Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) —  On 18 December, the Huawei ICT Competition 2024-2025 for participants from the Middle East and Central Asia (ME&CA) concluded in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Six students from the Muhammad al-Khwarizmi Tashkent University of Information Technologies (TUIT) and Inha University in Tashkent participated in the finals and events commemorating the 10th anniversary of Huawei ICT Academy in the region.

At the award ceremony, the outstanding achievements of young talents in cloud computing, networking, and innovative technologies, as well as the accomplishments of students and instructors from leading regional institutions, were recognized.

The event was attended by representatives from the public sector, international organizations, and academia, including the Minister of Digital Technologies of Uzbekistan, Mr. Sherzod Shermatov; the Deputy Minister for Future Jobs and Opportunities of the Saudi Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Mr. Ibrahim Al-Nasser; the Chinese Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Mr. Chang Hua; Deputy Governor of the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC), Dr. Adel Al-Zunaidi; Director of UNESCO’s Institute for Information Technologies in Education (IITE), Mr. Zhang Tao; and CEO of the National Industrial Development and Logistics Program, Dr. Sulaiman Almazroua.

The Uzbek team’s project, “Sahiya,” presented by three TUIT students, won first prize for its innovation in digital inclusivity. The project is an application designed for people with hearing and speech impairments, enabling sign language digitization and online translation into other languages.

The solution leverages artificial intelligence models and cloud technologies. Additionally, students from TUIT and Inha University, who competed in the Practical Track of the Huawei ICT Competition 2024-2025, secured third place in the Network Track. The contributions of ICT Academy instructors in the region were also highlighted, with TUIT instructor Azamat Kodirov receiving the “Outstanding New Instructor” award for training over 50 Huawei ICT Academy students, facilitating international HCIA certification, and delivering exceptional results within the university’s ICT Academy.

Sherzod Shermatov, Uzbekistan’s Minister of Digital Technologies, congratulated the students on their achievements and remarked during his opening speech at the awards ceremony:
"Digital talents are the driving force of the digital economy, uniting nations and regions in building an intelligent world. Today, we celebrate the joint contributions of the public and private sectors, academia, and international organizations to the Huawei ICT Academy, which opens new opportunities and provides young ICT visionaries with valuable practical experience. We look forward to strengthening fruitful collaboration for a better digital future for the younger generation."

Zhang Tao, Director of UNESCO’s Institute for Information Technologies in Education (IITE), noted:
"The Middle East and Central Asia demonstrate a strong commitment to innovation and hold significant potential for future development. The Huawei ICT Academy and ICT Competition have become flagship regional programs, platforms for collaboration, and innovation drivers for nurturing young digital talents. UNESCO’s IITE is proud to collaborate with Huawei and other regional partners. We aim to continue and expand this cooperation to attract more young talents and partners from the Middle East and Central Asia to our shared mission of delivering quality education and building a world of peace and prosperity."

Steven Yi, President of Huawei ME&CA, shared his thoughts on the significance of ICT competitions:
"ICT talents are the lifeblood of digital transformation. We are gathered at this prestigious awards ceremony to invest in our youth, who, in turn, represent an investment in our life and future. We must focus on equipping digital technology specialists who can tackle the industry’s challenges with intelligent solutions. Through initiatives like the ICT Competition, we continue to foster the growth of digital talents who will drive innovation in their respective countries."

Steven Yi also announced the launch of the “T.H.E. Gold Talent” program for 2025, an extension of Huawei’s talent development initiative designed to meet the demands of the AI era. The program aims to introduce advanced AI courses addressing complex industrial scenarios in the ME&CA region. It will also emphasize cutting-edge technologies such as 5G-A, cloud computing, AI-driven ICT education, and smart classrooms to transform higher education and help universities prepare more competitive digital specialists. Furthermore, the program plans to enhance collaboration, offering HR development initiatives such as job placement and internships to unlock talent potential.

The success of the ICT Competition reflects its growing importance in regional technological education. This year’s Huawei ICT Competition 2024-2025 saw unprecedented participation, with over 31,000 students from 640 universities and colleges across 19 countries registering. The Innovation Track hosted 290 participants, while 30,900 competed in the Practical Tracks on cloud computing, networking, and computing. Participants underwent comprehensive evaluations, including written exams and practical lab tests, with the Innovation Track incorporating both online and in-person presentations. The ICT Competition received support and endorsements from UNESCO and more than 40 regional ministries, telecom operators, and industry partners.

This landmark event continues Huawei’s decade-long commitment to ICT talent development in the region. Through partnerships with 106 ICT Academies operated by six ICT Academy Support Centers (IASC), the program has trained over 300,000 students and certified more than 35,000 professionals. This extensive network of over 2,000 qualified instructors plays a vital role in fostering the digital workforce necessary to support technological advancements in the region.