Kenya is among 131 top-performing teams from more than 40 countries and regions competing at the 10th Huawei ICT Competition Global Final underway in China, marking another milestone for the country's growing reputation in information and communication technology (ICT) education.
The competition, which has attracted more than 210,000 student participants worldwide, is Huawei's largest global ICT skills contest to date.
After progressing through rigorous national and regional contests, the finalists have converged at Huawei's headquarters in Shenzhen for the ultimate showdown.
A team of 12 Kenyan students drawn from various universities is representing the country at the prestigious event, where they will compete against some of the brightest young technology minds from across the globe.
The Huawei ICT Competition Global final features six categories: Practice, Innovation, Programming, Teaching, Challenge and Entrepreneur.
The Practice Competition, one of the flagship categories, covers four key technology tracks, Network, Cloud, Computing and Ascend AI, and is designed to test students' theoretical knowledge, technical expertise, teamwork and ability to solve real-world industry challenges.
Participants are required to undertake an intensive eight-hour laboratory examination, applying their knowledge to complex practical scenarios.
The Network Track focuses on data communication, cybersecurity, wireless networks and data centre technologies, while the Cloud Track examines expertise in cloud computing, cloud-native technologies and artificial intelligence.
The Computing Track evaluates skills in openEuler, openGauss and Kunpeng application development, while the Ascend AI Track focuses on artificial intelligence fundamentals, model training, deployment and application development.
The competition comes at a time when demand for ICT talent continues to rise globally as countries race to embrace emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing and digital transformation.
Speaking during the opening ceremony, Huawei executives highlighted the critical role of young innovators in shaping the future digital economy.
“AI is changing fast and breaking new ground. As AI scales rapidly, networks are increasingly connecting massive computing resources with a vast ecosystem of intelligent applications and endpoints,” said Wuger Xue, Vice President for Strategy and Industry Development at Huawei's Data Communication Product Line.
He noted that Huawei remains committed to developing the next generation of ICT professionals through certification programmes, university partnerships and hands-on learning opportunities.
Huawei Cloud Academy General Manager Tang Guojun said cloud-native technologies, foundation models and generative AI are rapidly transforming industries worldwide.
“The world is facing a growing shortage of skilled ICT professionals and experienced developers. To address this, Huawei is expanding its developer ecosystem and helping young talent build skills for innovation and growth,” he said.
Beyond the competition itself, participants will also attend the Huawei Most Valuable Instructor Forum 2026 and the AI Accelerating Education Transformation Summit, where industry leaders and educators will discuss the future of technology education and talent development.
The final results of the competition will be announced during the closing and awards ceremony on June 5.
For Kenya, the competition offers an opportunity not only to showcase the country's ICT talent on the global stage but also to strengthen its position as an emerging hub for technology and innovation in Africa.
