Huawei is a leading global provider of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure and smart devices. Innovation at Huawei focuses on customer needs. The ICT giant invests heavily in basic research, concentrating on technological breakthroughs that drive the world forward.
Huawei South Africa presented bursaries to seven Information and Communications Technology post-graduate students at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) as it continues its efforts to support and grow South Africa’s technological skills base.
The seven students form part of a wider programme by the technology company which will see it support 48 students from five universities — UKZN, UP, Wits, UCT, and UWC — with bursaries worth R7-million. The bursaries are not only designed to help the individual students but to help alleviate the shortage of technological skills that South Africa faces.
“At Huawei, we believe that South Africa has more than enough talent to overcome the country’s skills shortage,” says Daniel Jiang, Human Resources Development, Huawei. “We also believe that corporates have a responsibility to foster that talent and help give them the opportunities they need to thrive.”
While the programme undoubtedly benefits Huawei, giving it a broader pool of candidates to draw from, it also gives students from disadvantaged backgrounds a chance to meet their academic goals and thrive in the working world.
“At Huawei, we have stringent qualification standards and recruit postgraduates with ICT related majors, particularly those skilled in the IT, IP, network, and automisation fields,” Jiang says. “By playing a proactive role, we can ensure that candidates are ready to enter the workplace with the skills needed and which will serve them well in the future.”
Speaking at the awards ceremony, Prof Anesh Singh – Executive Director (UKZN Foundation) lauded Huawei’s commitment to research and development and pointed out that it resonates with UKZN’s own standing as a research institute: “As one of the premier universities on the African continent, we’re well aware of what students given the time and space to thrive can achieve. Over the years, our partnership with Huawei has shown how opportunities forged in tertiary education can translate into the working world and help cement South Africa’s position as a power player in the global digital economy.” He further encouraged the bursary recipients to make the most of the opportunities given to them and make a mark in the South African tech space by creating lasting value, empowering others, and becoming innovators.
One student prepared to take on that mandate is Wasim Khan, from Shallcross (Chatsworth) – Durban, currently completing an Honours degree in Computer Science and IT. “The bursary gave me an opportunity to further my studies,” Khan explains. “I was initially funded by NSFAS but would not have been able to pursue postgraduate studies without the Huawei bursary.” He also points out that the bursary has given him the space to concentrate on his studies at an incredibly trying time. “My mom and dad have been very ill,” he explains.
“The bursary removed scenarios where I’d have to go out and work to support them and lose focus on ICT.” Additionally, he says, the extra programmes that come with the bursary provide him with a challenge and keep him “excited about a field I’m passionate about.”
For Electrical Engineering MSC student Seluleko Sikhakhane, the bursary is a chance to not only further his studies but pursue his passion. “I’ve always had a love for high voltage,” Sikhakhane who hails from Glenwood, Durban says. “The bursary allows me to carry on pursuing that love.” That said, he’s also thriving on the experience that the bursary is offering. “I like to learn new things,” he says, “and right now I’m gaining knowledge that I couldn’t have imagined having access to in my undergrad.”
“We know that South Africa desperately needs more students taking up STEM projects,” concludes Jiang. “But it also needs them to take their studies as far as possible. At Huawei, we’re proud of playing a significant role in ensuring that can take place and building a cohort of people who will thrive as technology workers.”
The UKZN Foundation is grateful to Huawei for their continued partnership and for INSPIRING GREATNESS at UKZN.
Author: Vaneshree Govender