TU Dublin's Innovative Partnership with Huawei - Bridging borders and building futures
In an age where cross-disciplinary learning and industry-academic partnerships are paramount,
TU Dublin has emerged as a hub for nurturing innovation and preparing students for the
challenges of the modern workforce.
Huawei has been a long-standing partner with TU Dublin. In 2020, Huawei launched
the Tech4Her Scholarships in collaboration with TU Dublin and UCD as the first universities to
pilot the programme. Eight female students from TU Dublin were granted Tech4Her
scholarships. Alongside the programme, selected students were also engaged in a group
mentoring programme, which connected them with female leaders within Huawei who deliver
masterclasses on a range of topics for career development in the tech sector.
In addition to the scholarships, Huawei also provided significant funding to the TechMate
research project led by Professor Sarah Jane Delaney and Dr. Susan McKeever in the same year.
This project delivered a toolkit of best practices for recruiting and retaining female students on
technology-focused programmes.
In 2021, an additional donation was made to support the continuation of Tech4Her, enabling a
second cohort of eight female TU Dublin students, with the announcement taking place at
Huawei Innovation Day in Dublin Castle. The following year, another eight TU Dublin students
were awarded Tech4Her Scholarships.
In the past few years, a significant number of TU Dublin students have been funded by Huawei’s
flagship talent programme ‘Seeds for the Future’. The programme selects young talents from
around the world to participate in short-term trainings, global competitions and ongoing alumni
activities centred around digital technology. It provides students with an important platform to
understand industry innovation, experience cross-cultural exchanges, and cultivate an
entrepreneurial spirit. Dylan Hussain, studying Computer Science at TU Dublin, emerged as the
Europe region champion of the 2024 Seeds for the Future competition, along with other Irish
students. Dylan and the team will be traveling to China in April 2025 to participate in the Global
Final Competition
Landmark Projects
In 2024, two feature projects have further elevated the collaboration between Huawei and TU
Dublin, fostering a stronger partnership and paving the way for transformative innovations in
technology. These projects also emphasized the university's commitment to empowering
students through unique learning experiences.
A transformative summer in China
In the summer of 2024, four talented female students, each supported by a scholarship from
Huawei Ireland, embark on an enriching journey to China, under a new initiative organised by
TU Dublin's School of Computer Science and funded by Huawei Ireland. The programme is
designed to foster global innovation, technological fluency and cultural understanding, the
initiative allowed these female students to delve into innovative STEM subjects while immersing
themselves in Chinese culture.
The students studied at the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC)
and the Beijing Institute of Technology (BIT), where they engaged in diverse STEM-focused
coursework in robotics, artificial intelligence, future technologies, as well as materials for
renewable energy. Beyond the classroom, the students absorbed themselves in the vibrant
cultures of Chengdu and Beijing, gaining invaluable cross-cultural experiences that will shape
their global outlook.
Baolin Liang, PR Manager at Huawei Ireland, emphasised that:
"Exposing students to global perspectives in technology is key to shaping the innovators of
tomorrow."
Gráinne Bannister, a third-year undergraduate at TU Dublin, shared:
"I was extremely happy to learn about career opportunities, particularly the career experience of
a female expert in Huawei. I now believe there is a strong future for female students who have
concentrated on STEM subjects."
The programme concluded with a visit to Huawei's Dublin office in October 2024, field experts
offering insights into tech trends and career development advice to the students. This initiative
showcased the power of international collaboration in STEM education. These experiences
provided TU Dublin students with invaluable opportunities to deepen their technological
expertise, while also cultivated cross-cultural, interdisciplinary development and global mindset
- essential for success in today’s interconnected world.
Inspiring innovation: TU Dublin Huawei Business Sustainability Enterprise Challenge
TU Dublin hosted the Huawei Business Sustainability Enterprise Challenge poster presentation
and awards on 10th December 2024, a culmination of a few months of student effort and
creativity. The Business Sustainability project led by Dr. Lesley Murphy and Dr. Ciaran O'Carroll in
collaboration with the TU Dublin Enterprise Academy and Huawei, brought together 175
students from the School of Marketing and Entrepreneurship, the School of Management,
People and Organisations, and EM Normandie exchange students.
The challenge required participants to develop innovative business cases centred on solar and
photovoltaic (PV) solutions, aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs). The event highlighted the students’ ability to combine academic knowledge with
practical, real-world solutions to address pressing global challenges such as climate change.
The winning project, Hospitals – The Sunshine Cure, by Charlie O’Donnoghue, James Coffey,
Darragh Fee, Jack Tracey, and Ronan Barry, exemplified the programme’s emphasis on creative
and impactful problem-solving. Their idea demonstrated the potential for solar energy solutions
to transform healthcare environments, blending sustainability with societal benefit.
Speaking at the event, Luke McDonnell, Head of PR at Huawei Ireland said:
"Huawei is proud to partner with TU Dublin to deliver this challenge because it addresses an
important issue and more importantly it shows how innovative digital technologies will play a
central role in tackling climate change. It is through industry-academic partnerships like this that
we bridge the gap between what students learn in the classroom and the skills they’ll need in
the workforce, opening doors for their future.”
The Business Sustainability Enterprise Challenge offers hands-on experience, bridging the gap
between academic knowledge and practical skills. Huawei's insights on sustainability leadership,
real-world challenges, and innovative solutions inspired students to think creatively about their
business solutions while developing their work in alignment with the UN Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs).
The partnership with Huawei has provided learners with invaluable benefits, from gaining a
better understanding of energy evolution and transformation to enhancing their CVs, to
receiving mentorship and insights from industry experts. Those involved in the Business
Sustainability Enterprise Challenge are going have greatly benefited from researching and
designing solutions based on a real industry challenge with a global industry. They will be more
prepared to bring those skills forward into their future careers and help Ireland meet its carbon
reduction targets.
Bridging academia and industry
Challenge-based learning is at the heart of TU Dublin’s educational philosophy. By working with
industry partners to tackle real-world problems, students gain a deeper understanding of
technology, sustainability, and economic viability. Both the Technical Summer School in China
and the Business Sustainability Enterprise Challenge underscore TU Dublin’s mission to equip
students with the skills, knowledge, and global perspective needed to thrive in a rapidly
changing world.
These initiatives not only spotlight the importance of collaboration between academia and
industry but also demonstrate how education can serve as a powerful force for innovation,
sustainability, and cross-cultural understanding. Through programmes like these, TU Dublin and
Huawei are not just preparing students for careers - they are empowering them to shape the
future.