KazNU Launches the New Huawei ICT Competition 2026–2027 Season

On 9 September 2026, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University hosted the Huawei ICT Competition Roadshow 2026–2027, marking the launch of the 11th season of the international Huawei ICT Competition.

The event was held as part of the University’s ongoing cooperation with Huawei Technologies Kazakhstan and formed part of KazNU’s broader efforts to strengthen students’ digital competencies, expand engagement with the technology sector, and involve learners in international educational and professional initiatives.

Today, Huawei ICT Competition is one of the major international platforms for students pursuing development in information and communication technologies. The scale of the competition continues to grow each year. In the 2025–2026 season, more than 220,000 students and teachers from over 2,000 universities across more than 100 countries and regions took part, while 177 teams from 49 countries and regions advanced to the global final.

Kazakhstani students have also demonstrated increasingly strong results. At the 2025–2026 Huawei ICT Competition Global Final held in Shenzhen, Team Kazakhstan won second place in the Network Track, while the Kazakhstani team competing in AI Innovation secured third place. These achievements once again highlighted the strong competitive potential of Kazakhstan’s students on the international ICT stage.

KazNU students have also contributed to this success. In the national final of the previous season, Al-Farabi KazNU student Arailym Amangeldikyzy was recognised among the top participants in the Cloud track. In addition, KazNU was ranked among the top five Huawei ICT Academies in Kazakhstan based on annual performance. The evaluation considered the integration of AI courses into academic programmes, student engagement in the AI-SANA initiative, and results achieved in the Huawei ICT Competition.

KazNU also has experience of student success at the international level. In the 2024–2025 season, university student Zhansulu Kuntas, as a member of the Kazakhstan team, won third place in the Cloud Track at the Huawei ICT Competition Global Final. These results reflect both the strong potential of Kazakhstani students and the importance of systematic training in advanced digital technologies.

Interest in the competition continues to grow across Kazakhstan. During the previous campaign, Huawei organised Roadshows at 48 universities in 19 cities, with more than 5,200 registrations received nationwide. A total of 186 top participants advanced to the national final. This growing participation demonstrates that Huawei ICT Competition is becoming an increasingly important platform for identifying and supporting young talent in the field of information and communication technologies.

Hosting the Huawei ICT Competition Roadshow 2026–2027 at KazNU represents a continuation of the University’s long-term collaboration with the technology sector. For students, the competition offers an opportunity to test their knowledge in an international environment, work on current technological challenges, and gain practical experience beyond the traditional academic setting.

The new season opens up further opportunities for KazNU students to strengthen their professional capabilities, develop practical and teamwork skills, and represent both the University and Kazakhstan at national, regional, and global levels. Participation in such initiatives contributes to the development of graduates who are better prepared to work effectively in the context of rapid digital transformation and growing international competition.

The event also aligns with the priorities of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. In particular, it contributes to SDG 4: Quality Education by expanding access to modern educational technologies and international learning opportunities; SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth by strengthening professional skills and graduate competitiveness; and SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure by fostering stronger links between the University and the technology sector and supporting innovation-driven development.

Thus, the Huawei ICT Competition Roadshow 2026–2027 served not only as the starting point for a new competition cycle, but also as an important part of KazNU’s broader efforts to integrate education, advanced technologies, innovation, and international professional experience.