The ISUTC Olympics final challenges young people to create innovative solutions for Mozambique

The Higher Institute of Transport and Communications (ISUTC) will host the Final of the 1st edition of the ISUTC Olympics – Challenge for Secondary Schools, next Saturday, September 19th. The event will bring together the winning teams from the 13 participating schools, originating from the City and Province of Maputo.

The competition will take place between 8:00 AM and 2:00 PM at the Tmcel Conference Center, at the Higher Institute of Transport and Communications, in Maputo. The projects will be presented to a jury that will select the three best works for the 2026 edition.

Promoted by ISUTC, the Olympics are a scientific-educational competition aimed at 12th-grade students from public and private schools. The initiative challenges teams of three students to develop solutions to concrete problems in their communities, prioritizing the areas of engineering, technology, renewable energy, sustainable development, and management.

The project aims to stimulate critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills among students, as well as to bring secondary schools closer to higher education and identify young talent.

In this first edition, conceived as a pilot project under the motto 'The Future Begins with an Idea', 22 schools from the City and Province of Maputo were invited. Ten participated, namely: Kitabu College, Quisse Mavota Secondary School, Polana Secondary School, Josina Machel Secondary School, Enko Education, Noroeste 2 Secondary School, Estrela Vermelha Secondary School, Cantinho do Céu College and Boarding School, Matola Secondary School and Matola-Gare Secondary School.

The program began with introductory visits to schools between June and August, involving approximately 900 students. This was followed by a competition in each school, during which participants prepared and presented their projects. Each school formed an evaluation committee and selected the project that would represent it in the Final. Evaluation criteria included the relevance of the proposed solution, originality, technical feasibility, social impact, and quality of presentation.

In the Final, the teams will have the opportunity to demonstrate the knowledge they have acquired and explain how their proposals can contribute to addressing community challenges. The event will also provide an opportunity to learn about the ambitions of these graduating students and their vision for the future of Mozambique.

The three highest-ranked teams and their respective schools will receive technology kits, with a total value of 255,000 meticais. The winning students will also benefit from scholarships to attend undergraduate courses at ISUTC, which may reach up to 90%, according to the terms stipulated in the competition regulations.

The ISUTC Olympics are part of the institution's commitment to valuing young talent, promoting innovation, and developing solutions with practical application and impact on communities.