From May 15 to 17, 2024, the Institut National Polytechnique Félix Houphouët-Boigny (INP-HB) hosted the final of the Third edition of the U7+ Student Challenge.
The U7+ Student Challenge is a key initiative of the U7+ Alliance, a global network of university leaders committed to addressing pressing global issues. This year’s competition brought together seven teams from six countries, tackling two main themes: Inclusive Education for a More Inclusive World and Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence.
Participating universities included:
École Polytechnique (France)
University of Ottawa (Canada)
University of Ibadan (Nigeria)
Cheikh Anta Diop University (Senegal)
University of Toronto (Canada)
Indian Institute of Technology (India)
Institut National Polytechnique Félix Houphouët-Boigny (Côte d’Ivoire)
After three days of competition, the INP-HB student team won first place with their project "All SMART," an educational engineering platform designed to support children with learning difficulties. The University of Ottawa and École Polytechnique secured second and third place, respectively.
Beyond the competition, participants engaged in cultural and networking activities, including visits to local heritage sites and interactive workshops. The event concluded with discussions on future sustainability and social justice topics, setting the stage for the next edition of the challenge.