UIU honours Aerial Robotics Team for fourth-place finish at SUAS 2026

United International University (UIU) held a reception today (23 September) to celebrate its Aerial Robotics Team (UART), which secured fourth place globally at the Student Unmanned Aerial Systems (SUAS) 2026 Competition in the United States.

The reception was held at 10am at the UIU campus following UART's performance at the international competition, held from 14 to 17 September at Skyway Range in Tulsa, Oklahoma, according to the press release.

Competing in the international event for the first time, UIU's Aerial Robotics Team secured fourth place among teams from universities and educational institutions worldwide.

UIU said the achievement marked the first time a Bangladeshi team had secured such a position in the history of the SUAS Competition.

The Student Unmanned Aerial Systems Competition has been held annually since 2002 and is designed to test students' capabilities in designing, integrating and operating autonomous aerial systems.

For the 2026 competition, 85 teams registered, while 64 teams representing 10 countries earned flight-readiness approval to compete at Skyway Range.

A total of 55 flights were conducted during the competition, with 21 crashes recorded.

Despite the challenging operating conditions, UART successfully completed its mission through strategic decision-making and technical expertise, eventually securing fourth place.

UIU Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Md Abul Kashem Mia, who attended the reception as the chief guest, said the achievement reflected the students' talent, hard work, innovative thinking and technological expertise.

He described the result as an important demonstration of the capabilities of Bangladesh's higher education sector and its young generation.

The vice-chancellor said UIU would continue its efforts to promote research, innovation and technology-driven education while creating greater opportunities for students to demonstrate their knowledge and capabilities at the international level.

Dr Riasat Azim, mentor of the UIU Aerial Robotics Team and associate professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) at UIU, said UART's fourth-place global finish was the result of the dedication, technical expertise, creativity and teamwork of its students, faculty members and mentors.

He said the achievement also reflected UIU's continued commitment to experiential learning, research, innovation and technology-driven education.

Participation in the international competition provided UIU students with hands-on experience in solving real-world problems, demonstrating team leadership and applying advanced technologies in challenging environments, he added.

Riasat expressed gratitude to the UIU authorities for their support and cooperation in enabling the team to participate in the international competition.

UART's success marks another addition to UIU's record of participation and achievement in international robotics and technology competitions.

The university said that through continued investment in research, innovation and student-led technological initiatives, it is creating opportunities for students to develop practical technological solutions to complex real-world challenges and demonstrate their capabilities on international platforms.

UIU said the achievement also highlighted the role of institutional support, faculty guidance, student talent and technical preparation in helping young innovators compete internationally.

The university expressed hope that the result would encourage future generations of students to pursue larger ambitions in robotics, engineering and technology and demonstrate Bangladesh's capabilities internationally.

Faculty members, students, UART team members, senior university officials and other guests attended the reception ceremony.