Above: At Huawei campus in Shenzhen, ICT Students from Zimbabwe, France and T&T learn about new technologies in Huawei Carrier, Enterprise and Consumer Business at the Exhibition Halls. Photo courtesy Huawei.
BitDepth#1051 for July 26, 2016
On June 25, for two weeks, Huawei, a major Chinese telecommunications company operating in T&T over the last decade, hosted six computer science and computer engineering students from UWI on an immersive technology introduction to their operations in Shenzen and a cultural engagement in Beijing.
The programme has operated under the title Telecom Seeds for the Future since 2008, with 57 countries taking part since it began. The 2016 tour, which included students from universities in China, 15 students from France and ten from Zimbabwe, was the first to include participants from the English-speaking Caribbean, with Trinidad and Tobago taking the leading edge role.
Three of the students offered perspectives on their experiences in the programme.
“My field of interest is AI,” said Jonathan Earle, a computer science student with his eye on a doctorate in the field, “[but] before this I didn’t consider the impact networks have had on this field.”
“I am also now considering doing more network oriented courses next semester. The trip has also given me a bad case of wanderlust, and I am considering travelling to more non-native English speaking countries, it is a humbling and exciting experience which makes the simplest thing like getting groceries an exciting adventure.”
“I was able to experience how 4G networks are setup and maintained and how current GPON services work and are setup including high-speed internet, VOIP and IPTV,” said Dylan Deyal, a Information Technology student.
“Before this trip, I was between different career choices like databases, development and networking, while I always had a vested interest in networking.”
“I’ve almost completely decided to follow a career in networking, and hopefully bring some of the newest networking concepts and infrastructure to Trinidad and Tobago.”
Valene Rampersad was the lone woman among the group from T&T. A computer engineering student, she’s now clear “this is where I want my career to go, it was the closest I have ever been to my career goals.”
“This opportunity has changed my thinking about my fields of further study and research in ICT which I am even more interested in.”
“The possibility of eventually working at a Research and Development Centre at Huawei in China is a career goal that I now have set.”
Tricia Henry, Public Relations Manager for Huawei T&T accompanied the students on the trip and explained, “For us, it’s not just about taking the students on a trip to China. It’s about planting seeds in future international workers.”
“We believe that these ICT students are the seeds that we can nurture, with relevant and forward-thinking training to enable them to grow into the future ICT workers, researchers, developers and entrepreneurs who will develop a vibrant technology sector – and, as a result, every other sector – in T&T.”
The students selected from T&T for the Telecom Seeds programme for 2016 were…
Valene Rampersad – Year 2 Student, Bsc. Computer and Electrical Engineering. (Ms Rampersad spoke on behalf of the T&T contingent at the conclusion of the programme.)
Dylan Deyal – Year 2 student, BSc. Information Technology.
Jonathon Earle – Year 2 student, BSc. Computer Science.
Kerschel James – Year 2 student, BSc. Computer Science.
Aaron Roopnarine – Year 2 student, BSc. Electrical and Computer Engineering.
Ryan Chin Sang – Year 2 student, BSc. Electrical and Computer Engineering.
