Asia-Pacific Digital Talent Summit 2024 co-hosted by Huawei, ASEAN Foundation, and SEAMEO

The 2024 Asia-Pacific Digital Talent Summit successfully brought together government leaders including Secretary-General of ASEAN, Minister of Ministry of Post and Telecommunications of the Kingdom of Cambodia, Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Education of Brunei Darussalam, industry experts, professionals from academy and 130+ young talents from 18 countries across the region to foster collaboration, innovation, and digital growth for a connected, digital and intelligent future.

Held in Nanning, this event provided a crucial platform to discuss the future of digital talent development in the rapidly evolving regional digital economy.

The summit concluded with 17 groups of student performance showcasing their own cultural heritage at the Departure Ceremony. Dr. Piti Srisangnam, Executive Director of ASEAN Foundation; Datuk Dr Habibah Abdul Rahim, Director of SEAMEO Secretariat; Mr Simon Lin, the president of Huawei Asia-Pacific joined the students to ignite the roadmap, marking the start of an exciting and fruitful journey.

After the summit, students embarked on an immersive tour of Huawei’s campuses in Shenzhen and Dongguan, where they participated in digital learning classes and study ICT technologies and applications. They also competed in the Tech4Good Regional Semi-Final.

In his welcome speech, H.E. Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary-General of ASEAN, emphasized the vital role of digital talent in driving the region’s growth and innovation, ensuring our region remains competitive in the global economy. “The collaboration between Huawei and the ASEAN Foundation, which has made this event possible, exemplifies the profound impact of public-private partnerships in enhancing digital skills among our youths across the Asia-Pacific region. This program offers more than 130 exceptional young talents an enriching one-week tour of China, where they will engage in a journey of learning and cultural exchange,”

In line with this vision, Mr. Simon Lin, President of Huawei Asia-Pacific, said “At Huawei, our digital talent program in the Asia-Pacific region is built on three key pillars: Partnership, Commitment, and Youth Empowerment. These principles have driven us to develop over 200,000 digital talents through initiatives like Huawei ICT Academy in more than 310 universities, Tech4City competition, and this Digital Talent Summit. We are committed to fostering future leaders of the Asia-Pacific digital economy and, together with our partners, we will continue building a bigger stage for young talent to thrive with technology.”

Datuk Dr. Habibah Abdul Rahim, Director of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization Secretariat and H.E. Ambassador M.I. Derry Aman, Chair of the ASEAN Foundation Board of Trustees, also shared their valuable perspectives on the importance of shaping a brighter digital future in ASEAN countries. “Investing in youth is key to unlocking the digital potential of not only ASEAN and the Asia-Pacific region but also the world”, as said by Ambassador Derry. In this light, Ambassador Derry appreciated the collaboration between the ASEAN Foundation and Huawei in co-hosting this program, which has a profound impact on youth development by equipping participants with vital digital and cultural skills. During the event, government representatives from across the region shared updates on their vision and progress in cultivating digital talent.

At the summit, Huawei together with Prince of Songkla University (PSU), launched the “PSU ICT TALENT DEVELOPMENT and INNOVATION CENTER“, which is the first of its kind in APAC, expected to benefiting students and broader community by driving digital transformation in education sector and beyond.