Huawei Technologies South Africa has once again invested in students from the University of Pretoria’s (UP) Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment and Information Technology by awarding them bursaries at a recent ceremony that was attended by Huawei executives and staff from UP’s Graduate Support Hub.

The nine undergraduate, honours and master’s students received bursaries to the value of R1.1 million in total and were chosen based on their academic achievements. Not only will these grants assist them to further their studies, they will also get the opportunity to work at Huawei Technologies upon completion of their degrees.

“Huawei continuously looks for exceptional talent and has found great success in finding such talent at UP,” said bursary and graduate co-ordinator at Huawei, Mohammed Bismilla. He added that Huawei urges students to apply for the bursary programme because it “not only assists them financially, but also offers them a headstart by providing highly sought-after employment at our company”.

Oarabile Mashiane, an Information Science honours student, was over the moon when she was chosen as a recipient. “The bursary is like the light at the end of the tunnel because I had not made any plans to further my studies,” she said. “It has given me an opportunity to inspire not only myself but others in my community; I come from a very disadvantaged community where people do not even have the opportunity to complete high school. To be able to not only complete my undergraduate degree but also do my postgraduate degree through one of the best tech companies in the world is just amazing!”

Dr Aceme Nyika – of UP’s Department of Research and  Innovation, and head of Graduate Support – pointed out that the partnership between Huawei Technologies and UP was a reflection of the company’s ongoing work in giving back to society by providing resources to invest in and develop young people.

“Applying for this bursary was my last hope,” said Fezile Nkosi, another recipient. “Hearing that I had been awarded the bursary was such a relief because I knew I had an opportunity to further my studies. It is also a relief to know that after completing my studies there is a job opportunity waiting for me – that gives me peace of mind as I study.”