🌊 UIU MARINER Makes History at MATE ROV World Championship 2025

We are thrilled to announce that UIU MARINER, the underwater robotics team from United International University (UIU), has ranked 5th globally in the *Pioneer category at the prestigious 2025 MATE ROV World Championship held in the USA. This marks a historic moment as the first-ever Bangladeshi team to participate and win in this elite international competition.

Figure 1. Team UIU MARINER at the competition venue

Not only did we secure a top-five global position, but we also clinched the Best Technical Documentation Award, a testament to our commitment to precision, clarity, and engineering excellence.

“We, UIU MARINER, became 5th worldwide in the Pioneer category at the 2025 MATE ROV World Championship. We have also won the Best Technical Documentation segment! This is the first time a team from Bangladesh has participated and won at this prestigious underwater robotics competition.”

My Experience

As a lecturer in Computer Science and Engineering at UIU, I had the honor of accompanying the team to the United States. The competition was held in Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center in Alpena, Michigan. We traveled for around 40 hours to reach Chiacgo and then stayed at a motel there. Afterwards, we traveled by road to reach rogers city, Michigan near Alpena. The journey was more than geographical—it was a leap into global innovation, collaboration, and representation.

From visa preparations to navigating international logistics, every step was a learning curve. I witnessed firsthand the resilience and brilliance of our students as they competed with teams from across the globe, showcasing Bangladeshi talent on an international stage.

Figure 2. After Safety Inspection of our ROV (P:S: We passed the safety check with flying colors!)

My contributions spanned multiple dimensions:

Technical Guidance: I supported the team in the electrical segment, helping refine circuitry.
Logistics & Management: Coordinated travel, documentation, and on-site arrangements to ensure smooth participation.
Documentation Excellence: Assisted in technical report, emphasizing reproducibility, clarity, and innovation.

After the competition, we visited University of Chicago! The university’s surrounding environment was inspiring. I, along with my students were amazed at the facilities they have. We hope that such our university back home will someday follow footsteps of top universities like University of Chiacgo.

Figure 3. Visiting University of Chicago!

📰 Media Highlights

Our achievement has been featured in several national outlets:

The Business Standard: UIU MARINER ranks 5th globally, tops Asia in underwater robotics
Ittefaq Digital Feature on UIU MARINER
We were also fortunate to share our story in an live interview at Jamuna TV. Here is the link Interview at Jamuna TV

These stories amplify the message: Bangladesh is ready to lead in global tech innovation.

🚀 Looking Ahead

This milestone is not the end—it’s a beginning. UIU MARINER’s success opens doors for future Bangladeshi teams to dream bigger, build smarter, and compete globally. As a mentor and researcher, I remain committed to nurturing talent, bridging cultures, and advancing science through education.

Let this be a call to all aspiring innovators: the ocean of opportunity is vast, and Bangladesh is ready to dive in.