Huawei communications boss says company faces “difficult times” but that academic-business partnerships can help drive positive change
Nurturing partnerships between academia and industry will be key to driving positive change in the digital future, according to the head of Huawei’s public affairs and communications department.
Speaking at the Times Higher Education Asia Universities Summit, Catherine Chen, president of the public affairs and communications department, told audience members that Huawei currently faces “some of, if not the most difficult times in its history”.
Chen’s comments were made in the context of Covid-19 recovery and rising geopolitical tensions across Asia and the wider global market. Development in the information technology industry has “hit a wall due to a lack of major breakthroughs”, she added.
But she spoke positively about the opportunities for innovation ahead, adding, in the words of Huawei’s founder Ren Zhengfei, that “success is the ability to survive difficult times”.
To date, Huawei has funded more than 300 research projects taking place in universities around the world.
Continuing to grow academic partnerships was a priority for the brand going forward, Chen said, citing examples of positive innovation taking place in universities that have been adapted for the IT industry with help from Huawei. “We want to do our part for humanity,” she said.
“Academic-business collaboration is not just a cross-sector endeavour, it is also about convergence. By working together, universities and enterprises will create more sparks to kindle a brighter future,” Chen concluded.
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