The manifesto was handed over during an event in Brussels with the participation of MEPs Anneli Jäätteenmäki, Vice-President of the European Parliament, and MEPs Ilhan Kyuchyuk and Ramona Mănescu. The group of students was brought together through an international training programme, Seeds for the Future, organised by leading global ICT solutions provider Huawei. The elite ICT talent programme selects gifted students for a study trip to China.
Based on this experience, and eager to share their perspective as young people growing up in Europe, studying in the field of technology and experiencing technological transformations, they describe their dreams for a digitised future, but also the fears arising from the deep transformations underway. The document calls on EU leaders to turn the students’ vision of a technologically enhanced society into reality by:
• raising awareness about the opportunities offered by digital transformation;
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investing more in digital and intercultural skills;
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facilitating international exchanges;
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improving access to ICT and digital inclusion;
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building digital infrastructure catering to increasing connectivity needs; and
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creating a safe online environment and stepping up data protection.
“As digital technologies put a myriad of new opportunities at our fingertips, we have a responsibility towards the younger generations to ensure that we make the best use of them,” Mr. Kyuchyuk MEP said. “The Manifesto presented today provides us with a first-hand account of their needs and expectations.”
“As a global leader, we will continue to use our expertise and strengths to help develop the youth in Europe and we will create more jobs and development opportunities for them,” said Ms Chen Lifang, Huawei Corporate Senior Vice-President and Director of the Board, who accompanied the students on their trip to Brussels. “This time last year, we promised that over the next five years, Huawei would send 2.000 European students to China to receive training and have hands-on practice at our headquarters. Today, I'd like to assure you that our commitment will not change.”
“My time on the Huawei programme brought me countless, unforgettable experiences,” said Ellen Le Bas, student at University College Dublin, who traveled to China as part of the Seeds for the Future programme in 2016. “I had never previously thought of travelling so far from home, but getting a taste of Chinese culture had made me eager to return. Huawei empowered us with the knowledge of how to pursue new opportunities in the east, and allowed us to foster new relationships, which we will continue to build in the future.”
The programme currently spans 77 countries worldwide. In Europe alone, 27 countries are involved so far, and more than 700 young people have participated in the programme since its European launch in 2011. By 2020, over 2500 European students will have taken the trip. The commitment is Huawei’s contribution to the European Pact for Youth.
By: N. Peter Kramer
