Texas A&M University at Qatar (Tamuq) and Huawei have announced a memorandum of understanding (MoU) that supports both theoretical and applied learning opportunities for Tamuq electrical engineering students. The initiative is supported by Ooredoo as a strategic partner.
The signing ceremony in Doha was attended by Dr Mark H Weichold, dean and chief executive officer of Tamuq; Fu Liangzhu, general manager of Huawei Qatar, Cui Bin, Chinese commercial counsellor of Qatar; Dr Ahmed Elmagarmid, director of Qatar Computing Research Institute; Dr Mounir Hamdi, dean of engineering at Hamad bin Khalifa University; as well as a representative from Ooredoo, Manar Khalifa Almuraikhi, public relations manager.  
The MoU outlines an annual programme, entirely supported by Huawei, which will provide a 14-day internship on Huawei’s campus and R&D centres in China located at the Huawei Centres of Excellence in Shenzhen and Beijing. The programme will select 10 top-performing Tamuq electrical engineering students focused on technology, technological research and innovation to focus on topics related to the development of next-generation networks.
The programme also features a cultural exchange in which the students will experience and learn Chinese language and
traditional culture.
Dr Weichold welcomed the new relationship with Huawei, saying: “Texas A&M at Qatar is proud to partner with industry collaborators, especially when we partner to create well-rounded engineers – engineers who will help realise new and sustainable solutions to real-world challenges and issues.”
Liangzhu stressed, “We are great believers in the power of connectivity and how the right technology can help bolster education globally. This MoU is testament to that commitment as we work with leading entities in Qatar to form a true knowledge economy.”
Texas A&M at Qatar professor of electrical engineering Dr Ali Ghrayeb said: “The MoU offers our electrical engineering students a unique internship opportunity that will broaden their technical knowledge and prepare them for the job market upon graduation.”
The internship programme provided by the MoU will see the launch of Huawei’s worldwide “Seeds for the Future” education exchange programme, which will offer 10 students each year the opportunity to develop practical skills - preparing them for a career in the information and communications technology (ICT) industry, learning from Huawei’s experts at its global headquarters in China. Launched in 2008, “Seeds for the Future” is one of Huawei’s flagship global CSR programmes with study trips having been implemented in over 37 countries worldwide.
The MoU initiatives will cover a range of ICT trending topics, including next-generation networks, network architecture and implementation, VoIP, security solutions and cloud computing, among others.