Ugandan university students have earned international recognition after securing top awards at the 2025–2026 Huawei ICT Competition Global Finals held in Shenzhen, China.
The students, drawn from Uganda Martyrs University and Mountains of the Moon University, emerged among the best performers at the global competition, which attracted participants from more than 100 countries.
Held from June 1 to June 5 under the theme “Connection, Glory, Future,” the competition brought together some of the world's brightest technology students to compete in advanced fields including computing, artificial intelligence, cloud technologies and innovation.
This year's event marked the 10th edition of the Huawei ICT Competition and the largest since its inception in 2015, attracting over 220,000 students and educators from more than 2,000 universities worldwide.
Uganda secured two places at the global finals after a rigorous selection process that began with more than 1,600 applicants from institutions of higher learning across the country.
Uganda Martyrs University competed in the Computing Track and won third prize, while Mountains of the Moon University's AgriChain team secured second prize in the Innovation Track.
The finalists faced an intensive eight-hour laboratory examination testing their knowledge and practical skills in Huawei technologies and emerging digital solutions.
According to competition organisers, the Ugandan teams stood out not only for their technical competence but also for designing solutions aimed at addressing real-world challenges facing communities.
The Uganda Martyrs University team demonstrated expertise in cloud infrastructure, open-source operating systems and next-generation computing technologies to secure a podium finish in the Computing Track.
Meanwhile, the AgriChain team from Mountains of the Moon University impressed judges with an artificial intelligence-powered agricultural platform designed to tackle inefficiencies in Uganda's farming sector.
The innovation seeks to address longstanding challenges affecting farmers, including limited market information, post-harvest losses and restricted access to affordable financing.
The platform integrates an AI-powered agricultural marketplace, crop disease detection tools and predictive yield analysis systems to help farmers make informed decisions and access formal credit using verified production forecasts.
Developers of the project said the solution aims to improve financial inclusion, enhance market transparency and strengthen the resilience of Uganda's agricultural sector, which employs a significant proportion of the country's workforce.
The achievement highlights the growing impact of the Huawei ICT Academy programme in Uganda, which partners with universities to equip students with practical digital skills aligned with industry demands.
Huawei Uganda said the results demonstrate the country's increasing capacity to compete on the global technology stage and underscore the importance of investments in digital skills development.
The company also acknowledged the support of the Government of Uganda, the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, the Ministry of Education and Sports, the Chinese Embassy in Uganda and academic institutions in nurturing technology talent.
The Huawei ICT Competition is a global talent development initiative aimed at promoting innovation and strengthening digital skills among university students. Since its launch, it has become one of the world's leading ICT skills competitions and is recognised by UNESCO's Global Skills Academy as a flagship programme supporting the development of future digital talent.
The next edition of the competition is expected to open for registration in August through Huawei ICT Academies at partner universities across Uganda.