Huawei opens AI Lab at Qatar University

Qatar University (QU) has partnered with Huawei to open an AI Lab on campus as part of the Huawei ICT Academy, the technology major announced on Sunday in a statement.

The lab was officially opened by Dr Khalid Abdulla al-Ali, assistant undersecretary for higher education in the Ministry of Education and Higher Education.Dr Khalid Naji, dean of the College of Engineering, QU, Liam Zhao, CEO, Huawei Gulf North, other senior Huawei executives and faculty were present. The Huawei ICT Academy Lab will train QU students using Huawei equipment to acquire high-level Huawei certifications in a real environment, the statement explained. It will also support university research programmes, provide cutting-edge technology and platforms, and inspire innovation by conducting industry and university collaborative projects and research. In his keynote address Dr al-Ali said: “We are highly encouraged to see our universities and the private sector coming together to advance education. We recognise that the public sector alone would struggle to meet the talent demand of the digital economy. But forging such partnerships elevates the skill sets of our youth and, in turn, helps build a competitive economy that can respond faster to market demand and global trends.” Dr Naji said: “As our country’s leading university, we are at the forefront of Qatar’s efforts to develop a highly-skilled labour force. Partnering with Huawei exposes our students to the latest advances in ICT while equipping them with real-world skills that meet the demands of a digital economy. We will continue to explore further areas of co-operation as demand for digital skills accelerates.” Zhao said: “Huawei has a long-term and mutually beneficial relationship with Qatar and various public and private organisations. The opening of the AI Lab deepens this relationship while helping the country deepen its ICT talent ecosystem. We are confident the ICT Academy and the AI Lab will make a significant contribution in enabling the country to attain its objectives.”