After besting other local universities and colleges at the national round of Huawei ICT Competition in 2021, three STI students proudly represented the Philippines at the Asia Pacific (APAC) round of the competition where they won 3rd place in the Network Track category.

College seniors Mharjon Abante, Roy Molod, Jr., and Renante Burgos, Jr. competed against 21 teams from top universities and colleges in the APAC region under the supervision of their coach, STI’s IT Courseware Development Head Beronika Peña.

Hailing from different STI campuses, the three were first brought together as a team at the Huawei ICT Academy, an online training program in partnership with the leading global tech provider, where students can get Huawei certifications in various fields including Cloud Computing, Big Data, and Internet of Things (IoT), among many that culminates in the global competition to test their mastery of what they learned during the course of the program.

“The key reasons behind the students’ remarkable achievements were their rigorous trainings and their commitment to learn amidst the pressure of competing against other countries. A competitive teamwork atmosphere was instilled among them, boosting their confidence, morale, and technical skills throughout the journey,” said Beronika Peña, STI’s team coach who also earned an Excellent Instructor with a Level A Award at the Huawei ICT Academy in 2021.

For 2021, the Huawei ICT Competition centered on the theme of “Connection, Glory, Future” that aims to cultivate young ICT talents in driving the future of technological evolutions and create global opportunities to develop and establish an outstanding digital economy. It also intends to provide students with global technical exposure and proper guidance in propelling their careers in the technological industry.

The event has attracted more than 5,300 Huawei ICT Academy students and teachers from 10 countries including the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, India, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Thailand, Bangladesh, Cambodia, and Sri Lanka.

“Being able to represent the country on the global stage is a testament to the excellence of STI and its brand of holistic education in molding the next generation of Filipino achievers,” Peña added.

True to its commitment to make its students future-ready, STI continues to strengthen its curriculum through strategic partnerships and linkages with key industry leaders like Huawei that enables students to have first-hand exposure to industry standards and practices in and out of the classroom setting.