ICT
'Accelerating digital economy key for inclusive integration in APAC'
Participants at the recently held webinar "Accelerate Digital Economy for Inclusive Integration in the Asia Pacific – Connecting Digital Industries in Pandemic" called for leveraging digital opportunities to build an inclusive ecosystem and promoting regional integration, which is particularly important while still combating the pandemic.
A digital economy is increasingly perceived as the way to overcome disruptions caused by Covid-19.
Representatives and thought leaders from government, industry and academic sectors across the Asia-Pacific (APAC) joined the virtual conversation organised by Huawei to explore the multiple facets of the digital economy.
Read: Huawei wants to empower ASEAN's green development
Ambassador of Indonesia to China Djauhari Oratmangun said, "The digital transformation has been significantly accelerated during the pandemic, speeding up business changes."
Based on digital knowledge and infrastructure, the digital economy has powered a growing proportion of regional GDP and boosted resilience amid the pandemic.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) predicts the digital economy will contribute $1 trillion to regional GDP by year.
Read: Huawei to invest $150 million in talent development
Countries from the region have released future-oriented roadmaps on removing trade barriers, improving digital coverage and ensuring ubiquitous access to digital services to facilitate the implementation of the digital economy.
"The development of the digital economy ecosystem is a process that involves active participation of multiple stakeholders including those from the private sectors," said Dr Le Quang Lan, assistant director for ICT and Tourism Division at ASEAN Secretariat, when referring to enabling a digital economy ecosystem to accelerate social recovery and regional integration.
Dr Tan Khee Giap, chairman of the Singapore National Committee for Pacific Economic Cooperation, said: "Digitalisation is not just about technological progress, but quality empowerment of digitalisation to the public at large is paramount if inclusive integration is to be achieved. The role of the government is providing digital capability as a public good, it can be complemented by private sector ICT companies."
Read Huawei Bangladesh gets Pioneer 5G Partner Award
Professor Jose Decolongon, COO and managing director of Corporate Foresight, Embiggen Consulting Philippines said: "Micro, small, medium enterprises need to have an understanding of digitalisation to perceive the opportunities when it comes to exploring the digital side of the business."
Bangladesh to launch ‘Jogajog’ as alternative to Facebook, says Palak
Bangladesh is going to create its own social media platform called ‘Jogajog’ as an alternative to Facebook and ‘Alapon” for WhatsApp, State Minister for Information and Communication Technology Zunaid Ahmed Palak said on Saturday.
He said this while speaking as the chief guest at the inaugural function of "Entrepreneurship Masterclass Series 2" organized by Women e-Commerce.“Through this(Jogajog app) the entrepreneurs of the country will be able to create their own online marketplace and group for information, data and communication .”
Also read: Telemedicine service to be launched at 16000 community hospitals: PalakPalak explained how his ministry successfully created ‘Boithok’ app as an alternative to Zoom online and ‘Surokkha App’ for vaccine registration.He said the digital e-commerce policy of 2018 aims to create 20 lakh jobs in the ICT sector by 2021.He further said that e-commerce, hardware, software and BPO sectors will be able to meet the target of more than 20 lakh jobs by 2021.
Also read: 170,000 schools to be connected with high speed internet by 2030: Palak In addition, it will be possible to earn 5 billion US dollars in export revenue by 2025, the minister hoped.
Huawei Sustainability Report 2020 highlights 4 strategies for sustainability
Huawei has released its "2020 Sustainability Report," highlighting the significant progress that it has made in its four strategies for sustainability – digital inclusion, security and trustworthiness, environmental protection, and a healthy and harmonious ecosystem.
Huawei has been using its innovative ICT solutions to provide people across different regions with equal access to quality education and healthcare resources.
In 2020, Huawei rolled out its "Skills on Wheels" and "Connecting Schools" programmes in over 200 schools around the world, benefiting more than 60,000 people.
READ: Huawei launches new 5G products
The company also used ICT solutions to provide technical assistance to nearly 90 countries. It launched the RuralStar Pro solution, providing voice and mobile broadband services to more than 50 million people in sparsely populated remote villages.
Treating cybersecurity and privacy protection as another top priority, Huawei released the Software Process Trustworthiness Capability Framework and Assessment Criteria in 2020 to establish a complete set of trustworthy coding production mechanisms.
As of the end of 2020, Huawei had been granted 2,963 patents relating to cybersecurity and privacy protection around the world.
READ: $300 billion market by 2025 for Augmented Reality: Huawei
To promote renewable energy, Huawei has deployed its digital power solutions in more than 170 countries and regions, serving one-third of the world's population. To date, these solutions have generated 325 billion kWh of electricity from renewable sources and saved 10 billion kWh of electricity.
"An intelligent world should be a green world. Advances in technology can help us better understand and protect nature, mitigating the impact of human activity on the planet," said Liang Hua, chairman of Huawei, in the report.
Bangladesh ICT Competition enters second round with 127 contestants
Bangladesh ICT competition, powered by Huawei and the Bangladesh Computer Council, will move to the second round this week.
The top 127 students from the country will take part in this round for the next 15 days.
Around 1,000 4th year students from around 30 universities of Bangladesh took part in the competition's first round, which started in January this year.
After that, the participants went through training on a designated web portal of Chinese telecom giant Huawei and sat for a test to qualify for the second round.
Also read: 500-plus students compete in Bangladesh ICT Skills Competition
Now, 127 students, selected based on their consistency during training and exam results of the first round, will join the second round.
In this round, students will enrol in online courses from HCIA (Huawei Certified ICT Associate), and later, they will have to take part in an exam to qualify for the third round.
The third and final round of the competition will be the national final. Selected participants from the second round will form teams of three students and one faculty from every participating university.
Instructors from Huawei headquarters will train the contestants, who will have to pass a simulation test. The top three teams will be announced as winners.
In addition to the laptops or Huawei mobiles, Huawei smartwatches, or smart bands as prizes, the champion team will take part in the Huawei ICT Competition regional final and global final competition.
If the Covid-19 situation improves, they will also visit Huawei headquarters in Shenzhen. They can also get a chance to work with Huawei Technologies Bangladesh in the future.
The competition is considered in two parts – "Practical Competition" and "Theory Competition."
This year's contest will cover network switching, routing technical areas; new technology such as big data, AI, and cloud (artificial intelligence) will be introduced.
Also read: Huawei's largest cybersecurity, privacy protection transparency centre launched
ICT state minister Zunaid Ahmed Palak said, “Bangladesh ICT Skills Competition is specially designed for 4th-year students who are studying engineering, and it is good to see a big bunch of those optimum students going through this program, arranged by Huawei and BCC. I believe, at the end of the competition, the students will gain a comprehensive understanding of the ICT field and acquire more practical and advanced knowledge about global ICT.”
He also appreciated Huawei Bangladesh, BCC & involved universities to make this competition meaningful and open up the ICT knowledge door for students.
Zhang Zhengjun, CEO of Huawei Technologies Bangladesh said, "The sole focus of the Bangladesh ICT Competition is to fortify the digital backbone of Bangladesh by helping cultivate the local ICT talents."
ICT Senior Prosecutor Zead-AI-Malum no more
Advocate Zead-AI-Malum, who served as senior prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT), breathed his last at Combined Military Hospital (CMH) Saturday night.
His life support was removed at 12:35am (Sunday), ICT Senior Consultant Mehedi Masum confirmed.
On May 25, the 67-year-old Supreme Court lawyer was admitted to Bangladesh Specialized Hospital in the capital after suffering a stroke.
Later, Zead-AI-Malum, also a freedom fighter, was put on life support as his condition worsened.
Also read: Health minister's mother Fouzia Maleque no more
Next, he was shifted to CMH in June.
In March 2010, Zead-AI-Malum was appointed prosecutor of the ICT, a domestic tribunal with the power to adjudicate international crimes.
He was instrumental in the trial of several war criminals, including BNP leader Salauddin Quader Chowdhury; Jamaat-e-Islami leaders Ghulam Azam, Matiur Rahman Nizami, and Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid.
Also read: Journalist Ahmed Momtaz no more
Zead-al-Malum was born in 1954 in Tangail and completed his institutional education in 1978 from the University of Dhaka.
Huawei joins Responsible Business 2021
Chinese telecom giant Huawei has recently joined Responsible Business 2021, which serves as a platform for providing business-critical and actionable insights.
Speakers from governments, international organisations and businesses shared their views about the international agreements, commitments and measures towards the global sustainability transition at the virtual event organised by Reuters Events.
Read: Huawei gets bKash's Partner Recognition Award
They acknowledged that industries like ICT have been at the forefront, providing enabling technology for a greener world.
Huawei supports South Asia to cultivate 100,000 digital talents over five years
Jointly with the governments, universities, and industrial partners, Huawei will support South Asian countries such as Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal to cultivate 100,000 digital talents over the next five years, Huawei spokesperson said Thursday (May 20, 2021) at the Digital Talent Regional Summit online. Themed “Cultivating a Talent Ecosystem for Inclusive Digital Prosperity”, the summit brought together ministers and scholars from the three countries, experts and representatives from UNESCO and the ICT industry, to explore collaborative initiatives for closing the digital skill gaps and facilitating the digital transformation in the post-pandemic economic recovery.
From Bangladesh, Zunaid Ahmed Palak, the State Minister for ICT; Prof Satya Prasad Majumder, Vice-Chancellor of BUET; and Beatrice Kaldun, Head of Office and UNESCO Representative to Bangladesh were present among other and shared their insights.
Read Huawei Carrier Congress 2021 begins in Bangladesh“We believe the talent ecosystem is the cornerstone of the economic recovery and a long-lasting digital future. However, the lack of digital skills is one of the biggest challenges facing many countries,” said Jay Chen, vice president of Huawei Asia Pacific at the summit.“In the next five years, Huawei expects to develop more than 100,000 ICT talent and build a vibrant digital talent ecosystem in this dynamic region, especially Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal.”The ministers appreciated the initiative of Huawei to support the government in providing ICT solutions and training the digital talents.
Read Huawei to invest $220 million in cloud ecosystem for 2021”Now is the right time to create digital talent, along with the priority on digitalisation. The father of our nation said that the biggest asset of Bangladesh is the soil and people of the country. We are witnessing the reflection of those words in the present day. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Bangladesh is marching forward by fulfilling all the requirements of a developing nation, which have been possible for the efficient use of information and communication technology in all fields; consequently, Vision 2021 is being implemented,” Palak said.“We are confident that with the support of the private sector, we will be able to attain our goals within the specified time. Huawei has been working as a partner in various government initiatives to accelerate the country’s digitalisation process and upskill the youth,” he said.“With their support, our youth have the opportunity to learn about modern technology from industry experts. I strongly believe, such partnerships will contribute to the country's economic growth and prepare our youth to face the Fourth Industrial Revolution.” Palak added, according to a Huawei press release.
Read `Hire and Train’, a model that impresses IT companiesHe stressed that the digital transformation will bring dramatic changes in society, and it is vital to upskill the youth and reskill the current employees. The government, educational institutions, and private sectors should continue to collaborate on the digital talent ecosystem.Scholars and experts from the region participated in the panel discussion at the event explored the recommendations for addressing the talent challenges. They emphasized approaches to developing talent aligned with the digital vision.Prof Satya Prasad Majumder said the pandemic has reminded us of the need for continuous innovation in order to remain ahead of the curve by using technology. “This can be achieved only if we continue to nurture talent in the ICT sector. For that, ICT leaders such as Huawei and institutes of academic excellence like BUET need to continue working together like we have been doing so far, with the support of the government,” he said.
Read 35,000 modern digital labs to be installed to give more access to girls: PalakRepresentatives from the international organisation also emphasised the importance of closing the digital skills gap for sustainable development.“In order to cultivate a talent ecosystem for inclusive digital prosperity, we have to promote digital inclusion, mainstream digital skill developments, and foster digital-pedagogical transformation to ensure the quality of learning. Huawei is committed to this action and would like to build on its partnership with UNESCO, which started with the ‘TECH4ALL’ initiative in Africa, with the aim for global expansion. It is a long-term, digital inclusion initiative that targets empowering the world’s maximum population with essential digital skills,” said Beatrice Kaldun.During the pandemic, Huawei has cooperated with partners, including UNESCO, to provide digital solutions and online learning resources to students and professionals. Huawei plans to extend the digital talents cultivation initiatives and provide an end-to-end Huawei Talent Platform, which will help learners to improve their capabilities and assists them with career development by offering a one-stop service, covering the online course, examination, certification, and job seeking.
Read KOICA helped establish pillars of Digital Bangladesh: Zunaid Palak
`Hire and Train’, a model that impresses IT companies
The `Hire and Train’ model, introduced by the government to create skilled human resources on frontier technology to utilise the potentials of Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), has ensured ‘80% job placement’ in IT companies, officials said.
They said the beauty of the training model is that 80 percent or 856 of the 1070 trainees get jobs in different IT companies immediately after completion of the training that concluded last month.
Leveraging ICT (LICT) Project of Bangladesh Computer Council (BCC) under ICT Division engaged 32 companies to provide training in `Hire and Train’ model on frontier technologies like AI, IoT, Blockchain to the 1070 persons. The training was part of the Fast-Track Future Leader (FTFL) programme of the Project.
“When the government is working to develop a quality training model to ensure jobs for the trainees the `Hire and Train’ model has set a unique example by providing 80% job placement in IT companies,” said State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak adding that this model could be replicated in other training programmes of the ICT Division.
Palak said the government has taken various programmes, including organising training, establishing Sheikh Hasina Institute of Frontier Technology (SHIFT) and Centre of Excellence (CoE) to create skilled manpower on frontier technologies which are expediting the emergence of 4IR.
“We’re taking preparations to face challenges as well as utilise potentials of 4IR,” the ICT State Minister said.
When contacted, Senior Secretary of ICT Division NM Zeaul Alam said the government cannot sit idle at a time when frontier technologies are set to play a pivotal role in accelerating the fourth industrial revolution and boost the digital economy.
The government will not only continue to provide training on frontier technologies, but also help provide financial assistance to the potential startups based on frontier technologies like AI, IoT, blockchain, Augmented Realities, Virtual Realities, he said.
Project Director LICT Project Tarique M Barkatullah stressed the need for developing the best quality curriculum to ensure quality training and taking steps to introduce it in the educational institution. “Otherwise, we’ll be lagging behind in creating skills to be required to face the challenges of 4IR,” he added.
IT-ITES Policy Adviser of LICT Project Sami Ahmed who played a key role in introducing `Hire and Train’ model, said this model has proved to be very much effective as it ensures 80 percent job placement in IT companies. The training held on 22 different tracks on frontier technologies, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Blockchain, Data Science, Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), Internet of Things (IoT) on hire and recruitment model, he said.
Sami said the country’s 55 IT companies -- 35 of Dhaka and 20 of Jashore Sheikh Hasina Software Technology Park -- which are desperately looking for frontier-tech skilled manpower have benefited directly from this training.
35,000 modern digital labs to be installed to give more access to girls: Palak
The government is establishing 35,000 modern digital laboratories across the country,aiming to encourage and give more access to girls and young women in Information, Communication and Technology (ICT).
State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak said this while addressing a virtual roundtable discussion on ‘Accelerating Digital Inclusion for Girls and Women’ as the chief guest.
Read Women continue making amazing contributions in STEM fields: US
He also stressed the need for collaborative effort in mentoring and monitoring from the Government, non-government and private sector to ensure digital inclusion of girls and young women.
Huawei plans to roll out 6G by 2030
Chinese tech giant Huawei is thinking about rolling out 6G equipment and subsequent networks by 2030 when the world is only just starting to get used to 5G networks and 5G phones.
The localised leading global ICT solutions provider's Rotating Chairman Eric Xu broke the news at the company's global analyst summit in Shenzhen.
Read Huawei to invest more in car tech
Xu highlighted the importance of unveiling the importance of 6G to the industry and individuals at the conference. The company will also soon unveil a white paper to tell the regulators and players what 6G is.
The ICT solutions provider is now working on two things related to 6G. Xu said, "First, we are working with other players in the industry to define what 6G is. We want to discuss with businesses and consumers what 6G will look like."
Read Huawei brings financial aid, free service for Asia-Pacific SMEs
"Second, driven by our vision and the possible definition of 6G, we are also researching basic science and cutting-edge technologies, aiming to realise the 6G that we define together."
End/UNB/M/MA/2126