European Leadership Academy Nominated for The EU Digital Skills Awards 2024

[Brussels, 6 June, 2024] The European Leadership Academy, Huawei’s dedicated talent development initiative for women in Europe, has been nominated for the European Commission’s Digital Skills Awards 2024. 

The European Leadership Academy (ELA) aims to close the gender gap by equipping women with the skills they need to play an active role in the digital future, and to create a more equal and sustainable Europe. It contributes to the European Commission’s Digital Decade goals of fostering a digitally skilled population and increasing the number of highly skilled digital professionals, while also working to make equality reality and to support women in accessing leadership positions. 

The Awards recognise and celebrate outstanding work by organisations across Europe that contribute to the advancement of digital skills. The European Leadership Academy is shortlisted in the Women in ICT Careers category for its two flagship programmes: The Schools for Female Leadership in the Digital Age and The Women’s Academy for Rural Innovation. The nominations were announced by the European Commission at the Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition Platform on Thursday 30 May. The final winners will be made public in July.

Tony Yong JIN, Executive Vice-President of Huawei European Region, said: “Talent development is a responsibility shared by every country, business, and academic institution. At Huawei, we are committed to empowering deserving individuals to unlock their full potential.”

Selina WEN, Chief Representative of Huawei to the European Institutions, added: “Our programs present an exceptional opportunity for future female leaders to gain insights into cutting-edge technologies. We are delighted to see their positive impact being recognized by the EU.”

Berta HERRERO, Director of the European Leadership Academy and Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Huawei Europe, highlighted: “The European Leadership Academy is reshaping the landscape of talent development, rivalling top-tier MBAs and ensuring that Europe remains at the forefront of the digital revolution. What was just a dream has now become a core launching pad for the women who in 5-10 years from now will be leading Europe’s economy and innovation ecosystems. I am very proud of what we have achieved together.”

The Schools for Female Leadership in the Digital Age explore the intersection between technology, international relations and economics, with a strong equality component. They are aimed at young women and welcome representatives from each of the 27 EU Member States, plus the Western Balkans 6 and Ukraine. Participants are mentored by experts from the worlds of business, academia and politics through a series of masterclasses, panel discussions and teamwork challenges, exploring everything from coding and AI ethics through to public speaking and sustainability management. Four editions have been held since their inception in 2021 – three Summer Schools in Lisbon, Prague and Valencia, and a Winter School in Nice. A fourth Summer School will take place in Warsaw this July. 

The Women’s Academy for Rural Innovation, a ground-breaking initiative designed to empower women from rural communities to thrive in the green and digital transition, focusses on entrepreneurship, the use of new technologies for sustainable innovation and the digitalisation of SMEs. The Academy was designed to help rural women harness the infinite possibilities of the digital era to foster economic growth in their communities. The inaugural programme took place in 2022 in Europe’s largest region, Spain’s Castilla y León, and gathered 15 women living and working in rural areas across the EU. 

Since its foundation in 2021, more than 12,000 candidates have applied to participate in the European Leadership Academy programmes. All selected candidates receive a full scholarship to take part, in line with ELA’s equal opportunities policy. 

For more information, please visit the European Leadership Academy website: https://www.europeanleadershipacademy.eu/ And learn more about the 2024 Summer School in Poland: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=LAVIPAxUmZ4