TRA and Huawei Launch the 3rd Edition of "Seeds for the Future"

Mobilk - Under the patronage of H.E. Dr. Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of State for Higher Education and Advanced Skills, The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA), represented by the ICT Fund, has launched the project presentation phase of the "Seeds for the Future" competition 2019, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Huawei, in addition to the strategic partner Dubai investments, and in cooperation with "Think Science" program.

This initiative represents TRAs strategies in developing national cadres and raising the spirit of competition and innovation among the youth. The number of projects participating in the competition this year has reached 150 projects from 15 universities across the UAE, of which 40 have qualified for the second stage of "Seeds for the Future". The second phase included presenting the projects and lasted for two days in TRA and Huawei labs. 

H.E. Dr. Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of State for Higher Education and Advanced Skills, commented on this event: "We always strive to support national efforts aimed at building capacities, qualifying national cadres and providing them with various information and skills that prepare them for the future, support them to identify solutions for future challenges and turn them into opportunities to continue the journey of comprehensive development in the country. Our youth are the wealth of the nation, and the wise leadership spares no effort to enable them and provide them with all means of support, in order to create a new generation that leads the country to unprecedented levels of development and prosperity in all fields."

H.E. added: "The Seeds for the Future competition is a step forward in preparing the UAE youth and releasing their creative and innovative energies in the technology sector, which has become the main indicator of the countries development. We work with various UAE entities to create the right environment for education and training for all members of society according to the latest international standards, and to meet the future requirements. I call on students and youth to learn the skills of the future, and to adopt the principle of lifelong learning as an approach for continuous development, as it is the key to the future and our only path to prosperity."

H.E. expressed his hope for more fruitful cooperation with various federal, local and private entities, to train and qualify human resources in the country, emphasizing that coordinated efforts is the key for development of all the UAE sectors and improving peoples well-being"

Moreover, H.E. Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, TRA Director General, commented on the new edition of the competition: "For the third consecutive year, the Seeds for the Future competition attracts creative student projects that embody a genuine spirit of creativity among the UAE youth and reflect their truthful desire to actively participate in achieving the UAE Vision 2021 and the requirements of the next stage, as we stand on the threshold of the era of Artificial Intelligence, The Fourth Industrial Revolution, and the Blockchain."

H.E. Al Mansoori asserted his confidence in the new generation and their ability to contribute in building a sustainable economy, He said: "TRA, under the wise leadership directives, is keen on supporting the young cadres, empowering them and providing them with training and education opportunities. We are proud of the partnership and integration between the UAE public and private sectors, which this contest reflect. Huawei, through its participation in this initiative, has expressed its desire to enhance its community responsibility and its contribution to the culture of innovation and future thinking among the youth."

In turn, Li Shi, CEO of Huawei UAE, said: "The Seeds for the Future program embodies Huaweis commitment to the development of the communities in which it operates, as it focuses on enhancing the innovation in shaping the future of the young generation, by passing knowledge, refining talent and developing skills and expertise to enable local ICT professionals in cooperation with government entities, universities and institutes concerned. This is part of Huaweis efforts to build a comprehensive and integrated ICT ecosystem in the UAE as part of the preparation of future leaders who will take the lead in digital transformation and achieve the objectives of the UAE national plans and strategies, in line with the UAE vision 2021, making the most of the technology that has become the main element for development of various sectors and industries, the advancement of societies and the drive to building a sustainable and knowledge-based UAE economy."

The competition aims to develop national competencies by sharing various aspects of ICT knowledge and expertise within the context of an innovative training program. Students will work on a variety of advanced and effective projects that would solve some of the problems currently facing the community.

Projects are evaluated based on seven global standards: content, applicability, innovation and creativity, quality and integration, concept development level, presentation and structure, as well as the overall experience. The evaluation is attended by a jury comprised of TRA, Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dubai Investments, Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center Sheraa, Home Automation, Dubai Consultancy and Huawei.

"Seeds for the Future" challenges cover a variety of topics including science and innovation in transportation, education, e-security, smart cities, healthcare, infrastructure and space. The winning teams will have the opportunity to travel to China where Huaweis innovation center is located.

"Seeds for the Future" is an educational and training initiative that provides the right platform to university students to present their innovative ICT ideas and projects, and thus provides the opportunity to turn the ideas into effective products and tangible realities through the support of the program partners.