The Instituto Superior de Transportes e Comunicações (ISUTC) will host the final of the first edition of the ISUTC Olympiad — Challenge for Secondary Schools on Saturday, 19 September, an initiative designed to encourage young people to develop solutions to concrete problems facing their communities.
According to a statement issued to Diário Económico, the final will bring together the winning teams from participating schools in the city and province of Maputo. The event will run from 08:00 to 14:00 at the Tmcel Conference Centre at ISUTC in Maputo, where teams will present their projects to a jury that will select the three best entries of the 2026 edition.
The Olympiad is a scientific and educational competition open to Grade 12 students from both public and private schools. Participants work in teams of three, developing solutions in areas including engineering, technology, renewable energy, sustainable development, and management.
The initiative aims to stimulate critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills, while also strengthening ties between secondary schools and higher education institutions and identifying young talent. The first edition was conceived as a pilot project under the motto 'The Future Begins with an Idea.'
For the 2026 edition, 22 schools in the city and province of Maputo were invited, of which ten took part in the competition: Colégio Kitabu, Escola Secundária Quisse Mavota, Escola Secundária da Polana, Escola Secundária Josina Machel, Enko Education, Escola Secundária Noroeste 2, Escola Secundária Estrela Vermelha, Colégio e Externato Cantinho do Céu, Escola Secundária da Matola, and Escola Secundária de Matola-Gare.
The programme began with introductory visits to schools carried out between June and August, reaching approximately 900 students. Each school subsequently held its own internal competition, in which teams prepared and presented their proposals. An evaluation committee selected from each school the project to be presented at the final.
Assessment criteria included the relevance of the proposed solution, originality, technical feasibility, social impact, and quality of presentation. At the final, teams will present their projects, demonstrate the knowledge they have acquired, and explain how their proposals can address challenges facing their communities.
The three highest-ranked teams and their respective schools will receive technology kits with a combined value of 255,000 meticais. Winning students will also be entitled to scholarships to enrol in undergraduate programmes at ISUTC, which may cover up to 90% of costs, under the terms set out in the competition regulations.
Beyond recognising the best projects, the final will offer an insight into students' ambitions and their vision for Mozambique's future. The ISUTC Olympiad forms part of the institution's commitment to nurturing young talent, promoting innovation, and developing solutions with practical application and community impact.
Source: Diário Económico
Original article: https://www.diarioeconomico.co.mz/2026/09/15/desenvolvimento-2/isutc-promove-final-da-1-a-edicao-das-olimpiadas-cientifico-educacionais/
