Huawei announces finalists of ICT Skill Competition in Bahrain

Program to recognize and nurture Bahraini talents with the support of the Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications

Mobilk - Huawei has announced the end of the Bahrain chapter of its ICT Skills Competition 2017. Aimed at universities and students, the competition seeks to recognize and nurture the region’s finest ICT talent. The winners have earned a trip to China at the end of December, where they will compete with international finalists and receive knowledge training from top executives at Huawei’s headquarters in Shenzhen. The announcement was made at an event in Capital Club, Bahrain Financial Harbor attended by representatives from Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications, Economic Development Board (EDB), and Tamkeen, and four universities.

The ICT Skill Competition was made possible through strong partnerships under the patronage of HE Eng. Kamal bin Ahmed Mohammed, the Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications with direct support of the EDB and the Tamkeen, as well as the support from the four participating universities: University of Bahrain, Bahrain Polytechnic, Ahlia university and AMA International University. The generation of students involved is expected to lead Bahrain’s ICT industry into the future by embracing the digital transformation. The ICT Skill Competition is specifically designed to prepare this generation for such a responsibility.

Out of all the students who signed up for the preliminary, top 10 in the national final were awarded with prizes. Ultimately, top 3 students from the University of Bahrain were chosen for the international final. They are now in China to compete internationally.

 Huawei grants the winners an exclusive fully paid trip to the company’s international headquarters in Shenzhen and the chance to meet with the brand’s leadership. They will gain unrivaled exposure to Huawei’s expertise in telecommunications, enterprise, and consumer business, not to mention a priceless cultural experience and knowledge exchange.

“Knowledge transfer and nurturing future ICT talent has always been a core pillar of the Huawei way, and we are thrilled to be able to launch the ICT Skill Competition for that exact reason. The future of ICT progress lays in the hands of our students, and by developing platforms and programs that allow them to grow and mature into experts, we can better equip the next generation of technology leaders,” said Fengnan Paul, CEO of Huawei Bahrain office.

“UOB is delighted that our students won the top 5 places in this prestigious national skills competition, it shows the quality of our technology students and why they are so highly regarded by employers. Huawei is global technology player with big ambitions and their Middle East headquarters is in Bahrain and human capital is a key reason for that. We at UOB are delighted to partner with Huawei and this is the start of much more collaboration with a focus on Artificial intelligence and Internet of Things”. Said Professor Riyad Hamzah, President of University of Bahrain.

In total, 10,285 students across the Middle East applied for the competition, from which 4,113 were selected to take part in the preliminary rounds. 310 students passed on to the final round, and 39 will be traveling to China to compete internationally. The ICT Competition was made possible through the cooperation of 14 ministries across the Middle East. Huawei had 4 training partners to help prepare students for the rigorous exam. 121 universities took part in total, and 65 participated in the roadshow.

“I am thrilled at the opportunity to go to China and test my abilities against the region’s brightest ICT talent” said Muhammad Yasir, a student from the University of Bahrain. “It’s also a real honor to have the opportunity to go visit the headquarters of a global powerhouse like Huawei. The company is having a profound impact on the telecommunications industry worldwide and I am excited to learn directly from the experts who are working on the cutting edge of ICT research and development.” 

The winners of the international final competition in Huawei Shenzhen Headquarters will receive certificates, trophies, and prizes, in addition to awarding the most outstanding team with $30,000 USD in cash, the next two teams will claim second place and three teams will be awarded third place. The next seven teams will receive Excellence Prizes, while 6 tutors and 5 academies will also be recognized with the Excellent Tutor and Best Academy Prizes. 

The competition is part of Huawei’s longstanding effort to have a positive impact on the community in Bahrain. Huawei has already implemented a Seeds for the Future program to offer training and internships to promising students across the region. The ICT Skill Competition offers students additional opportunities to gain valuable experience in the industry. Participants will work in a real laboratory, and tackle some of the industry’s most complex challenges. The competition material is based on advanced IP and IT material, and tests competitors on their knowledge of cloud computing, switching, routing, and network security. It is a unique opportunity for students to test their abilities in ICT’s most cutting edge fields.