Technology & IT | Sunday 31 May, 2015 9:25 am |

- Partnership will increase knowledge sharing and offer enhanced student learning experiences through internships and student exchange program



- With the advent of Qatar’s knowledge economy, Texas A&M University at Qatar and Huawei—a global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider—have announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which supports both theoretical and applied learning opportunities for Texas A&M at Qatar electrical engineering students. The initiative is supported by Ooredoo as a strategic partner.

The signing ceremony was held this week in Qatar and was attended by Dr. Mark H. Weichold, Dean and CEO of Texas A&M at Qatar, Mr. Fu Liangzhu, GM of Huawei Qatar, Mr. Cui Bin, Chinese Commercial Counsellor of Qatar, Dr. Ahmed Elmagarmid, Director of Qatar Computing Research Institute, Dr. Mounir Hamdi, Dean of Engineering at Hamad bin Khalifa University, as well as representatives from Ooredoo, Ms.
Manar Khalifa Almuraikhi, PR Manager.

The MoU outlines an annual program – entirely supported by Huawei – that will provide a 14-day internship at Huawei’s campus and R&D centers in China located at the Huawei Centers of Excellence in Shenzhen and Beijing. The program will select ten top performing Texas A&M at Qatar electrical engineering students focused on technology, technological research and innovation to focus on topics related to the development of next generation networks. The program also features a cultural exchange in which the students will experience and learn Chinese language and traditional culture.

Huawei is a strong advocate of helping educators empower youth by equipping them with the right knowledge and tools to help them grow professionally.

Dr. Mark H. Weichold, Texas A&M at Qatar Dean and CEO, welcomed the new relationship with Huawei saying, “Texas A&M at Qatar is proud to partner with industry collaborators, especially when we partner to create well-rounded engineers – engineers who will help realize new and sustainable solutions to real-world challenges and issues. As an educational institution, we work to help students develop the tools needed to stand at the vanguard of new discoveries and engineer the future of technology and communications through innovation and critical thinking. We welcome Huawei as partners and thank them for this generous program which will help us enrich Qatar’s greatest natural resource – its people.”

Mr. Fu Liangzhu, GM of Huawei Qatar, said: “We are great believers in the power of connectivity and how the right technology can help bolster education globally. This MoU is testament to that commitment as we work with leading entities in Qatar to form a true knowledge economy in line with the Qatar Vision 2030. As an ICT leader, Huawei is committed to promoting the development of the ICT industry in countries where we operate, driving sustainability in the economy, society, and environment in the long term.”

Texas A&M at Qatar Professor of Electrical Engineering, Dr. Ali Ghrayeb, commented on the unique nature of the cultural exchange and internship program, saying, “The Texas A&M at Qatar and Huawei MoU offers our electrical engineering students a unique internship opportunity that will broaden their technical knowledge and prepare them for the job market upon graduation. Not only will it strengthen that technical knowledge, it will also be a culturally enriching experience, as it will give our students exposure to the Chinese culture and allow them to meet other participants coming from around the globe. I am hopeful that this MoU will mark the beginning of a broader and more fruitful partnership between Texas A&M at Qatar and Huawei.”

The internship program provided by this MoU will see the launch of Huawei’s worldwide ‘Seeds for the Future’ education exchange program, which will offer ten students each year the opportunity to develop practical skills preparing them for a career in the ICT industry, learning from Huawei’s experts at its global headquarters in China. Launched in 2008, ‘Seeds for the Future’ is one of Huawei’s flagship global CSR programs with study trips having been implemented in over 37 countries worldwide.

Developing a local talent pool of educated and technologically-skilled individuals has become a leading priority in Qatar as the rise of science-focused development offers fresh career opportunities within the regional ICT industry. The MoU initiatives will cover a range of ICT trending topics including next-generation networks, network architecture and implementation, VoIP, security solutions and cloud computing amongst others.