Huawei’s Global Partnerships can be Replicated in Uganda

by Admin (Posted on November 26, 2023)

By Ernest Jovan Talwana

On, 21^st November, 2023, Huawei Technologies held its Huawei Sustainability Forum in which they showcased their global developments over the past two years as well their future developments and partnerships. This event marked an inflection point as it showcased the growing influence of Huawei in sustainable growth and development in the fields of healthcare, tourism, education, sustainable infrastructure and 5G coverage in the promotion of the development of the aforementioned sectors.

This is not the first time Huawei technologies is extending and sharing their technology experience with the world. In November 2022, the company signed a global international telecommunication union agreement to provide technological services to rural areas in 80 countries covering 120 million people.

South Africa and Nigeria are one of the major beneficiaries of this agreement which aims to provide internet connectivity to rural areas in an effort to fast-track health service provision and education via Huawei’s networks. This is part of Huawei’s agenda to promote digital integration and sustainable development as well as cultivating digital talent and enabling economies sophisticate in line with the desire to meet Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and expand the middle class in various economies through digital inclusion.

This provides a ripe opportunity for Uganda to harness such digital technology and AI to promote innovation and sustainable development through digital inclusion by partaking in digitization to sophisticate her young population in a rapidly industrializing world that needs a highly trained working class who can meet the demands of today. Equally, with Huawei’s technology innovations, health care diagnostics can be availed in real time which can sharply reduce the infant mortality rate as well as fast tracking problem solving within shorter time frames. It should be acknowledged that Uganda and China have strong bilateral relations. Uganda cannot afford to be left behind in the digital revolution. This means that we should leverage our relationships to aide our growth and interaction with the wider world for the benefit of a younger, thirsty population who are eager to utilize the opportunities that are out there.

Digital technology can also rapidly boost productivity and efficiency. Huawei can aide this through partnerships which can rapidly increase our output. Huawei aims to promote digital inclusion through education which can increase the skillset of the youth in vulnerable and remote societies. In 2020, Huawei and UNICEF promoted Education for all in Ethiopia, Ethiopia and Ghana which aims to increase the skillset of students and teachers in remote areas. Huawei equally set up solar projects in these countries which aims to maintain connectivity in hard to reach areas. This helps to better serve humanity and maintain consistent supply of the internet for digital inclusion and education.

In the Yucatan Peninsula, Huawei uses technology to protect diversity and track rare species using AI and digital technology that carries out 24/7 tracking. This aims to protect such endangered species as well replicating such innovation in other countries to promote conservation efforts.

Huawei seeks to use her technology to promote “tech for good” to promote sustainable development across the globe.

A case study of Huawei’s work is in Heshun Town, Yunnan Province, China.  Huawei has managed to digitize the tourism, education and healthcare experience by providing consistent Wi-Fi network and charging stations which keeps the whole are connected to the internet. As announced during Huawei’s Sustainability Forum, 2023. It should be noted that all of this is achieved in harmony in nature by avoidance of harming the environment and promotion of eco-tourism and sustainable technology use by promoting smart travel and using transportation that does not increase the carbon footprint.

It should be noted that Uganda is seeking to promote sustainability through the Climate Change Act and reduce liability on imported electric vehicles.  Huawei is at the forefront of promoting rural development through smart infrastructure that has a limited impact on the environment. As stated in their 2023 Sustainability Forum. This can be reflected in Uganda where we seek to modernize without harming our flora and fauna.

Equally, companies like Huawei can increase our broadband services by widening our technological infrastructure so that internet reach in rural areas is as competent as that in urban areas. Or, in our instance, 5G infrastructure in regional cities is as competent as that in the capital, Kampala.

Huawei is equally at the forefront of technology that promotes the study of diversity. Huawei has partnered with the World Wildlife Fund in Italy to study rare species and foster research and education. This has been fostered through the provision of Huawei cutting edge hardware which makes research work seamless. As stated during the Huawei 2023 Sustainability Forum. This can equally be replicated in Uganda through partnerships with Huawei and the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities and her subsidiary agencies like Uganda Wildlife Authority, and Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (UWEC) to study biodiversity and wildlife unique to Uganda.

Another case study of Huawei partnering in healthcare is through its partnerships in Pakistan (as stated during the Huawei Sustainability Forum, 2023) to promote digitalization in remote areas to fast-track diagnostics and providing storage for patient records and system information which aims to promote efficiency in health care provision as well as providing a database which can act as an inventory for medical records that are otherwise degradable in hard copy format.

It is should also be acknowledged that paper waste has a large harmful effect on the environment. This is because the process of creating paper demands cutting down of trees as a raw material for this paper. Digital storage therefore helps to reduce such storage by providing digital copies which help mitigate this waste.

In conclusion, Huawei Technologies’ recent forum provides an opportunity for African governments and Uganda in particular to partner with the tech firm to leverage the company’s know how to promote the country’s development in line with Vision 2040. However, it should go without saying that private actors can equally take this as an opportunity to court the Chinese tech firm to create partnerships for the benefit of their business as well as increasing their global footprint in line with their goals to promote rural development, interconnectivity and business across the globe.

Ernest Jovan Talwana is a Lawyer and Technology Research Fellow at Sino-Uganda Research Centre.

 

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