Soroti University has achieved a remarkable milestone by winning the prestigious Best Operator Institution category award at the World Mobile Congress (WMC) summit in Shanghai, China. The award was presented for the university’s outstanding implementation of the LEAP (Leadership, Employability, Advancement, and Possibility) digital skills development programme, which has been instrumental in enhancing digital competencies across several institutions in sub-Saharan Africa.

The LEAP programme, sponsored by Chinese technology giant Huawei, aims to equip over 100,000 young people across Africa with essential digital skills, benefiting both community members and students from various educational institutions.

Celebrating Success and Encouragement

Receiving the award on behalf of Soroti University, ICT instructor Edymond Richard Hirya expressed his delight and optimism for the future. “We are very happy to have won this award from the Huawei Academy and we hope to do better. Soroti University, being a science university, we hope to do better than this to scoop even better awards from this same institution. My message for Soroti University students back in Uganda is that they should work hard. They should always aspire to be at the top,” Hirya said.

The award ceremony was graced by several dignitaries, including Uganda’s Ministry of Information and Communications Technology undersecretary, Sophie Nantongo, who handed the award to Hirya. She praised Soroti University for its significant achievement and urged students to excel, particularly in ICT. “We say a big thank you to Huawei Technologies who have facilitated this entire programme. The partnerships we have had have led to our students benefiting immensely in continuous skilling and the experience of being in a first-world country where they have seen 5G technology in action,” Nantongo remarked.

Empowering the Next Generation

The impact of the LEAP programme was further highlighted by Anyango Joanita and Mubashir Bagampadde, two Ugandan students who emerged third in the LEAP ICT study tour. Anyango, a software engineering student at Makerere University, encouraged her peers to seize digital opportunities. “Participate in competitions that come up. You never know the opportunities that come with them,” she advised.

The event also saw prominent figures like John Omo, the secretary general of the Africa Telecommunications Union, emphasize the importance of investing in the youth and making digital tools more accessible to bridge the digital divide in Africa. “Africa still has the lowest broadband penetration and our ICT index is the lowest in the world. We can do a lot for our young people if we cooperate rather than compete,” Omo stated.

Huawei’s Vision for the Future

Launched in 2022, the LEAP programme reflects Huawei’s commitment to ICT talent development. Jeff Wang, Huawei’s senior vice president, underscored the importance of preparing the global workforce for future technological advancements. “Around one billion people around the world need to be reskilled and upskilled by 2030 in order to adapt to technological development and force industrial revolution. Huawei has always regarded ICT talent development as an important part of its vision. We think ICT talent development should be future-oriented,” Wang said.

  Edymond Richard Hirya, ICT, Soroti University, World Mobile Congress