Uganda’s First Lady Janet Museveni flagged off 18 students to participate in the prestigious 2023/24 Huawei Global ICT Competition and the Seeds for the Future Program. The event highlights Uganda’s commitment to nurturing young talent in the ICT sector and fostering international cooperation.
The Huawei Global ICT Competition is a major international event, bringing together 17,000 students from 98 countries. Representing Uganda are three students each from Gulu University, Kabale University, and Muni University, alongside five students from Makerere University. These students are also among the ten selected to take part in the 2024 Seeds for the Future Program, scheduled for later this year.
Launched in Uganda in 2016, the Huawei Seeds for the Future Program was established under the guidance of President Yoweri Museveni. The program aims to cultivate local ICT talent, providing young Ugandans with valuable hands-on training. Between 2016 and 2019, 40 Ugandan students received training in Beijing and Shenzhen, China. The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a shift to online learning, with 30 to 40 students participating virtually each year from 2020 to 2023.
Ugandan teams have consistently excelled in these competitions. During the 2021/22 period, they won both the Grand Prize and First Prize at the Africa regional level, and a remarkable First Prize globally. In the 2022/23 cycle, they repeated their success at the regional level and secured the Second Prize globally. These achievements underscore the high level of ICT proficiency among Ugandan students and their capacity for innovation and creativity.
“I thank Huawei Technologies for providing our students with this opportunity for global exposure,” said First Lady Janet Museveni. “These challenges encourage them to broaden their knowledge and abilities in information technology, leading to increased creativity and innovation in the field.”
Mrs. Museveni also expressed her gratitude to the People’s Republic of China, Chinese Ambassador Zhang Lizhong, and the Chinese Embassy in Uganda. “Our long-standing friendship and their commitment to fostering our cordial relationship have been invaluable,” she noted.
