A Mount Kenya University (MKU) Bachelor of Science in Information Technology student is in high spirits as he prepares to represent the country with 18 others in the upcoming Global Huawei ICT Competition slated for next month in China.
Daniel Ochola, a student in the school of Computing and Informatics, emerged among the top three winners in the South African Regional Awards, where 6,000 students participated in the competition.
During the competition held last month, students from 15 countries showcased their prowess on tracks in cloud, computing and networking.
Speaking to journalists at the university’s Thika main campus on Monday, Ochola said his passion for technology drove him to the competition, adding that the training from MKU and the cutting-edge facilities therein have been instrumental to his success. These statements were echoed by John Kamau, an official from the university.
“At least we got a glimpse of the professional world and interacted with the industry experts. We showcased ICT innovations in areas of cloud track, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and big data,” he said.
Ochola hopes that he will emerge victorious in the competitions in China and be able to put the country’s ICT prowess on the world map.
The Huawei ICT Competition was initiated in 2015 as part of the Huawei ICT Academy in a collaborative effort to enrich the ICT talent pool by transferring the latest knowledge from a global technology leader.
In Kenya, Huawei has established ICT Academies in over 50 universities and colleges, providing access to cutting-edge technology training in networking, cloud computing, 5G, and AI. Annually, these academies train more than 4,000 students, contributing significantly to the ICT skills landscape.
The Huawei hardware installation base in Kenya has been recognised by the Ministry of Information, Communications, and the Digital Economy, as playing a pivotal role in nurturing Kenya’s ICT talent pool and supporting national development initiatives.
Meanwhile, university students and members of staff from Uganda (Makerere University Business School), Kenya (Kenyatta University and MKU), and Germany’s Albert-Ludwigs-Universität have held a collaborative workshop on Clean Energy innovations. The workshop that is being held at Kenyatta University (KU) gave the innovators the opportunity to sharpen their ideas through interactions and networking.
“Students were given opportunities to work creatively with interested business stakeholders. They were allowed to pitch their ideas to the business community,” said Donatus Njoroge, the Head of Innovation, Intellectual Property, and Community Outreach at MKU.
By Muoki Charles
