Ugandan Students Shine at the Huawei ICT Competition Awards Ceremony in China

The Huawei ICT Competition Awards Ceremony took place this morning at the Ministry of Education and Sports Head Quarters and was presided over by Hon. John Chrysestom Muyingo, the State Minister for Higher Education in Uganda.

The colorful ceremony brought together some of the brightest minds in the field of Information and Communications Technology (ICT), their tutors and the respective university Vice Chancellors as the students received gifts and awards worth forty million Ugandan Shillings. The event celebrated groundbreaking ideas and innovations exhibited by the Ugandan participants at the global finals held in May this year in Shenzhen, China, having previously been successful in their respective national and regional competitions.

The 8^th Huawei ICT Competition 2023–2024 Global Final was held in Shenzhen. This year’s competition attracted more than 170,000 students from over 2,000 universities and colleges across more than 80 countries and regions, making it the largest offline competition since its launch.

The Ugandan teams emerged victorious as follows;

Grand prize: Network Track Team 1 (Gulu University and Muni University)

First Prize: Network Track Team 2 (Kabale University)

Second Prize: Computing Track Team 1 (Muni University)

Women In Tech Award: Network Team 2 (Kabale University)

This group of Ugandan 12 students was flagged off by the First lady, Minister of Education and Sports of Uganda Maama Janet K. Museveni on Thursday 16th May 2024, at State House Nakasero where she wished them success as they represented Uganda in the Global Final ICT Competitions.

Hon. John Chrysestom Muyingo, delivered the speech of The First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Maama Janet. She encouraged the victorious participants and all the young people who are privileged to be skilled in this field, to build on to and leverage ICT training, with innovation which is today’s competitive advantage in every sphere of society. She further expressed her sincere appreciation to the Chinese Embassy of Uganda under the leadership of H.E Ambassador Zhang Lizhong and the Management and Staff of Huawei Technologies Uganda Limited, for their significant contribution to the development of Ugandans and their communities through initiatives like the Huawei DigiTruck, the Huawei LEAP Digital Talent Training Program and the Huawei Internship Program.

Dr. Kedrace Turyagyenda, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Education and Sports in Uganda, in her remarks expressed gratitude to Huawei Technologies and the Chinese Embassy in Uganda for the long-standing friendships and strategic partnerships over the years. This has paved way for various channels of collaboration and fostering development across various sectors in the country.

H.E Zhang Lizhong the Ambassador of the People Republic of China in Uganda extended his warmest congratulations to the 12 Ugandans for their outstanding achievements in the global final. He also thanked Huawei Technologies for their devotion to education as part of the cooperate social responsibilities in Uganda. “It fully demonstrates the efforts and achievements in China’s business community supporting Uganda’s ICT infrastructure construction, contributing to digital transformation.” said H.E Zhang Lizhong. He further noted that over the next three years, China will work closely with Uganda to implement the Ten Partnership Actions for modernization to deepen China Uganda cooperation. He closed his speech by encouraging more Chinese companies and investors to carry out more diversified CSR programs towards youth and women.

Mr. Ssali Gao, the Deputy Managing Director of Huawei Technologies Uganda Company, Limited applauded the students for their remarkable achievement which is a testament to their dedication, hard work and innovative spirits. He extended his appreciation to the Ministry of education and Sports for their unwavering support without which the success of nurturing and supporting young talents would not have been possible. “Your encouragement and vision have been instrumental in creating an environment where our students can thrive.” said Mr. Gao.

The Huawei ICT Competition is a global initiative that aims to encourage young talent to excel in Information and Communications Technology through structured training, industry-level exposure, competitions and driving digital transformation. With the theme of “Connection, Glory, Future” and the slogan of “I. C. The Future”, Huawei ICT Competitions gather governments, higher educational institutions, training institutions, and industry enterprises to help the ICT talent ecosystem thrive.

These annual ICT competitions offer participants the following benefits;

Cutting-edge Technology Training: Huawei Technologies offers fully sponsored ICT training in advanced areas such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Cloud Computing, Big Data, 5G, Cybersecurity, and IoT, among others.

Certification and Career Advancement: Participants have the opportunity to gain the globally recognized Huawei certifications, which enhances their employability both locally and internationally.

Industry Exposure and Networking: The competition provides students with exposure to real-world ICT scenarios and allows them to connect with industry leaders, opening doors for future collaborations and career opportunities.

University-Industry Collaboration: This initiative strengthens the bond between local universities and Huawei, paving the way for future partnerships in research, innovation, and ICT infrastructure development.