Article Summary
Team Micra from IMU University’s School of Business and Technology won First Prize in the Innovation Competition at the 10th Huawei ICT Competition 2025–2026 Global Final in Shenzhen, China. The team developed an AI-enabled digital health solution that combines IoT technology, Graphene–Carbon Nanotube (G-CNT) biosensors, and real-time hormone monitoring to support mental health assessment
AI-Powered Mental Health Innovation Earns IMU University Team Micra First Prize
In a defining moment for Malaysian higher education, Team Micra from IMU University’s School of Business and Technology (SOBT) has achieved what no Malaysian digital health team has done before, standing on the global podium at the 10th Huawei ICT Competition 2025–2026 Global Final, claiming the First Prize in the Innovation Competition in Shenzhen, China, on 6 June 2026.
Competing against the brightest minds from over 100 countries and regions, three students from the Bachelor of Digital Health (Hons) programme, Sam Tao Kien, Keh Pei Rou, and Chee Yue Mei carried IMU University’s name from the national finals all the way to the world’s most prestigious ICT competition stage, under the mentorship of their supervisor, Dr Thein Oak Kyaw Zaw. Their journey is one of perseverance, innovation, and the bold spirit of a programme that dares to redefine what digital health graduates are capable of.
About the Huawei ICT Competition
The Huawei ICT Competition is an annual global event designed for students and teachers from colleges and universities. It offers an international platform for competition and exchange, enabling participants to strengthen their ICT knowledge, improve practical skills, and foster innovation using the latest technologies and platforms.
Since its launch in 2015, the competition has been gaining significant momentum, with more countries and students joining each year. In China, it has been listed as a national competition for university students, while globally, it has been recognised as a key partner flagship programme by UNESCO’s Global Skills Academy.
The 10th edition — the largest in the competition’s history — attracted more than 220,000 university students and faculty members from over 2,000 tertiary institutions across more than 100 countries and regions. Following national and regional rounds, 177 teams from 49 countries and regions advanced to the Global Final in Shenzhen.
The competition is structured across three major global tracks: Practice, Innovation, and Programming — with the Innovation Competition specifically examining students’ ability to apply emerging ICT technologies to solve real-world challenges with social and commercial value.
The Journey: Stage by Stage
Stage 1: The Malaysia National Final
1 December 2025 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
IMU University’s participation in the 10th Huawei ICT Competition began as a historic first — SOBT fielded two teams comprising six students from the Bachelor of Digital Health programme, marking the School’s inaugural entry into the Huawei ICT Academy ecosystem. This alone was a bold statement: that digital health students could compete on equal footing with peers from traditional ICT and engineering backgrounds.
The national competition brought together approximately 30 teams for Innovation track from universities across Malaysia, with a total of more than 1,900 students from 43 universities participating nationally — a reflection of how far the competition has grown since Malaysia first joined in 2018 with just 200 students from seven universities.
The Grand Finale was held on 1 December 2025 at the Courtyard by Marriott, Kuala Lumpur, officiated by Datuk Ts Dr Mohd Nor Azman Hassan, Deputy Secretary General of the Ministry of Higher Education.
After battling through concept pitching, preliminary rounds, quarter-finals, and semi-finals, Team Micra emerged as the Grand Prize winner of the Innovation Track at the national level — joining UPM (Network Track) and XMUM (Cloud and Computing Tracks) as Malaysia’s national champions.
Stage 2: The APAC Regional Final
14 May 2026 | Jakarta, Indonesia
Carrying the momentum of their national victory, Team Micra advanced to the Asia-Pacific (APAC) Regional Final.
Competing against top-performing teams from across the Asia-Pacific region — a fiercely competitive arena spanning over 20 countries — Team Micra once again stood out, claiming the First Prize in the Innovation Track at the APAC level held in Jakarta, Indonesia.
This back-to-back regional victory secured their qualification for the most prestigious stage of all: the Global Final in Shenzhen.
Stage 3 — The Global Final
9 June 2026 | Shenzhen, China
The 10th Huawei ICT Competition Global Final was held in Shenzhen, China, making it the largest edition in the competition’s history. Having qualified through national and regional victories, Team Micra arrived in Shenzhen to face 100+ teams from 49 countries and regions — each having survived their own national and regional gauntlets to reach this stage.
In a proud moment for Malaysia and for IMU University, Team Micra was awarded the First Prize (Number 1) in the Innovation Competition — the second highest prize tier achieved by any Malaysian team at this Global Final, placing IMU University among an elite group of globally recognised institutions for innovation in ICT and digital health.
Malaysia was also among six countries worldwide to receive the ICT Competition Online Popularity Award, further underscoring the global recognition of Malaysian talent at this competition.
The Winning Innovation: Redefining Mental Health Monitoring
At the heart of Team Micra’s global success is a project that exemplifies the unique intersection of digital health knowledge and cutting-edge ICT capability — a minimally invasive IoT-based biosensor leveraging advanced Graphene–Carbon Nanotube (G-CNT) technology for real-time hormone level monitoring, to determine the status of mental health.
The solution was designed to address a critical gap in mental health management — the lack of continuous, objective, and real-time biological data for psychiatric care. It is a solution that has never been made before as current methods relies on questionnaire and digital data that are not accurate.
The use of G-CNT nanotechnology demonstrates not only technical sophistication but also a commitment to patient-centred, minimally invasive healthcare solutions — reflecting the core values of the Bachelor of Digital Health programme and addressing one of the most pressing and underserved areas in global healthcare.
The Global Final — Context and Competition
The Innovation Competition Grand Prize at the Global Final was awarded to four universities: Wuhan University of Technology (China), Ahmadu Bello University (Nigeria), National University of Singapore, and Fujian Normal University (China).
Team Micra’s First Prize places them in the tier of global excellence, recognised by Huawei and the international academic community as among the most outstanding innovators on the world stage.
For the three students who made the journey to Shenzhen, the experience was deeply personal:
“I am honoured to have competed and won First Prize at the Global Final. It was a great opportunity to be part of such a meaningful event — meeting contestants and seeing remarkable projects from all over the world. I am truly grateful for my teammates and supervisor for making this possible.”
— Chee Yue Mei
“I am proud and grateful to share that our team achieved First Prize. This result was both satisfying and surprising, and I feel incredibly happy to have been part of such a meaningful and well-organised event. This experience will remain one of the most memorable milestones in my journey.”
— Sam Tao Kien
“Attending the Huawei ICT 10th Global Competition 2025–2026 has made this year feel almost surreal. No one could have imagined that we would make it this far, but somehow, we did. Throughout the preparation for this competition, we became more confident and kept pushing ourselves beyond our limits. We changed our content so many times, and looking back at each version, I can really see how much we’ve grown. I’m truly grateful and happy to have reached this point together with my teammates. This has been such a precious and unforgettable journey.”
— Keh Pei Rou
Significance for IMU University and SOBT
The achievement of Team Micra marks a watershed moment for IMU University and the School of Business and Technology. It demonstrates, with international validation, that the Bachelor of Digital Health programme is not merely an academic qualification — it is a launchpad for world-class innovators who can compete with and outshine peers from established ICT and engineering programmes across the globe.
This victory is significant for several reasons:
- SOBT on the world stage:
For the first time, IMU’s School of Business and Technology has earned global recognition in a major international ICT competition, placing Malaysia’s digital health education in the global spotlight.
- Digital health as ICT innovation:
Team Micra’s success proves that digital health is a domain capable of producing world-leading ICT innovations, not just clinical or administrative applications.
- National pride:
Malaysia’s representation at the Global Final, capped with a First Prize and an Online Popularity Award, cements the country’s growing stature in the global ICT talent landscape.
- Inspiration for future students:
The journey of Sam Tao Kien, Keh Pei Rou, and Chee Yue Mei will serve as a testament to what is achievable for every student who dares to think beyond the boundaries of their programme.
The Programme behind the Champions
Team Micra’s success is a direct reflection of what the Bachelor of Digital Health (Hons) at IMU University stands for. Unlike traditional healthcare or IT programmes, it uniquely integrates clinical knowledge with artificial intelligence, data analytics, cloud computing, IoT, cybersecurity, and innovation entrepreneurship. Students gain hands-on experience through industry projects, international competitions, internships, and certifications from leading technology partners including Huawei ICT Academy, AWS Academy, and Microsoft — equipping them to design and deliver technology-driven healthcare solutions for real-world challenges.
Rapidly emerging as one of the region’s most innovative interdisciplinary programmes, the Bachelor of Digital Health (Hons) is producing graduates who are not only future healthcare innovators, but globally competitive technology professionals ready to lead digital transformation in healthcare and beyond. Team Micra is proof of that.
Looking Ahead
The triumph of Team Micra is not an endpoint — it is a beginning. It is proof that IMU University and its School of Business and Technology are producing graduates who are globally competitive, innovation-driven, and ready to lead the future of health technology.
With the Bachelor of Digital Health programme equipping students with competencies in AI, data analytics, cloud technologies, digital health systems, and innovation-driven problem solving, Team Micra’s story will inspire generations of students to come.
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