Huawei Philippines organized a virtual event to warmly welcome its first batch of scholars from the University of Santo Tomas (UST), the oldest existing university in Asia.
Thomasian students Hermil Gerard Calasang, Jia Anette Phi, Kryzha Lei Aguilar, Maricar Auditor and Matthew Gabriel Rabanes joined the Huawei family as scholars with a bright future ahead of them.
In her speech, Dean Jerralyn Padua of the UST College of Information and Computing Sciences shared how the pandemic has affected all families in terms of their financial capabilities to support the education of their children. “This opportunity given by the Huawei team is really very helpful for them to be able to continue their education despite the current situation in the country.”
Dr. Angelo Dela Cruz, Dean of College of Engineering, considered the scholarship program as “very timely” given the financial difficulties faced by many students amid the pandemic. “Actually, I have just received at least 20 promissory notes last week during our enrollment. We hope the scholarship program will be the beginning of many more activities and programs between Huawei and UST that will ultimately benefit our students.”
Prof. Cheryl Peralta, Vice Rector for Academic Affairs, said the program is “a great blessing and a beacon of hope in this very challenging time.” “We believe that effective and productive collaborations help enrich the experience of students and university staff and allow them to do their best in the Now Normal, not only to survive but to thrive in the new opportunities brought about by the rapidly changing world of technology.”
Meanwhile, Asst. Prof. Maria Cecilia Tio Cuison, Director of the Office of Student Affairs, expressed her gratitude to Huawei for the opportunity to help Thomasian students realize their dreams. “We owe it to you as a solid partner in the educative mission. You have widened our doors for far-reaching opportunities that pave the way for us to fulfill our envisioned goals, especially to sustain our strong linkage with the industry to expand educational opportunities,” Tio Cuison added.
For his part, Huawei Philippines Human Resources Director Peter Zhang congratulated the five scholars, saying they are bound for great things and that they play a key role in helping the society through ICT. Zhang also thanked UST for the partnership: “We look forward to having a continuous cooperation with UST in the coming years and supporting more deserving students as well as the talent ecosystem for the ICT industry.”
The scholars are in their fourth and final year in their respective programs. With their passion for technology, they hope to continue their education despite hardships, with the goal of starting a career in the ICT industry soon and being one of those who drive innovation in the country.
At present, Huawei Philippines has 19 scholars from local universities. As a company that values education and talents, Huawei Philippines has been partnering with local universities and colleges to support Filipino students in various ways and help them achieve their aspirations. Huawei advocates for Education4All by providing educational institutions with digital skills workshops and scholarships, among other initiatives.
