PROD opens doors for Filipino students in global tech challenge

PROD, the world’s first international software engineering olympiad for high school students, is now inviting Filipino students in Grades 8 to 12 to join a global competition designed to develop the next generation of tech talent. As the Philippines continues to strengthen its position as a regional center for software development, digital services, and STEM education, PROD offers young Filipinos an opportunity to take on real-world engineering challenges and gain skills that are increasingly in demand in the country’s fast-growing IT sector.

Large-scale software engineeringthe foundation of the olympiad, mirrors how major global technology companies build complex digital products through teamwork, business analysis, and modern development practices. At PROD, students work with real business cases inspired by large tech companies, explore examples of business process automation, and create their own applications and digital services aimed at improving efficiency and reducing costs. Filipino participants will gain insight into how industry leaders think and solve real problems, developing practical engineering skills long before entering university.
 
All rounds of the olympiad, except the final, take place online, ensuring that students from any part of the Philippines, from Luzon to Visayas and Mindanao, can participate. Finalists will be invited to Moscow for the team stage, with food and accommodation fully covered by the organizers. This year marks the first time PROD is being held internationally and made accessible to students worldwide.
 
The olympiad is organized by leading Russian institutions: Central University, a top practice-oriented STEM university; T-Technologies, one of the world’s largest digital financial ecosystems; and the Faculty of Computer Science at HSE University, one of Russia’s key centers of IT research. Participants will be mentored by experienced developers from T-Technologies, the company behind Russia’s largest online bank, whose digital products are considered global benchmarks in mobile fintech and service design.
 
Registration is open until 2 December 2025. The first round, to be held on 5-8 December, includes a basic test in math and programming. The second round, set for 15-25 January 2026, will feature a case study in one or more tracks, including frontend, backend, mobile development, and the new MLOps engineering track. The individual final round will take place on 12-24 February 2026, and the team final round in Moscow will be held on 13-17 March, followed by the awards ceremony on 18 March. Strong programming skills are not required; logical thinking and basic computer science knowledge are sufficient for participation.
 
Winners and runners-up will have access to opportunities such as tuition-free admission to Central University, tuition discounts for selected programs at HSE University, fast-track internship selection at T-Technologies, and official olympiad merchandise. In 2024, PROD received over 10,000 applications, with more than 4,000 students from 24 countries selected to participate, demonstrating growing international interest in software engineering education. This year, Filipino students are invited to join that global community and represent one of Asia’s most dynamic and rapidly developing IT ecosystems.