Faculty of Engineering at Cairo University secured third place globally in the Shell Eco-Marathon Autonomous Programming Competition—a highly competitive international challenge focused on self-driving vehicle technology.
The event, held in Qatar, brought together 24 elite teams from across the globe and formed part of the prestigious Shell Eco-Marathon 2025, one of the world’s foremost sustainability-focused student competitions.
A Milestone of National Pride
Dr. Mohamed Sami Abdel Sadeq, President of Cairo University, praised the achievement, stating:
“We are immensely proud of our students’ outstanding performance on the global stage. Securing third place in such a demanding competition reflects the high caliber of education and research at Cairo University and reinforces the capacity of our students to excel internationally.”
He further affirmed the university’s commitment to supporting youth talent, innovation, and scientific advancement as core components of Egypt’s future.
Dr. Hossam Abdel Fattah, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, added:
“This success is a culmination of relentless teamwork, creative thinking, and technical mastery. It reflects the college’s enduring commitment to cultivating excellence, innovation, and a problem-solving mindset.”
Outstanding Performance Across Categories
In addition to its podium finish in the Autonomous Programming Competition, the Cairo University team also participated in the Urban Concept and Prototype Concept categories—designing and manufacturing two student-built vehicles that successfully advanced through rigorous qualification stages. Competing against over 100 teams from 18 countries, the team was also named a finalist in the Communication Award, ranking among the top five globally for outreach and engagement.
In the Prototype Concept category, the team introduced Egypt’s first fully modular vehicle chassis, engineered for rapid assembly and disassembly—a feature that impressed judges and set a new benchmark for transport efficiency and race-readiness.
In the Autonomous Programming division, the team focused on developing a fully autonomous vehicle capable of navigating a virtual environment using artificial intelligence, computer vision, and advanced algorithmic control. Their vehicle achieved:
- Distance: 2.88 km
- Time: 347.3 seconds
- Energy Consumption: 0.195 kWh
- Efficiency: 14.77 km/kWh
This placed Cairo University third in the world and second in Africa, ahead of teams from some of the world’s most prestigious universities.
Student-Driven Innovation
This international success was driven by a dedicated team of 50 students—selected from a larger group of 120 members—under the academic supervision of Dr. Omar Hazein, professor in the Department of Mechanical Power Engineering. Their collaborative effort represents a model for interdisciplinary, student-led innovation at scale.
