Focus on ict as a key enabler in education and talent development at the Huawei ICT Academy Summit 2023
Director General of Higher Education Professor Dr. Azlinda binti Azman (left) and Mr. Oliver Liu, Vice President of Huawei Technologies (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd (right) at the Huawei Malaysia ICT Academy Summit 2023.
[KUALA LUMPUR, 24 NOVEMBER 2023]: The Huawei ICT Academy Summit 2023 saw the convergence of educators as well as industry professionals and leaders placing the spotlight on information and communications technology (ICT) as a key enabler in education and talent development in the country.
The Summit kicked off with keynote addresses by the Government and prominent industry speakers in the morning followed by afternoon sessions featuring Huawei ICT Talent Cooperation case study insights, as well as a panel discussion with ‘Industry Standardisation in Education’ as its focal point.
Director General of Higher Education Professor Dr Azlinda binti Azman, who delivered the keynote at the Summit, said it has become crucial for all our educators to be able to utilise ICT tools and technologies both within and beyond the classroom setting, to leverage its power to facilitate personalised learning, and to prepare the next generation for the digital age.
The Director-General of Higher Education also commended the efforts of the Huawei ICT Academy in bridging the gap between education and industry.
“To facilitate the smoother transition for young Malaysians to participate effectively in the economy, it is equally vital for us to close the gap between education and industry.
“I would like to commend the outstanding efforts of The Huawei ICT Academy as a prime example of effectively bridging this gap. As a platform, the Huawei ICT Academy has successfully integrated theory and pragmatic practice, as well as incorporated up-to-date ICT applications into teaching and training courses. The Academy has established itself as a platform for teaching excellence and is widely acknowledged by industry peers for its good work in training and talent development initiatives to produce world-class ICT professionals. It also ensures that the academia and the industry are in sync as to the type of talent cultivated and needed,” she said.
Professor Dr Azlinda binti Azman said the event is also another example of how the gap can be narrowed between education and industry.
“In a fast-paced, digital world, ICT is a crucial enabler of quality, inclusivity, and innovation in learning. Educators and educational institutions must quickly adapt to the disruptions technology has brought in its wake, as it is imperative to stay ahead of the curve so that you are able to effectively engage with students,” she said.
Mr Oliver Liu, Vice President of Huawei Technologies (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, acknowledged the challenging job educators face in a fast-paced digital world and touched on how the Huawei ICT Academy is supporting successful educational outcomes.
“When the programme was designed, great care was invested into its components to ensure that each Huawei ICT Academy is able to create a favourable teaching environment, as well as promote a robust talent development track for the ICT industry,” he said in his welcome address.
Mr Liu added that Huawei will also be implementing a “Smart Elite Programme”, in accordance with YAB Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Anwar bin Ibrahim’s call during the Malaysia ICT Summit.
The training programme, which will begin next year, will focus on top management personnel from industries, digital organisations and the green economy with topics including the latest ICT trends and innovations, green technology, 5G, AI, Big Data, and IoT towards Malaysia becoming the ASEAN Digital Capital.
The Huawei ICT Academies showcase technology as a powerful enabler by featuring classes and labs equipped with real devices to use in practice experiments; innovative training camps and teacher workshops; as well as readily available online learning and experiment materials.
Mr Liu, who is also the Huawei ASEAN Academy Vice-Chancellor, highlighted Huawei’s achievements in producing local talent with digital skills.
“We are also proud to have the Huawei ASEAN Academy. It is a learning centre that is dedicated to equipping local talent with digital skills. We have managed to produce about 10,000 talents a year since 2021. We are well on our way to achieving the target we have set, of producing 50,000 digital talents in Malaysia by 2025,” he said.
The event rounded off with an elegant Gala Dinner where Dr Tan Soo Fun from Universiti Malaysia Sabah walked away with the “Huawei Malaysia Most Dedicated Instructor Award” for going beyond the call of duty in performing his job.
The Huawei ICT Academy Summit 2023 is one of the numerous initiatives Huawei Malaysia has undertaken and will continue to undertake to realise inclusive, people-oriented education for Malaysians. Huawei is unwavering in its commitment to build a robust digital education ecosystem for Malaysia that will propel the nation closer to its ambitions of becoming a regional digital leader in ASEAN.