Dozens of students from various Latin American countries will travel to China this year to get a handle on cutting-edge information technology.

At least 14 Colombian students and six from Trinidad and Tobago have won the chance over the past few weeks, thanks to Chinese technology giant Huawei's Seeds for the Future program. Another 15 students from Brazil will participate in the program later this year in November.

This Seeds for the Future program seeks to promote studies in information and communications technology (ICT) among university students, the company said.

The winners in Colombia were acknowledged at an awards ceremony in Bogota on June 1, hosted by Huawei's director general in Colombia, Xiong Yihui, and the country's Vice-Minister of Information Technologies and Systems (Mintic), Mara Isabel Meja Jaramillo.

According to Xiong, the objective of the program is to allow top prospects in each country to learn more about the telecommunications industry in China and put this learning to use back home.

"The Seeds for the Future program is a global effort that Huawei began in 2008 and has now stretched to 57 countries. In the last three years, more than 2,500 students from over 150 universities around the world have participated. This is the third year the course has been held in Colombia," said Xiong, who added that the program aims to boost competitiveness and transfer of knowledge in all of the countries it reaches.

"It is highly important for Huawei that such a program can bring top young talent to China, so they may be trained in new technologies, generate new ideas and innovate in different industries.

"This is how we can contribute to the reduction of the digital gap, generating knowledge and benefits for society at large," he added.

Colombian students stand out as among some of the best in Latin America because of their drive and dedication, according to Xiong.

Vivian Herrera, a winner in Colombia last year, said the program had been a unique experience.

"Not many people get the chance to understand how telecommunications really works around the world and to return home with the opportunity to help this sector expand into new areas," she said.

Herrera added that her visit to China helped her understand how the sector can work. "We realized that Colombia still has some catching up to do and seeing the sector in China was an enormous advantage. However, there is very good equipment in Colombia and the policies of the government have helped us grow," she said.

For China Daily