UIU secures third place globally at University Rover Challenge 2026

The UIU Mars Rover Team of United International University (UIU) has secured third place globally and first place in Asia at the University Rover Challenge (URC) 2026.

The competition, organised by The Mars Society, was held from May 27 to 30 at the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) in Hanksville, Utah, United States, according to a press release.

UIU said the achievement marks the fifth consecutive year that its Mars Rover Team has been ranked as the top Asian team in the competition.

A reception and press conference were held at the UIU campus on June 7 to celebrate the achievement and outline future plans.

Among those present were Engr Md Abdul Moqaddem, vice-chancellor (in-charge) and treasurer of UIU; M Rizwan Khan, professor emeritus and executive director of the Institute for Advanced Research; Hasan Sarwar, dean of the School of Science and Engineering; Md Zulfiqar Rahman, registrar; and Md Abid Hossain, mentor of the UIU Mars Rover Team and lecturer of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering.

The press conference was moderated by Abu Sadat, director of the Office of Strategic Communication.

During the four-day final round, teams competed in four missions: science exploration, autonomous navigation, extreme terrain traversal and equipment servicing.

The UIU Mars Rover Team successfully completed all four missions.

Competing against leading engineering institutions from around the world, the team scored 400.44 points to secure third place overall and first place among Asian teams.

The team also received the Best Autonomous System Recognition for its performance in autonomous navigation, perception and decision-making.

The final standings were:

1. Missouri University of Science and Technology Mars Rover Design Team, United States — 469.57 points
2. Monash Nova Rover, Australia — 412.41 points
3. UIU Mars Rover Team, Bangladesh — 400.44 points

A total of 116 university teams initially entered the competition. Following multiple evaluation stages, 38 teams from 15 countries qualified for the final round.

The finalist teams represented countries including the United States, Poland, India, Bangladesh, Australia, Canada, South Korea, Italy, Japan, Mexico and Türkiye.

According to UIU, the team is the first from Asia to secure a podium finish in the 20-year history of the on-site University Rover Challenge.

The team was advised by Hasan Sarwar, dean of the School of Science and Engineering, and Suman Ahammed, head of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering. It was mentored by Md Abid Hossain, lecturer of the department.

According to the university, support from United Group played an important role in the team's development through investments in education, research infrastructure, technology and student capacity-building.