Five students from the University of Namibia (Unam) and the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST) recently completed a week-long study visit to Shenzhen, China, as part of Huawei’s ‘Seeds for the Future’ programme.
The students, Hilma Uupindi, Justin Campbell and Lilungwe Simasiku from NUST, and Alzira Dongua and Vepukisa Tjiuiju from Unam, were selected for their outstanding academic achievements by way of a collaboration between the Office of the President, the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology, Huawei, and their respective universities.
The programme took place from 20 to 26 July and is Huawei’s flagship global corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative. It seeks to develop digital talent, foster innovation, and promote cross-cultural exchange among youth from around the world. The students told Nampa about their experience, which, amongst others, included site visits to Huawei’s Fusion Solar facilities and smart city innovation hubs, as well as insight into cutting-edge technologies like 5G, cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI), and digital power.
“When we arrived in China, we rested for a few hours and immediately after, began our schedule covering technologies such as 5G, cloud computing and artificial intelligence,” Simasiku, a third-year Computer Science student at NUST, said.
The practical application of AI in everyday life was a significant highlight. The students were particularly impressed by how AI is used in healthcare and smart homes, such as systems that monitor the well-being of the elderly without compromising their privacy.
“Seeing AI in action was eye-opening because it’s being used to solve real world problems, and that made me realise how much work we have to put in to apply these technologies back home,” stated Dongua.
Besides the technical training, the programme offered social and cultural experiences, with the group interacting with students from over 10 countries, including Brazil, Portugal, Kenya, and Madagascar. Simasiku emphasised the importance of mentorship and institutional support.
“It’s a shame when we have talented individuals whose potential goes unrecognised simply because they don’t have mentors. I’m really grateful to have gotten this opportunity, it gave me the chance to network and put my name out there,” he said.
The students said they are eager to use their new knowledge and experiences to help advance Namibia’s digital transformation and inspire other young people to pursue careers in technology. –Nampa