JKUAT students won the first and second network and computing tracks in the just concluded Huawei Global ICT competition held on 23-26 May 2024.
The five students – Luiz Kinyua, Wendy Njeri, James Murimi, Emmanuel Kipngeno, and Kenyatta Chacha, made an unforgettable impression on this year’s tournament by demonstrating their knowledge of the various tracks in which they participated
Luiz Kinyua won first place in the network track, while Kenyatta, Wendy, James, and Emanuel finished second in the computing track.
The competition tested the students’ theoretical knowledge and hands-on ICT abilities in multiple tracks, as well as their ability to work together. Contestants were rated based on their theoretical and lab exam scores.
When he met the students in the old boardroom the Vice Chancellor Prof. Victoria Ngumi, who was represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic Affairs, Prof. Robert Kinyua, congratulated the students on their sterling performance, stating JKUAT is very proud of their achievements at the tournament.
“It is a gratifying occasion when our students are selected to compete in a worldwide competition and recognized for their abilities and expertise in a certain field. This is a huge feat and has elevated the JKUAT name to even higher heights,” said Prof. Kinyua.
The Deputy Vice Chancellor advised the students to continue sharpening their talents and use the networks they gained throughout the competition to better prepare for the job market.
This year’s competition saw Kenya provide the largest number of students taking part at 18 compared to other African counterparts which was a proud moment for Kinyua, a telecommunication student at JKUAT.
“We had earlier done well in the regional finals and it was satisfying to see many other students from other universities involved in the grand finale. This gave us a huge boost we could perform well in the grand finals in China and fly the Kenyan flag high,” said Kinyua.
Kinyua, who was competing in his second tournament, stated that as a team, they faced stiff competition from other competitors, noting how the levels of competitiveness had risen over time.
“Our performance in this year’s tournament was excellent. It is obvious that the levels of competitiveness are growing each year, and we put our best feet forward and gave our all,” stated Kinyua.
Wendy Njeri, a fourth-year information technology student, was equally happy with the team’s achievement, adding that it was a fantastic experience from which they gained immense knowledge and skills.
“The bar this year has certainly gone up a notch but we were able to compete favorably. I believe our preparation was key in our performance at the global competition,” said Njeri.
She intends to further improve her talents by enrolling in the Huawei Management Trainee Program.
Mr. Philip Oyier one of the instructors, lauded the support accorded to them by the university and Huawei saying the opportunity enabled the students to hone their skills in the specific area, while also having a broad understanding of all the technologies for the designated track.
“We encourage more students to take advantage and join the Huawei ICT academy, learn, gain knowledge and skills providing an opportunity to compete globally,” said Oyier.
