UWI Five Islands Campus Makes Historic Debut at ICPC Latin America Championship

Students from The University of the West Indies (UWI) Five Islands Campus are representing Antigua and Barbuda on the regional stage this week as they compete in the prestigious International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC) Latin America Championship in Chile.

The competition, which runs from March 3–8, 2026, marks the first time a team from Antigua and Barbuda has participated in person at this level of the world-renowned programming competition.

The UWI Five Islands Campus team, named “Frostbyte,” earned its place in the championship after successfully advancing through two challenging regional elimination rounds. The team is made up of students Ajante Fraser, Silford Moore, and Akeem Richards, all from the School of Science, Computing and Artificial Intelligence (SoSCAI).

They are accompanied by Dr. Ilenius Ildephonce, head of the SoSCAI, who has played a key role in developing the campus’s growing reputation in competitive programming.

Often referred to as the “Olympics of Coding,” the ICPC challenges teams of three students to solve complex algorithmic problems within a limited time, testing their problem-solving ability, teamwork, and technical expertise.

The Latin America Championship serves as a semi-final round in the global contest, with the top teams advancing to the ICPC World Finals in Dubai scheduled for November 2026, where the world’s top university programmers will compete.

Campus Principal Professor C. Justin Robinson praised the team’s achievement, describing it as a proud moment for the institution and for Antigua and Barbuda.

“We are immensely proud of Ajante, Silford and Akeem for this historic achievement,” Robinson said. “This milestone reflects the talent and determination of our students and the strength of our academic programmes. At The UWI Five Islands Campus, we are committed to preparing our students not only for competitions like these but for success in the real world—whether in the workforce or as technology entrepreneurs.”

The campus also expressed gratitude to the Antigua and Barbuda Board of Education for supporting the team’s travel to Chile and for its continued investment in student development and academic excellence.

Officials say initiatives like this are expected to strengthen the country’s STEM development, encouraging more young people to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

The International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC) is the world’s oldest and largest programming competition, attracting tens of thousands of students from universities across the globe each year. A strong performance by the UWI Five Islands team could secure them a coveted spot at the ICPC World Finals later this year.