Huawei Technologies Uganda has challenged university students and recent graduates to look beyond academic qualifications and build practical technology skills as Uganda accelerates its digital transformation.
The call was made on August 7 during Huawei’s campus recruitment exercise at Makerere University’s Main Building, where more than 200 students gathered to explore career opportunities in technology and related fields.
Held under the theme “The Sky Is the Limit” and slogan “A Better U for a Better Uganda”, the engagement sought to bridge the gap between university training and the rapidly changing demands of the technology industry.
Dr Donna Namujju, Programme Lead at the CEDAT Career Employability Hub and lecturer in Electrical and Electronics Engineering at Makerere University, told students that a degree should be viewed as the foundation rather than the destination of a technology career.
“Get ready. Be prepared. A degree alone may not be enough,” Namujju said, urging students to develop practical competence, adaptability and a culture of continuous learning.
Her message comes as technologies such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, cybersecurity, automation and advanced telecommunications reshape workplaces and increase demand for specialised digital skills.
Maurice Magembe, a manager at Huawei Technologies Uganda, said young professionals should position themselves to participate in the technological transformation taking place globally.
“It is possible you can make it. Make sure you are ready and take the opportunity,” Magembe said.
He highlighted advances in smart devices, cloud computing, autonomous vehicles, digital infrastructure and energy-efficient technologies as examples of how rapidly the technology landscape is changing.
Magembe said Huawei is investing in technologies ranging from servers and cloud services to smart-home solutions and power systems designed to improve efficiency and reduce carbon emissions.
He said the company’s approach involves studying how organisations operate and deploying technology solutions that improve productivity, connectivity and service delivery.
Huawei is also placing greater emphasis on cybersecurity and secure digital infrastructure as organisations increasingly depend on connected systems and cloud-based services.
Shamillah Nantume, Senior Human Resource Specialist at Huawei Technologies Uganda, said the company employs about 250 people in Uganda and intends to grow its workforce by recruiting young professionals.
“Huawei is in Uganda for Uganda, and we want to grow with Uganda,” Nantume said.
She said the company supports local ICT talent through initiatives including the Huawei ICT Competition, Huawei ICT Academy and other programmes that expose students to international opportunities, including training in China.
The recruitment drive is targeting graduates from disciplines including telecommunications and electrical engineering, computer science, software development, cybersecurity, finance, logistics and human resource management.
Nantume said Huawei considers both technical and interpersonal capabilities when recruiting, including confidence, communication, logical thinking and presentation skills.
Paul Brema Walyaula, a Makerere alumnus and Wireless Engineer D&S at Huawei Technologies Uganda, encouraged students to focus on merit and personal development.
“Your success is based on merit, academic performance and how you present yourself, not who you know,” he said.
Huawei says it has trained about 7,000 students in ICT through its programmes in Uganda and provided 420 internship opportunities in recent years.
The company has also supported ICT skills development through the Huawei ICT Competition, Seeds for the Future, Huawei ICT Academy, the National ICT Job Fair and its campus recruitment programme.
