Nepal and Sri Lanka are following Bangladesh in investing in information and communication technology in their respective countries. Junaid Ahmed Palak, Minister of State for Information and Communication Technology made the remarks while participating in the ‘Three Country Digital Talent Summit: Bangladesh, SriLanka, Nepal’ organized on Thursday, May 20.
It was informed at the event that Huawei will help to make one lakh young people digitally proficient in the next five years in South Asian countries including Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal. To this end, the organization will work with governments, universities and industry stakeholders in the South Asian region.
In his speech, the state minister said, “This is the right time now to create digital talent along with digitalization. The father of our nation has said that the biggest asset of Bangladesh is the soil and people of this country. We can see the reflection of this now. Despite the corona pandemic, Bangladesh is moving forward by fulfilling all the conditions to become a developing country. Behind this, there is the efficient use of information and communication technology in all fields and Vision 2021 is being implemented. We are confident that with the help of the private sector we will be able to achieve our goals in a timely manner.
Huawei is working as a partner in various initiatives of the government to digitize the country and make the young society efficient. With their help our young society is learning about modern technology from industry experts.
In his speech, he mentioned that digital transformation will bring unprecedented change in society. In this regard, he mentioned that it is very important to make the young society efficient and increase the skills of the existing staff. The government, educational institutions and the private sector should work consistently with the digital talent ecosystem.
“We believe that the talent ecosystem is the cornerstone of economic restructuring and a sustainable digital future,” said Jay Chen, Vice President of Huawei Asia Pacific at the summit. Many countries are facing a big challenge like skilled manpower through digital means. Over the next five years, Huawei expects to build more than 100,000 ICT-skilled manpower and a digital talent ecosystem in the region, especially in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal,” he added.
The panel discussion of the event was attended by experts and veterans from the region and they discussed recommendations to address the challenges of this talent ecosystem. Emphasis is placed on easier ways to develop talent within the digital landscape.
BUET Vice-Chancellor Professor Satya Prasad Majumder said, “This global pandemic has reminded us that we need to move forward through continuous innovation using technology. This will be possible only if we can make the youth skilled in the ICT sector. Therefore, educational institutions like Huawei and BUET, the leading companies in the ICT sector, should continue to work in this regard. To this end, we have been working together in collaboration with the government. The goal of today’s event is to keep the wheel of innovation moving, and I thank Huawei for organizing such a timely summit.
Representatives of international organizations also emphasized the need to fill the gap in digital skills for sustainable development. Beatrice Caldon, Head of Office and UNESCO Representative in Bangladesh said, “In order to build a talent ecosystem aimed at inclusive digital enrichment, we need to accelerate the transformation of digital inclusion, mainstream digital skills development, and digital education to ensure quality education. Huawei is committed to this goal. In addition, Huawei has launched the ‘TechFroll’ initiative in partnership with UNESCO. Our goal is to expand this plan. It’s a long-term digital inclusion initiative aimed at empowering most of the world’s people with the digital skills they need.”
During the global pandemic, Huawei is working closely with various partners, including UNESCO, to provide students and staff with digital solutions and the necessary materials for online learning. Huawei plans to further expand its digital talent creation initiatives and create an end-to-end Huawei Talent Platform that will help students develop skills and assist in career development by providing one-stop services such as online courses, exams, testimonials and job search.
