Huawei joins UNESCO Global Alliance for Literacy

Huawei has joined the UNESCO Global Alliance for Literacy (GAL) as part of the company’s lead up to the Mobile World Congress 2023. The announcement was made at a Digital Talent Summit cohosted by Huawei and the Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) which serves as the Secretariat of the GAL.

Huawei and UIL agreed to jointly promote the use of technology to raise literacy. The two parties also signed a cooperation agreement under which Huawei will fund an expansion of the UIL’s current initiatives to enhance educators’ use of technology in developing countries. Currently, the UIL initiative operates in Bangladesh, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Nigeria, and Pakistan.

Huawei is the first private company to become an associate member of the GAL.

UIL Director David Atchoarena said the event, “Our rapidly changing world calls for concerted efforts and strong partnerships to achieve quality education and lifelong learning for all.”

Atchoarena continued, “Huawei’s expertise in the area of innovation in learning will be a great asset to the Global Alliance for Literacy. Collaborative projects such as ours will ensure that no one is left behind on this journey.”

Huawei’s Vice President of Corporate Communications Vicky Zhang also commented, “Getting the right education is often the key to success in life. Huawei feels it has a responsibility to provide technology skills in all parts of the world, trying our best to include as many people as possible.”

“We are proud to join forces with UNESCO to better deliver on this responsibility,” Zhang added.

APPLAUDED

Piti Srisangnam, executive director of ASEAN Foundation applauded Huawei’s contribution to the local talent community. “The ASEAN Seeds for the Future programme that we launched in 2022 together with Huawei has already become a resourceful platform for hundreds of local students in 10 ASEAN countries to learn ICT knowledge and have cultural exchanges,” he said.

John Omo, secretary general of African Telecommunication Union (ATU), emphasised on the necessity of bridging the local talent to the international community. He said, “It is critical that youth in Africa have access to global opportunities and can be a part of global conversations.”

Jorge Ramirez Marin, president of the Commission of Science and Technology of Mexico senate called for a global synergy. “Digital education should be a factor that brings us closer to equity, instead of aggravating inequality,” he said.

The summit concluded with a profound and interesting panel session on imagining the future of education. The panel discussion was shared by George Gilder, economist and cofounder of the Discovery Institute, Ricardo Gil-da-Costa, CEO and cofounder of Neuroverse, and two Huawei Seeds for the Future alumni.

Huawei’s Seeds for the Future programme has helped nurture more than 2.2 million digital talents in over 150 countries. The company’s ICT Academy can train about 200,000 students each year. In 2021, Huawei announced it had already invested US$150 million and planned invest another US$150 million in digital talent development before 2026, which is expected to benefit an additional three million people.