A second-year Bachelor of Science in Computer Systems and Security at the Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST), Chisomo Kambalame, was one of two Malawian students who last June visited Huawei offices in China as part of the Seeds for the Future 2023 programme the technology company implements.

 

According to Chisomo, each public university in Malawi, including MUST, was asked by the Ministry of Education to nominate five students to participate in the programme for 2023.

 

“Just like the other public universities, MUST sent five students to participate at the national level. Out of all participants from the public universities, only two students, Rejoice Banda from University of Malawi and myself, performed exceptionally well and were rewarded with an all-expenses-paid trip to China,” said a proud Chisomo.

 

She said their sojourn in China started on June 21 and concluded on June 30. 

 

“While in China, we joined other students from Namibia and received a warm welcome from Huawei staff upon arrival. The trip focused on exploring advanced technologies and Chinese culture. We visited notable places such as the Ping, an International Financial Centre, a Chinese cultural village, and attended various cultural events,” Chisomo added.

 

At Huawei's headquarters, the students learnt about Huawei’s running projects, AI applications in public safety, and visited the Long Gang Smart Park. 

 

“We also toured the DJI Company to see drones, attended an ICT course on 5G, and visited Huawei’s European-inspired office in Songshan Lake. In Shanghai, we attended the MWC networking event and the Sub-Saharan summit, learning about technological advancements and Huawei's impact on Africa,” she said. 

 

The trip also included an interaction with robots at TechTreck and a visit to Huawei's manufacturing plant. 

 

At the end, there was a closing ceremony where participating students received awards. 

 

Chisomo described her time in China as enriching, saying it provided her a platform to network and learn from global peers “and it was especially motivating as the youngest participant”.