Gulu and Cavendish students shine at Huawei Global ICT Awards
Uganda’s Consul General in Guangzhou, Ms Judyth Nsababera, and Education Ministry Permanent Secretary, Dr Kedrace Turyagenda, pose with the Ugandan team during the Huawei Global ICT Awards gala in Shenzhen, China. Photo/Courtesy
What you need to know:
- This year’s event attracted over 210,000 students and instructors from more than 2,000 institutions across 100 countries and regions. Following national and regional competitions, 179 teams from 48 countries advanced to the global finals.
A combined team of students from Gulu and Cavendish universities has emerged as first runner-up in the Cloud Track category at the prestigious Huawei Global ICT Competition (2024–2025), showcasing Uganda’s growing strength in digital innovation and tech skills.
The announcement was made on May 24 during the closing awards gala in Shenzhen, China, marking the culmination of the competition’s 9th edition. This year’s event attracted over 210,000 students and instructors from more than 2,000 institutions across 100 countries and regions. Following national and regional competitions, 179 teams from 48 countries advanced to the global finals.
Teams competed in several categories including the Network Track, Cloud Track, Computing Track, and the Programming Grand Prize.
Uganda’s team secured second place in the Cloud Track, a category won by teams from iACADEMY (Philippines), University of Batna 2 and the Higher National School of Computer Science Algiers (Algeria), Tianjin University of Technology and Education (China), and Singapore University of Social Sciences.
Representing the First Lady and Minister of Education Janet Museveni, the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dr Kedrace Turyagenda, commended Huawei for its continued role in advancing ICT education in Uganda.
“Huawei has helped Uganda make significant strides in ICT, reaching rural communities and empowering university students through innovation competitions,” Dr Turyagenda said. “We congratulate Gulu, Muni, and Cavendish universities for standing out internationally, and we applaud all the youth who participated globally.”
Uganda’s Consul General in Guangzhou, Ambassador Judyth Nsababera, who presented medals to the Ugandan team, praised Huawei’s support and encouraged students to use their talents to address Uganda’s challenges.
“As you innovate, I encourage you to create solutions to the problems we face back home,” she said. “These students return not only with medals but also with knowledge and inspiration that can transform communities.”
Officials from Huawei and Uganda’s government said their longstanding partnership continues to yield positive results, particularly in enhancing digital learning opportunities and youth capacity-building.
Mr Ritchie Peng, Director of ICT Strategy and Business Development at Huawei, said the competition aims to inspire learning and innovation through real-world challenges.
“To achieve our vision for an Intelligent World 2030, we’ve evolved the competition to include practice and innovation tracks focusing on technologies like AI, big data, cloud computing, and digital inclusion,” he said. “We encourage students to use ICT to solve issues in agriculture, healthcare, and education.”
Huawei’s global ICT competition serves as a platform for students to explore and showcase technology solutions that address pressing societal needs.
The achievements of Uganda’s student teams highlight the country’s potential in digital innovation, strengthening its voice on the global stage and advancing the nation's digital transformation agenda.
