African students coming to China to learn ICT with Huawei Huawei Seed for the Future Program (XINHUA)

Uganda now has a state-of-the-art academy of information and communications technology (ICT) geared to train over 1,000 students from across the country and offer certification.

Located at Makerere University, the country's oldest and leading institute of higher learning in the capital Kampala, the academy was established according to an agreement signed between China-based leading global ICT solutions provider Huawei, Makerere University and the Ugandan Government on May 15. It opened its doors in June for the registration of students.

Liu Jiawei, Managing Director of Huawei's Uganda Operations, signed the agreement on behalf of the company, while Barnabas Nawangwe, Vice Chancellor of Makerere University signed on behalf of the government and the university at a function presided over by the country's Minister of Information Technology and Communications, Frank Tumwebaze.

"We have signed an agreement with Huawei to establish the Huawei ICT Academy at Makerere University. In this era [of globalization], ICT is vital to development and we thank Huawei for establishing the academy because it will go a long way in helping the country advance," said Nelson Ochan, Deputy Commissioner in the Ministry of Education and Sports.

He said that on the day when the signing of the agreement took place, 10 students selected for the Huawei Seed for the Future Program departed for China. Ochan said Huawei not only established the academy, but also sponsored the trip of the 10 fellows to China where they will spend several weeks in Chinese universities undergoing intensive training in ICT. The students were officially seen off by Tumwebaze.

Investing in Uganda

Tumwebaze also noted that apart from ICT academy, there are many Chinese companies in the country busy constructing dams, roads and factories, and also those involved in trade.

Liu underscored the importance of the academy in bridging the gap between universities and the corporate world by developing ICT industry talent.

"Our ICT academy course combines both theory and practice. This is because some students have little practical and project experience, which ranges from enterprise networks, such as routing and switching, to advanced networks and network technology," he said.

Apart from the academy at Makerere University, Liu said that Huawei plans to establish other academies in public universities across the country, including Kyambogo, Lira, Gulu, Muni, Busitema and Mbarara.

He confirmed that the academy in Makerere University will initially train over 1,000 students from different universities in Uganda. As far as teaching staff at the academy is concerned, Liu said that Huawei is working on certifying lecturers who will work there. These local employees have been undergoing training by Huawei.

Nawangwe said that apart from the academy, the university also has other Chinese related programs, like teaching Mandarin.

"We are grateful for the academy and we will work with Huawei to ensure that the program is successful," said the vice chancellor.

Liu Jiawei, Managing Director of Huawei's Uganda Operations, and Barnabas Nawangwe, Vice Chancellor of Makerere University sign the agreement for establishing the Huawei ICT Academy in May (MAKERERE UNIVERSITY CAMPUS PRESS)

Opening doors for youth

Uganda has welcomed Huawei's consistency in fostering and nurturing ICT talent, which is in line with Uganda's digital strategy for transformation into a middle-income country. According to Tumwebaze, even before establishing the academy at Makerere University, Huawei has been training Ugandans in ICT.

"Since 2016 Huawei has trained 30 students in ICT, 21 of whom are employed while the remaining nine are still undergoing further training," he noted.

He said the government was grateful to Huawei for employing most of the students that they trained, although a few were employed in other companies.

Tumwebaze said in today's world, ICT plays a big role in development, and therefore, Huawei's initiative shows that the company is a development partner of Uganda.

"The country needs ICT professionals. With Huawei's initiatives, we shall cultivate and pool together these professionals who are crucial to developing the ICT industry," he added.

Ugandan President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has hailed Huawei for getting Uganda connected to the Internet, saying it will help Ugandans find employment opportunities worldwide.

The National Information Technology Authority-Uganda (NITA-U), with funding from the World Bank, contracted Huawei to build the national backbone and e-government infrastructure projects to connect districts and towns across the country. This is the continuity of Phases 1-3, which were funded by the Export-Import Bank of China between 2007 and 2016. Phase 1 involved connecting Uganda's central region to the Internet, while Phases 2 and 3 are for the eastern and northern regions respectively.

A student at Makerere University, Jerome Mukwasi, said that he is excited about the academy at his university. "I will do all I can to join the ICT academy that has been established by Huawei. It is a reputable company and I am sure that the ICT courses taught there will be of the highest level," he said.

Mukwasi said that he will ensure that he learns Mandarin so that after graduating from Makerere University, he could enroll at a university in China to further his education in ICT.

Bob Kasumba, one of the students taken to China as part of the Huawei initiative, appreciates the fact that he will acquire more ICT knowledge from universities there.

''It is a great experience, especially as far as software engineering is concerned. I especially like learning about the 5G network because it will open [more] doors to a more connected world," he said.

It's not only students who are appreciative of gaining more ICT knowledge. Wilberforce Wanda, a lecturer at Busitema University, one of the other public universities where Huawei plans to establish an ICT academy in future, is also looking ahead with optimism.

"We envy our colleagues at Makerere University [for having an ICT academy]. We are informed that Huawei plans to [establish an academy] on our campus. We are eagerly awaiting it," he said.

Huawei products popular

Although Huawei started selling its phones in Uganda more than 10 years ago, it was not until December 13, 2016 that the Huawei Consumer Business Group opened its first brand shop and service center in Uganda. The center was established in Kampala, followed by other cities across the country.

Huawei products are highly regarded according to one of the country's leading importers of mobile phones. Chris Bulime owns a chain of phone outlets across Uganda. He said people are tired of the flood of fake and poor-quality phones that had entered the market. According to Bulime, Huawei phones were held in high regard for their quality and durability. "That is the reason that Huawei phones are the most popular in the country," concluded Bulima, based on sales from his shops.

(Reporting from Uganda)

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