The UNESCO and Huaweia leading private company in information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure, carried out The Latin American and Caribbean Summit Seeds for the Future 2024an event that brought together 150 outstanding students from the region.
This flagship program, which took place in El Salvador from August 25 to 31, offered young people a platform for learning, innovation and the creation of sustainable technological solutions, with the chance to win a trip to China.
There, as part of the exchange week, the competition took place “Tech4Good”designed to help you understand the latest trends in digitalization and explore how digital technologies can address common social problems.
Its aim is to raise students’ awareness of the challenges facing local sustainable development, help them use the ICT skills they learn to explore solutions that are both technically and commercially viable, and help them turn their dreams into reality through intensive training.
Tech4Good Awards: Argentina at the top
Alejandro Simonutti and Lourdes Ríos, from the National University of Rafaela; Lautaro Marquez Locaso, from the National University of Entre Ríos and Nahiara Orgoñ from Corrientes, from the UTN Resistencia, were the winning team of the competition thanks to their revolutionary idea “LI+”, which addresses an environmental challenge and offers an innovative solution to the massive extraction of lithium.
Using artificial intelligence and computer vision, the company aims to classify lithium batteries, analyse their components and diagnose whether they can be reused or recycled. This aims to reduce the environmental impact, promoting more sustainable management of this waste and contributing to the development of a circular economy.
In this regard, Mitchell Zhang CEO of Huawei Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay, greeted the winning team and extended his congratulations: “In a constantly changing world, it is essential that we put renewed emphasis on the importance of education, with training in cutting-edge technologies being a priority for us. Argentina is a country full of talents throughout its territory and our mission is to offer them a space to develop their full potential. Congratulations LI+, this is just the beginning!”
For its part, Michael Xue Vice President of Huawei Latin America and the Caribbean, emphasized the investment that the company is making in talent training: “Until now, We have invested more than 10 million dollars in these programs helping more than 300,000 people from more than 20 countries in the region to improve their digital skills.”
He added: “Over the next three years, UNESCO and Huawei will launch a new strategic cooperation in the region, focusing on the development of digital talent in ICT. This is part of our ongoing efforts to help cultivate broader digital talent development, and we hope that these efforts will benefit 3,000 more students and young people.”
The Summit in Latin America and the Caribbean “Seeds for the Future 2024” reaffirmed Huawei and UNESCO’s commitment to creating an inclusive digital ecosystem in Latin America, where young talent is preparing to lead the change towards a more equitable and sustainable technological future.
What is “Seeds for the Future”
Since its launch in 2014 in Latin America, the program, “Seeds for the Future” by Huaweihas trained more than 2,100 students from 20 countries, providing training in cutting-edge technology and promoting an enriching cultural exchange.
By expanding the program through the Seeds for the Future 2.0 initiative, Huawei is committed to investing US$150 million by 2026, benefiting more than 3 million young people worldwide.
Seeds for the Future is the company’s program that annually provides university students from around the world with the opportunity to train in telecommunications. It has been held consecutively since its launch in 2008 in Thailand, and today it is held in more than 130 countries, more than 620 universities and reaching more than 18,000 students from around the world who have participated in the program.
In the country, the initiative has been carried out since 2017, and there have already been trained more than 1000 students from more than 70 educational institutions from all over the country.
Aimed at developing local talent, Seeds for the Future seeks to strengthen the transfer of knowledge and improve people’s use and understanding of the ICT sector. It also seeks to bridge the gap between the needs of the labour market and educational training.