Bridging Future Algorithms: Educating for an Intelligent Tomorrow

By 2030, global demand for ICT roles is projected to reach 97 million jobs, an increase of 36 million roles within a decade, driven by AI adoption, cloud migration, and rising cybersecurity requirements, according to research conducted by the International Data Corporation (IDC) in collaboration with Huawei.

Within this growth, the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region is projected to face an additional shortage of approximately four million ICT jobs, placing it among the fastest-growing talent-deficit regions globally . The Huawei-led whitepaper, launched in September 2025, also identifies seven major ICT domains and 50 core roles being reshaped by AI, spanning cybersecurity, cloud engineering, data management, software development, and IT leadership.

Forty-nine percent of organisations surveyed globally report that university curricula do not align with actual industry needs, particularly in digital and AI-driven roles. In MEA markets, this is being compounded by the superfast pace of government-led digitalisation programmes that is surpasssing the curriculum refresh cycles in higher-education institutions.

Traditional university degree programmes take an average of five to seven years to update the curricula, creating a structural lag between instruction and application. Meanwhile, technical knowledge systems are getting updated every 18 to 24 months, driven by rapid AI and tech advancements.

Moreover, more than 65% of enterprises globally imply that workforce capability is an immediate bottleneck with skills shortages delaying digital transformation initiatives. Only one-third of IT leaders say they are fully prepared for AI applications, indicating persistent readiness gaps even as investment accelerates.

To address this gap, Huawei’s ICT Academy has focused on embedding industry-aligned capability development within higher-education systems. Globally, Huawei has partnered with more than 3,500 universities across over 110 countries, training more than 1.3 million students through the programme. The model integrates curricula, laboratories, and certification pathways directly into academic programmes, shifting the emphasis from degree completion to job-relevant capability.

In the Middle East and Central Asia, ICT Academy partnerships now extend to more than 330 institutions and have benefited over 500,000 students, reflecting sustained institutional engagement.

The Academy programmes emphasise hands-on laboratories, real device configuration, and scenario-based learning, moving beyond theoretical instruction toward operational readiness. For example, the Huawei Datacom Labs within partner universities also enables students to work with networking, cloud, and cybersecurity technologies in controlled but realistic environments, aligned with real deployment scenarios.

A further indicator of capability transfer is the expansion of Huawei ICT Academy Support Centers (IASCs). Universities designated as IASCs are equipped not only to train their own students, but also to support other institutions by sharing curricula, instructor expertise, and best practices. This structure reflects confidence in the quality and applicability of the training model and signals a transition from isolated programmes to a connected, region-wide skills ecosystem.

Initiatives like Huawei’s “T.H.E. GOLD Talent” programme, launched in collaboration with UNESCO’s Institute for Information Technologies in Education, aim to equip hundreds of local universities with the necessary tools and resources to develop their own curricula, thereby helping them gain a competitive edge in the AI era.

Education at the speed of technology is a practical requirement for sustaining digital transformation in the AI era, especially for the MEA region’s digital transformation ambitions and quietly, Huawei is excelling the training landscape.