Last week, Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP) confirmed its partnership with Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd (Huawei) to set up the first Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Academy in Singapore.
According to the press release by Huawei, a global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider, the collaboration will see the establishment of the first Huawei Authorised Information Network Academy (HAINA) in Singapore, as part of Huawei’s global initiative to support ICT skills development.
The Huawei-NYP partnership places a strong emphasis on addressing the shortage of ICT professionals in Singapore by joint research, education and training programmes. Under the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), the not-for-profit academy HAINA allows NYP to deliver Huawei Certification training to their students.
This partnership aims to create a bridge between academia and industry to nurture ICT talent, equip students with ICT skills necessary for employment and cultivate a future workforce to fill the global ICT skills gap. It will also see the two parties set up a platform for technical collaborations between industry and government partners.
“We believe this collaboration will allow our students to be better equipped with industry relevant ICT skills to meet the industry’s strong demand for trained expertise. With this edge, they are well-poised to help transform the industry and work towards our vision of a Smart Nation,” said Mr Lee Youn Kay, Director of NYP’s School of Engineering.
Through the HAINA, NYP students will gain practical hands-on experience and get industry certification in networking technologies, security, cloud computing technologies, IT storage systems and big data. Students will also be able to download a personal copy of Huawei’s Enterprise Network Simulation Platform (eNSP) networking simulator, an essential learning tool that helps enhance their professional skills and lets them experience Huawei’s enterprise network equipment.
It is expected to benefit about 300 students at NYP’s School of Engineering and School of Information Technology in the initial term of two years.
“Huawei has a strong focus on helping the next generation develop the skills needed to drive innovations in technology. Huawei’s HAINA programme is part of our wider commitment to STEM education as well as research and development. We are confident that our partnership with Nanyang Polytechnic will give students the opportunity to learn new and relevant industry skills, enabling them to fulfil their ambitions in science and technology and contribute to Singapore’s digital economy,” said Mr Zhou Danjin, President of Southern Pacific Enterprise Business Group, Huawei.
Huawei is currently cooperating with over 350 universities to open Huawei ICT academies around the world, with about 200 in China. Last year, the Academy trained over 12,500 students globally. Among them, 4000 students received certifications for their skills.
Under the HAINA programme, Huawei also runs a global annual “Skills Competition” for students, giving local country winners the opportunity to visit China for the finals and compete with students from across the globe.
This is not NYP’s first collaboration with industry partner in technology sector to work towards Singapore’s Smart Nation vision. In last October, NYP agreed to work with Samsung Electronics Singapore (Samsung) to develop smart solutions for food and beverage (F&B) industry. These solutions include e-wallets, wearable technology, digitalised front-of-house services and integrated point-of sale systems.
The NYP-Samsung partnership sealed their intent to accelerate F&B digitalisation and enhance dining experiences on three fronts: manpower development, technology integration and innovative solutions.
