The historic achievement for Bangladesh and Asia. The UIU Mars Rover Team, operating under the Center for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (CAIR) at United International University (UIU) has achieved a historic milestone by securing 3rd place globally and 1st place in Asia— Bangladesh’s flag flies high for the fifth consecutive time at the prestigious University Rover Challenge (URC) 2026 organized by The Mars Society, USA. This remarkable accomplishment marks a historic and proud moment for Bangladesh. It is also recognized as a unique achievement in the 20 years history of rover competitions in Asia. The winning team was welcomed through a colorful receptionand a press conference was held on 07 June 2026, at the UIU campus to highlight these historic achievements and successes, as well as future plans.The competition was held on 27-30 May 2026 at the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) in Hanksville, Utah, USA. The ‘UIU Mars Rover Team’ has consistently demonstrated excellence in the competition, earning the distinction of being the 1st team in Asia for five consecutive years, from 2022 – 2026.
Engr. Md. Abdul Moqaddem, Vice Chancellor (In-charge) and Treasurer of UIU, Professor Emeritus Dr. M. Rizwan Khan, Executive Director, Institute for Advanced Research (IAR), UIU, Prof. Dr. Hasan Sarwar, Dean, School of Science and Engineering, UIU, Dr. Md. Zulfiqar Rahman, Registrar of UIU and Md. Abid Hossain, Mentor of UIU Mars Rover Team and Lecturer, Dept. of CSE, UIU were present at the press conference. The press conference was moderated by Mr. Abu Sadat, Director, Office of Strategic Communication.
United International University (UIU) has added another historic chapter to its long-standing journey of excellence in education, research, innovation, and global recognition. Since its inception, UIU has distinguished itself through world-class education, research, innovation, and talent development, consistently prioritizing quality over quantity.“Quest for Excellence” is not just a tagline for UIU—it reflects the university’s culture, philosophy, and daily work ethic. The latest recognition of this continuous journey of excellence has come on the global stage through the International Rover Competition.
During the four-day final, the teams performed four missions including science exploration, autonomous navigation, extreme terrain traversal and Equipment servicing missions to demonstrate the capabilities of their rover and operation skills. UIU Mars Rover successfully completed all four missions and represented the university along with the country with pride.
Competing against some of the world’s leading engineering institutions, the UIU Mars Rover Team earned an overall score of 400.44 points, securing 3rd place among the world’s top university rover teams and 1st place among Asian teams in the prestigious University Rover Challenge (URC) 2026. In addition to its podium finish, the team received the Best Autonomous System Recognition, highlighting the exceptional performance of its autonomous navigation, perception, and decision-making capabilities.
The final standings were:
- Missouri University of S & T Mars Rover Design Team, USA became the champion with scores of 469.57 points.
- Monash Nova Rover, Australia secured 2nd position with scores of 412.41 points.
- UIU Mars Rover Team, Bangladesh secured 3rd position with scores of 400.44 points.
The achievement becomes even more significant considering the scale and competitiveness of the event. A total of 116 university teams from around the world initially participated in the University Rover Challenge 2026. Following a rigorous multi-stage evaluation process, only 38 teams were selected to advance to the final on-site competition at the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) in Utah, USA. The UIU Mars Rover Team not only qualified among the world’s best teams but ultimately secured a place on the global podium. A total of 38 finalist teams from 15 countries, including the United States, Poland, India, Bangladesh, Australia, Canada, South Korea, Italy, Japan, Mexico, and Türkiye, competed in the grand final of the competition.
This achievement marks a historic moment for both Bangladesh and Asia. The UIU Mars Rover Team is the first Asian team in the 20-year history of the On-Site University Rover Challenge to secure a podium position, breaking a long-standing barrier and establishing a new benchmark for robotics and space exploration research in the region. The UIU Mars Rover Team was advised by Prof. Dr. Hasan Sarwar, Dean, School of Science and Engineering, UIU and Dr. Suman Ahammed, Head, Dept. of CSE, UIU. The team was mentored by Md. Abid Hossain, Lecturer, Dept. of CSE, UIU.
Behind this remarkable achievement, alongside the talent, perseverance, and innovative spirit of the students, the visionary support, encouragement, and long-term commitment of United Group have played a significant role. United Group has always believed that world-class education, research, innovation, and talent development are the key foundations for creating future leaders.Through continuous investment in education, research infrastructure, technology, and student capacity development, the Group is working to establish UIU as a knowledge-based institution of international standard.
This achievement once again proves that Bangladesh can lead the world when visionary leadership, faculty guidance, student talent, and institutional support come together. It will also inspire future generations to dream bigger and demonstrate Bangladesh’s capabilities on the global stage.