Huawei & Higher Colleges of Technology Sign MOU to Bridge Digital Education Divide in UAE

Partnership will increase knowledge sharing and offer enhanced student learning experiences through development of Telecommunication Academy, Virtual Classrooms and Chinese Exchange Program

Mobilk - With the advent of the UAE’s knowledge economy, Huawei—a global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider—and the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) today announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to develop a range of Smart Education initiatives for its students in the UAE.  

The ambitious MOU outlines three programmes implementing various E-education technologies designed to improve the standards of education and learning for HCT’s students. Specifically, the partnership will see Huawei develop a Telecommunication Academy at HCT, establish virtual classrooms at its campuses and launch an ICT training exchange program at Huawei’s HQ in Shenzen, China. 

Abdullatif Al Shamsi, Vice Chancellor of the Higher Colleges of Technology said: “The Higher Colleges of Technology maintains a commitment to excellence in education, and a hallmark of its learning model is the strong focus on successful student learning outcomes in technology and innovation, educating our students for the 21st century. We are therefore pleased to continue working with Huawei to create new ways of enhancing learning through the innovative uses of technology.”

Strengthening its commitment to developing the education sector in the UAE, Huawei will work closely with HCT to deploy its solutions at the institutions various campuses across the UAE. The ICT vendor is a strong advocate of helping educators empower youth by equipping them with the right knowledge and tools to help them grow professionally. 

Peng Xiongji, General Manager, Huawei UAE said: “This MOU is testament to our commitment to developing a true knowledge economy in the UAE and helping to offer more interactive learning for students. We are great believers in the power of technology and how the right technology tools can revolutionize education in the UAE. We are confident that through this MOU with HCT, we will make a make a measurable impact to the availability and quality of education for its students.”

Working alongside HCT to integrate it into their curriculum, Huawei will launch a ‘Telecommunication Academy’, delivering a specialized training course that will offer students the opportunity to broaden their understanding in ICT field. Encompassing practical and theory components, the course will give students detailed hands-on experience in deploying Huawei’s ICT solutions. The course prepares students for the Huawei professional training certification, which they will be eligible to apply for once they graduate from HCT and offers a clear transition from education to employment. 

Following the successful deployment of the Virtual Classroom program in 2013, which provided students and faculty access to a host of new digital tools for creating a more interactive learning environment, Huawei will extend its services to accommodate more students across all of HCT’s campuses. Huawei’s e-Classroom program extends the concept of ‘borderless classrooms’ and addresses the strategic challenges faced by distance learning as well as the managing and sharing of knowledge resources across multiple classrooms and campuses. 

This will improve classroom learning experiences through support for real-time interactions via high-definition audio and video tools, convenient course recording and streaming, interactive e-whiteboards, and more immersive device applications.

The third element of the Huawei MOU with HCT will see the launch of the ICT vendor’s ‘Seeds for the Future’ education exchange program, which will offer 15 each year the opportunity to develop practical skills preparing them for a career in the ICT industry, learning from Huawei’s experts at its HQ in China. 

Developing a local talent pool of educated and technologically skilled individuals has become a leading priority in the UAE as the rise of technology-focused development continues to offer new opportunities within the regional ICT industry.  

The MOU outlines a programme for Huawei to provide technical training including workshops and technical training sessions on a range of ICT trending topics including next-generation networks, network architecture and implementation, VoIP, security solutions and cloud computing amongst others.