Qatar is rapidly emerging as a global digital leader with a highly developed ICT sector. According to the ITU figures, the country enjoys nearly universal internet access while almost half the population (47%) has at least basic digital skills. The country was also among the first to roll out 5G, which covers most population centres. As more and more of our lives shift online, the ICT infrastructure and services must support the shift towards a digital-led economy while ensuring its benefits accrue to all.
The FIFA World Cup Qatar later this month will be one of the most connected ever, including an IoT platform that makes it easier for fans to plan the best route using real-time traffic information, taxis, the metro system, and even venue entrances and exits.
To crystallize its ambitions, Qatar has Vision 2030 in place, which defines the roadmap to becoming an advanced society capable of sustaining development and providing a high standard of living for its citizens and residents. Nurturing talent is crucial for the realization of this goal. Additionally, the sheer scale of the country’s ambition to develop a world-class knowledge economy calls for fast-tracking the digital skills development pipeline.
The country’s leadership has embarked on developing the higher education sector with a strong focus on STEM. As a CIO report states: “Qatar’s government was among the first to recognize that the future of jobs was dependent on fomenting a symbiotic relationship with emergent technologies and ensuring that today’s youth is well equipped for the challenges on the horizon.”
Figures show that 21% of eligible people are in higher education in Qatar, including 59% of the female population. With 32 local and international universities, there is a wide choice of universities to attend. There are also many colleges and higher education training centres, including my institution, the Community College of Qatar (CCQ). Our Information Technology Department offers a two-year Associate of Science in Information Technology and a four-year Bachelor of Science degree program in Cyber and Network Security, aiming to provide Qataris with outstanding technical IT-related competencies to enable them to contribute to various aspects of the economy.
While tertiary education in Qatar is of very high quality, studies have shown that collaboration between universities, industry, and technology companies is ideal for cultivating a dynamic workforce. Such partnerships ensure that students can apply their theoretical knowledge in a more practical, real-world setting and keep abreast of emerging technology.
With this in mind, ICT training at CCQ has recently been invigorated by the opening of the Huawei ICT Academy Lab. As a part of our strategic partnership with Huawei, to provide CCQ students with a state-of-the-art educational platform that combines classroom learning with industrial experience and a real-world environment using Huawei equipment before graduating with high-level Huawei certifications. It will also support CCQ’s research programs by providing cutting-edge technology and platforms. CCQ and Huawei hope to inspire innovations, aided by industry and university collaborative projects and research.
The Huawei ICT Academy is just one of many talent development initiatives Huawei has invested in the region. The highly popular ICT Competition provides international competition and communication platforms for college students worldwide, increases their ICT knowledge, stimulates their interest in learning and innovation capabilities, and improves their self-learning and problem-solving abilities.
Meanwhile, Huawei’s flagship CSR program, ‘Seeds for the Future’’ saw another successful season in 2021, with students from three universities, including CCQ, graduating with ICT training in cutting-edge technology, including 5G, cloud computing, AI, and IoT.
A sustainable digital economy is dependent on well-trained capable talents. To create such a robust talent pool, we need to nurture an atmosphere of openness, collaboration, and sharing. Such an environment will serve to address real needs and create real value. As Qatar continues to build its digital economy, we need to work together – government, academia, and industry – to ensure we are laying solid foundations for the benefit of all. And after all, Qatar’s emergent digital economy is our shared responsibility.
* Prof. Ahmad Al-Omari is Dean of Sciences and Technology Division at Community College of Qatar
