HEC, Huawei collaborates to organise 4th ICT Competition in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD - The Higher Education Commission (HEC) Pakistan and Huawei Technologies Pakistan have decided to hold the 4th Information and Communication Technology (ICT) competition in Pakistan to promote the ICT industry’s technology certification and develop local talent and ecosystem.

In this connection, a meeting was held here between the Dr Fateh Muhammad Marri, Acting Executive Director, HEC and Huawei Technologies Pakistan Managing Director Mr Gaoweijie in the chair. The meeting was attended by Huawei Public and Corporate Director Mr Naiz Ali Shahrukh, and other officials from both sides.

Sharing his viewpoint with regard to the promotion of ICT in the country, Dr Marri announced to establish eight new Huawei ICT Academies in addition to up-gradation of the existing four ICT Academies. He stressed the need for devising a proactive campaign to encourage maximum students to benefit from the competition.

He appreciated the collaboration between HEC and Huawei and hoped that the competition will further strengthen the bilateral efforts for the promotion of ICT. He termed the Huawei’s collaboration with HEC in the fields of 5G and Artificial Intelligence a vital step forward. He assured Huawei of extending all-out support in professional training of students and helping transform the education system of Pakistan.

On the occasion, Mr Shahrukh highlighted the importance of competition. He said Huawei invites colleges and universities in Pakistan to participate in the ICT competition which is a part of Huawei’s longstanding effort for the development of ICT industry in the country. The ICT competition offers students additional opportunities to gain valuable experience in the industry.

The 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 technology, and it tests contestant on their knowledge of AI, 5G, 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.

He said the Huawei team will hold seminars and roadshows with the support of Huawei ICT Academies to create awareness about the competition among students. Pakistan is home to unlimited potential with its core being the youth. “With HEC’s support, together, we will be able to tap youth’s ICT talent which will contribute to the development of Pakistan’s ICT industry.”

The ICT competition will help enhance the quality of future ICT professionals in Pakistan, in addition to increasing national ICT competitiveness and supporting local students across the country.

During the 3rd ICT competition in 2018, top six Pakistani students from the National Finals entered the global competition which was participated by 147 students from 30 countries. The Pakistani students secured the 2nd position.

In 2019, the 4th ICT competition in Pakistan will aim at motivating more students to register themselves for the competition and hone their ICT talent. The Huawei will focus on holding awareness seminars, workshops and preliminary rounds of this year’s competition while collaborating with Pakistan’s 14 runnings ICT Academies. It will also arrange visits to 50 universities for marketing and roadshows.

This year, over 11,000 students from reputable universities are expected to register themselves for the online test. It is expected that 7,000 students will take the preliminary test, out of which 500 students will appear for the online preliminary examination. The top 150 students will take the lab and interview examination.

In addition to the certifications and prizes, the most competitive six students will be selected for the international finals to be held at Huawei Headquarters in Shenzhen, China. The competition participants will gain unrivaled exposure to Huawei’s expertise in telecommunication, enterprise, and consumer business. This will certainly provide the participants with a remarkable cultural, experience and knowledge exchange opportunity.

The online registration process is open through https://events.hec.gov.pk/event/huawei-technologies-pvt-ltd-competition-hec-and-huawei-launch-the-ict-competition-2019-2020/
The Huawei has also collaborated with HEC in launching the Huawei ICT Academy (HAINA) programme. This programme provides opportunities to promote studies of advanced technologies through R&D and adopt Huawei’s globally renowned university-enterprise cooperation model.