OREANDA-NEWS. February 05, 2016. Huawei, a leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider, today announced the prestigious ‘Seeds for the Future’ education program will again return to Canada. In addition, the program will be expanding to work with three more Canadian universities, bringing the total to ten participating engineering programs from across the country.

‘Seeds for the Future’ will once again provide 20 third-year engineering students with the opportunity to visit Beijing and work out of the company's headquarters in Shenzhen, China. Designed to help bridge the gap between school and work, the program aims to develop ICT talent in Canada, promote a greater understanding of the telecommunications sector and encourage participation in the international ICT community. In addition, prior to leaving for China, students will meet in Ottawa to tour Huawei’s Canada Research Centre, and meet with Huawei’s global 5G research team.

“Both the students and universities who participated in the program’s inaugural year felt it was a resounding success, so we’re extremely proud to not only bring ‘Seeds for the Future’ back for a second year, but to open it up to even more students,” said Sean Yang, President of Huawei Canada. “We’re thankful for the opportunity to nurture Canada’s great young minds and believe today's announcement reflects our continued commitment to Canada’s ICT ecosystem.”

Applications are now open to third-year engineering students at Simon Fraser University, the University of Western Ontario and the University of Calgary, in addition to the post-secondary institutions that participated in 2015: Polytechnique Montr?al, Carleton University, the University of Saskatchewan, the University of Waterloo, the University of British Columbia, the University of Ottawa and the University of Toronto.

Students selected for ‘Seeds for the Future’ will be given first-hand learning opportunities through interactions with Huawei staff and visits to Huawei laboratories, where they will witness live demonstrations of advanced communications technologies. In addition to gaining an understanding of the latest skills needed to be successful in ICT and learning how to be effective in a multicultural business environment, they will have the opportunity to experience Chinese culture by visiting major tourist attractions such as the Great Wall of China and the Forbidden City.

“Overall, my experience in China was truly an unforgettable adventure that allowed me to see the future,” said Kathleen Rozman, a Carleton University communications engineering student who participated in the program last year. “I can see how and where my present studies can be applied. I am excited to know that there are such great opportunities in ICT and great opportunities within Huawei Technologies.”

‘Seeds for the Future’ is another important element in Huawei’s efforts to work with Canadian Universities, and that has seen the company invest more than \\$5 million in advanced communications research projects with universities across Canada. Since 2010, the company’s Canada Research Centre in Ottawa has played a central role in establishing Huawei as one of the global leaders in transformative 5G technology and innovative research supported by Canadian universities.

“This is a unique opportunity for Canadian engineering students to gain valuable international experience with a leading global ICT company, said Brian Daku, Head, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Saskatchewan. “We commend Huawei for taking on a leadership role in helping Canada’s engineering talent prepare for their future careers.”