Gulu University made history by winning the Grand Prize at the 2023-2024 Huawei ICT Global Competitions held in Shenzhen, China on May 26, 2024.
Aber Mary Mercy and Odoch Peter Acellam, final year students of Computer Science and Business Computing respectively, secured the prestigious award in the Practice and Innovation Competitions, placing the university and Uganda on the global map.
This victory marks the first Grand Prize for Uganda since the inception of the Huawei ICT competitions in 2015, a remarkable achievement for the country. The duo were among 13 students who were flagged off by the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Janet Museveni, on May 16, 2024, at State House Nakasero, to represent Uganda in the global competition.
They triumphed in the Network Track category, outshining competitors from around the world.
Expressing his joy, Acellam remarked on the rigorous nature of the competition, with thousands of students vying for the same prize. He credited their success to the unwavering commitment and support from Uganda, which helped them navigate through the challenges and secure the Grand Prize.
Uganda’s Ambassador to China, H.E. Oliver Wonekha, congratulated the students on their remarkable achievement and urged them to contribute to the country’s ICT development.
According to Huawei, this year’s competition saw participation from over 170,000 students from more than 2,000 universities and colleges across 80+ countries and regions. The global final in Shenzhen, held from May 23-26, featured over 160 teams and 470 contestants from 49 countries and regions.
The Huawei ICT Competition, an annual event for global university and college students, aims to provide an international platform for healthy competition and the exchange of ideas. Launched in 2015, the competition helps students enhance their ICT knowledge and practical skills, fostering innovation and technological development worldwide.
