Officials and representatives from Asean and international organisations celebrate the regional digital talent growth together with 91 students from 19 Asia-Pacific countries.

Uniting for an Inclusive Digital Future: Huawei, Asean Foundation, and SEAMEO Spotlight Asia-Pacific’s Emerging Tech Leaders at Seeds for the Future Summit 2023
Comprehensive collaboration between Huawei and ITU embarks on a promising journey of digital development for the region.

Shanghai -- In a collective move to fortify the digital skills pipeline, Huawei, the Asean Foundation, and the Southeast Asia Ministers of Education Organisation (SEAMEO) today hosted the Seeds for the Future Summit 2023. Under the theme “Connect, Cultivate, Contribute for Inclusive Digital Talent Growth in Asia-Pacific,” the summit convened 91 exceptional participants of Seeds for the Future, Huawei’ flagship talent initiative, from 19 Asia-Pacific countries, emphasising the vital role of youth in the digital evolution of the region.

Cultural parade of representatives from Asean Seeds for the Future and Huawei Laos.

Echoing the theme, Mr Simon Lin, President of Huawei Asia Pacific, said “This is the third year for Huawei to host the Asia-Pacific Seed for the Future Summit.
Every year, we can see this programme grow with something new, with more partners joining us. Meanwhile, three things remain unchanged: Partnership, Commitment, and Youth empowerment.”
The event kicked off with a cultural parade, when the 19 delegations including Huawei Laos in their own national costumes greeted the audience and shared their own culture with pride. Officially opening the event, H.E. Dr Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary-General of Asean, said “I strongly encourage private-led initiatives that share the vision for attracting and nurturing digital talents such as the Seeds for the Future programme. I hope it will provide more opportunities for young people, as well as pay special consideration for vulnerable groups such as women, people with disabilities, and those from rural areas to ensure balanced participation and inclusivity.”
H.E. Amb. Hou Yan QI, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to Asean, said “This not only cultivated the ‘seeds’ for the digital

transformation of Asean countries, but also injected youthful impetus into the upgrading of China-Asean cooperation.”
H.E. Amb. Heng Sarith, Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Cambodia to Asean and Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Asean Foundation extended his appreciation to Huawei for “partnering with the

Asean Foundation to create a platform that empowers young people in the Asia-Pacific region, enabling them to enhance their digital skills and expand their networks beyond national boundaries.”
Dr Kritsachai Somsaman, Centre Director, Southeast Asian Minister of the Education Organisation Regional Centre for STEM Education, underscored the urgency of digital talent cultivation.

“In this fast-evolving digital landscape, the cultivation of digital talent is more critical than ever before. It is the key to boosting growth and resilience, and it holds the power to revolutionise industries, societies, and economies.
The Seeds for the Future programme, at its core, is designed to inspire and nurture the next generation of leaders.”
As a pivotal of the summit, Huawei and the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) announced a joint declaration focusing on six key areas of digital collaboration across the Asia-Pacific, including ICT policy and regulation, joint research, inclusive infrastructure, digital capacity-building, girls and youth empowerment, and digital practice-sharing.
The event ended with a panel discussion led by Dr Piti Srisangnam, Executive Director of the Asean Foundation. Joined by experts from the National University of Singapore (NUS), representatives from Huawei and Seeds for the Future participants, the panel delved into the intricacies of shaping tomorrow’s leaders by closing gaps, harnessing digital skills, and nurturing lifelong skills.
This talent summit is an extension of an immersive experience for the 91 students who were taken on a tour of Huawei’s campuses in Shenzhen and Dongguan, China, prior to the summit.

Panelists: Dr Piti Srisangnam, Executive Director of the Asean Foundation; Dr Goh Puay Guan, Associate Professor of NUS Business School; Jeziel Aijeleth Ramos, Seeds for the Future Global Ambassador; Thantita Ananjarulert, Senior 5G Marketing Manager and APAC Ambassador of Huawei; Glenn Cheow, Seeds for the Future 2023 Leader Award (left to right).

Mr Simon Lin, President of Huawei Asia Pacific (fourth from the left), and Ms. Atsuko Okuda, Director of the ITU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (fourth from right) witness the joint declaration.

There, they gained unique insights into areas like information theory, digital power, automobile technologies, and cybersecurity.
The students came from a range of countries including the Asean 10, South Korea, Japan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Fiji, and the Solomon Islands. All the participants were collectively selected by Huawei, the Asean Foundation, and ITU.
About Seeds for the Future
Seeds for the Future is Huawei’s flagship talent programme, where the participants get immersed in technologies and cross-cultural experiences, and propose technical solutions to address social problems through Tech4Good projects, with the goal of shaping the ICT leaders of tomorrow.

By Times Reporters
 (Latest Update October 2, 2023)