremony held in March, 2024 in Istanbul, Türkiye.
Two of our teams – one in the Network Track and the other in the Cloud Track – earned invitations to the Global Final of the Huawei ICT Competition held in Shenzhen, China. During their four-day stay for the competition, students also participated in various other activities including a tour to Huawei's headquarters. Ultimately, our Cloud team finished in second place, while the Network team won the grand prize.
Looking ahead
We are looking forward to expanding our collaboration with Huawei within the Huawei ICT Academy program, as we plan to become the first Huawei ICT Academy Support Center (IASC) in Poland. This significant milestone represents a commitment to and expansion of the Huawei ICT Academy program, not just for our university, but for a wider community. We aspire to provide comprehensive training programs for students and instructors at other academies throughout Poland. By sharing expertise and resources, we hope to elevate the standard of ICT education across the country, ultimately preparing a skilled workforce that can meet the demands of an evolving job market.
Figure 3: Team PUT shines in Huawei ICT Competition
