Seeds for the Future programme: Huawei hosts UK Minister for Investment at Shenzhen HQ

Graham Stuart MP speaks at closing ceremony of 2018 UK Seeds for the Future programme

Huawei, the leading global information and communication technology (ICT) solutions provider, has welcomed Graham Stuart MP, Minister for Investment at the UK Government’s Department for International Trade (DIT), to its headquarters in Shenzhen, southern China. Speaking at the Closing Ceremony of the 2018 Huawei UK ‘Seeds for the Future’ programme, which hosts some of the UK’s brightest technology and science undergraduates in China for a month, the Minister described the venture as “exactly the sort of initiative that we want to encourage”. Hosted by Ms Chen Lifang, Director of the Board and Senior Vice-President for Huawei Group, the minister also held meetings with senior Huawei executives, and toured the company campus.

Huawei’s flagship corporate responsibility programme, ‘Seeds for the Future’ seeks to develop ICT talent, enhance shared knowledge and improve the skills and opportunities of talented STEM undergraduates globally. Selected UK students are given the unique experience of a four week visit to China to receive training on the latest ICT innovations in Shenzhen, as well as experience a programme of cultural visits and activities in Beijing.

Graham Stuart MP, Minister for Investment, Department for International Trade (DIT), said: “To maintain the UK’s position as the most innovative country in Europe we need to promote STEM skills. It is therefore fantastic to see Huawei, as one the most innovative companies in the world, supporting innovation in the UK. The Huawei ‘Seeds for the Future Programme’ is exactly the sort of initiative that we want to encourage, supporting young people in the UK studying STEM subjects, as well as developing their understanding of China. I encourage UK companies, UK entrepreneurs and UK students to visit China to build mutual understanding of our respective cultures and economies.”

Over the past five years, over 200 UK STEM undergraduates from universities across the UK have taken part in the ‘Seeds for the Future’ programme. By 2020, the programme will have sent another 100 UK undergraduates to China, contributing to the British Council Generation UK – China initiative. This year, Huawei is pleased to have achieved gender parity among the students selected and sent to China.

Ms Chen Lifang, Director of the Board and Senior Vice-President, Huawei Group, said: “As a global technology business, we believe in encouraging bright young people to pursue STEM careers. The young people on our programme are potential future leaders of our industry, and it is vital that we play our part in inspiring them. Huawei’s vision is to bring digital to every person, home and organization for a fully connected, intelligent world. Our Seeds for the Future programme has a role to play in helping to achieve this, helping to make the world a better place, by fully connecting everything and everyone.”

In February 2018 Huawei announced a new £3bn five year commitment to the UK

On 1^st February 2018, Madam Sun Yafang, Chairwoman of Huawei, met with the UK Prime Minister Theresa May in Beijing, and reaffirmed the company’s long-term commitment to the UK. Huawei announced that the company will procure a total of £3 billion in the UK over the next five years, helping UK companies to increase exports to China.

This new commitment builds on the pledge made by Huawei in 2012 to invest and procure £1.3 billion in the UK over the five years from 2013 to 2017. Huawei announced that this 2012 target was significantly exceeded, and Huawei invested and procured £2 billion over that period. The company now employs more than 1,500 people in the UK in 15 offices, including its head office in Green Park, Reading.

About Huawei: Huawei is a leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider. Our aim is to enrich life and improve efficiency through a better connected world, acting as a responsible corporate citizen, innovative enabler for the information society, and collaborative contributor to the industry. Driven by customer-centric innovation and open partnerships, Huawei has established an end-to-end ICT solutions portfolio that gives customers competitive advantages in telecom and enterprise networks, devices and cloud computing. Huawei’s 180,000 employees worldwide are committed to creating maximum value for telecom operators, enterprises and consumers. Our innovative ICT solutions, products and services are used in more than 170 countries and regions, serving over one-third of the world’s population. Founded in 1987, Huawei is a private company fully owned by its employees.