Huawei and UNESCO's Institute for Lifelong Learning launch training for Moroccan educators

Chinese Tech giant Huawei said it will partner with UNESCO to provide digital-literacy training for ten thousand educators and students in Morocco as it seeks to gain a strategic edge in the growing Moroccan tech market.

The project, in partnership with UNESCO, is part of Huawei’s ambitions to solidify its position in the Moroccan market by interacting with local tech ecosystems and talent-building as the North African nation emerges as a leader in the digital economy landscape in Africa.

“Building an Information and communication technology ecosystem requires the development of human resources, which is the most important and time-consuming part. Technology may be very easy, but cultivating capable individuals in several domains will take time, and is the foundation for every country,” said Vicky Zhang, Vice President of Huawei’s Corporate Communications Department, in an interview with Hespress on the sidelines of 2024 Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona.

Huawei joined UNESCO’s Global Alliance for Literacy (GAL) last year and signed a partnership agreement with the UNESCO’s Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL).

“I’m proud to announce that, with the support of Huawei, we are able to launch the project in Morocco. This project will help 10,000 adult literacy teachers, trainers, and managers better use technology in both literacy teaching and in their professional development,” said UIL Director Isabell Kempf at the Huawei Talent Summit at MWC.

Vice President of Huawei’s Corporate Communications Department said the “target is to provide teachers with digital training within these two years and help them enhance their digital skills, including how to use online courses and tools to provide literacy training to others.”

Huawei has pledged US$300 million to global digital talent development by 2026, with the goal of equipping millions of people with the skills needed to thrive in the digital economy. Huawei’s “ICT Academy 2.0” initiative, launched in 2020, trained more than 50,000 ICT professionals in Morocco alone.

To offset the gender divide, Huawei has trained at least 100 Moroccan women in a joint digital learning program labelled “Women in Tech” in collaboration with the Ministry of Education. In another global female empowerment program, supported by Huawei, a Moroccan competitor emerged victorious from a pool of over 6,000 candidates.

“We do think at this stage education is very important to encourage more girls to pursue learning, especially digital education, and have the skills to encourage more women to enter the technology industry, then provide more inclusive solutions for everyone in the industry,” she said.

Beyond the gender gap, the global wealth divide is a major obstacle to digital technology’s full economic potential, according to the vice president, who cited studies suggesting that digital tools can accelerate economic growth by up to six fold, as evidenced by China’s trajectory.

“If you don’t do the digital transformation, you will be behind others and lose competitiveness. Digital technology will obviously enhance productivity rates in all areas, including traditional areas such as the mining industry.”

Huawei is also proposing to assist the Moroccan government in establishing its own secure data center. “We have some technology to enhance the power of protection and solutions to establish the data center quickly.”

Speaking on 5G integration in Morocco, the Vice President of Huawei’s Corporate Communications Department cited several factors influencing its rollout. These include Government licensing, device penetration, affordability, and the capacity limitations of existing 4G networks, but hoped a launch road map would be announced soon.

Huawei’s core business in Morocco is network infrastructure, as well as combining networks with digital solutions for enterprises undergoing digital transformation. Huawei also offers various products, from digital power to car components.