The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) and Huawei Hong Kong (Huawei) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to jointly establish the ICT Academy, which will help nurture Information and Communications Technology (ICT) talent. 
 

Under the new collaboration framework, the two partner institutions will promote smart teaching through the employment of IT infrastructure, apply ICT technology in learning, teaching and management, and explore innovative applications of artificial intelligence (AI) technology in education. Certified training programmes will also be provided for EdUHK staff and students to foster holistic development. Also, the establishment of ePortfolios will help create a talent pool and an integrative platform for educators, supporting the wider use of education technology, as well as laying a foundation for cultivating talent in the ICT industry. 

Welcoming the partnership, EdUHK President Professor Stephen Cheung Yan-leung said, “The emergence of new technology has, to a large extent, transformed the way we learn, live and work. As an advocate of educational innovation, EdUHK has taken the lead in promoting computational thinking and AI education through knowledge transfer projects in schools. We aim to cultivate problem-solving skills of students from an early age. And our new programmes aim to equip the next generation with the ability to cope with the opportunities and challenges brought about by the rapid development of science and technology.” 

Professor Cheung added that in an effort to nurture IT education talent, the University has launched Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Artificial Intelligence and Educational Technology and Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence and Educational Technology programmes, coupled with the addition of Future Classrooms on campus. He said he believed the collaboration with Huawei would help students broaden their horizons and nurture ICT talent for the benefit of society.  

Mr Ambrose Tang, Deputy Managing Director of the Enterprise Business Group of Huawei Hong Kong, said, “This cooperation with EdUHK marks another milestone for Huawei in providing diversified learning and practicum opportunities for young people in Hong Kong. Together with EdUHK, we will further explore possibilities for cooperation in various aspects, such as building smart campuses and curriculum development, by providing leading training of talent and various certified programmes. We hope to cultivate leaders with digital management thinking and skills, while creating new values for the education and innovation industries.”

Mr Tang added that Huawei planned to assist in the training of 500,000 ICT students in the Asia-Pacific region within five years. Noting Hong Kong as one of the regions with the strongest demand for people with innovative and practical ICT ability, Huawei has established a talent-training ecosystem through the announcement of the Huawei Hong Kong and Macau I&T Talent Development Programme (ITTDP), alongside organising an array of ICT competitions. He said the company was eager to see the formation of a robust ecosystem for the building of smart campuses and the cultivation of information and technology professionals in various universities in Hong Kong. He hoped these measures could help enhance the competitiveness of talent in both Hong Kong and Macau.