(PHOTO: Students visit Parliament Hill before their trip to China.)
(Press release via HUAWEI)
HUAWEI, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of ICT and telecommunications equipment, has announced 20 university engineering students selected to participate in its “Seeds for the Future” program, and two are from Stittsville.
Allison Sherwin and Kyle Bjornson both grew up in Stittsville and are now third-year engineering students at Carleton University. They were among the 20 students who gathered in Kanata last week for two days of preparation at HUAWEI Canada’s Research Centre before departing for China for a two-week professional and cultural trip.
Now in its third year, ‘Seeds for the Future’ provides students an opportunity to experience firsthand the incredible advancement taking place in China’s technology industry. Designed for Canadian engineering students, the program aims to build links between Canada and China, promote a greater understanding of career opportunities in the telecommunications sector, and to encourage participation in the international ICT community.
“We are proud to offer this opportunity to another talented group of engineering students from across the country,” said HUAWEI Canada President, Sean Yang. “This award-winning program has grown in popularity and we’re happy to see that nearly half the students participating this year are women. This hands-on experience provides students with a once in a lifetime work and cultural exchange, with an opportunity to see China and its industry-leading innovation.”
“Our partners at HUAWEI have been fantastic. We look forward to continuing to develop these bright young minds and set them on these promising future career paths,” said Jose Pereira, Director, Engineering Career Centre, University of Toronto.
Students selected for ‘Seeds for the Future’ will be given first-hand learning opportunities through interactions with HUAWEI staff and visits to HUAWEI laboratories where they will witness live demonstrations of advanced communications technologies. The program also includes an opportunity to experience Chinese culture, and will include a visit to some well-known landmarks, including the Great Wall of China and the Forbidden City.
Feedback from students who have been through the program has been extremely positive. “This program was a life changing experience in every way,” said Karl Tanguay-Verreault a student at Carleton University who participated in the program last year. “Not only did it open my eyes to the beauty of Chinese culture but it also gave me hands-on experience with the technologies that will power the future of ICT.”