Seventeen-year-old Ugandan student Enayah Juma Birungi has won several awards at the 2026 World Scholar’s Cup Global Round in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Birungi, a Year 12 student at Pine International School, finished sixth globally in the individual writing competition. She was also the only African student reported to have won a trophy in that category.
The World Scholar’s Cup brings together students from different countries for academic activities involving debate, collaborative writing and knowledge-based challenges.
The Kuala Lumpur Global Round took place at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre from June 26 to July 1, 2026.
Students from 27 countries competed in Team Debate, Collaborative Writing, the Scholar’s Challenge and the Scholar’s Bowl.
Birungi’s journey to Malaysia began at the World Scholar’s Cup regional round held in Kampala from April 1 to 3.
Her performance in Kampala earned her qualification for the global competition.
She travelled to Malaysia with her teammates on June 24 and returned to Uganda on July 3.
According to the account of her performance, Birungi won six medals and one trophy.
Her awards included gold medals in individual and team debate. She also received silver medals in the Scholar’s Bowl and team writing.
Birungi earned another gold medal and a trophy for her performance in individual writing.
Pine International School entered three teams in the competition. All three finished among the five highest-ranked African teams.
In the individual writing contest, participants responded to a prompt asking what would be most dangerous to count if the world became obsessed with counting something.
Birungi chose lies as the subject of her essay.
She said the result helped her overcome doubts about her abilities.
“I really doubted myself. Winning the writing trophy showed that I am capable of much more than I thought,” Birungi said.
She encouraged other students to take advantage of opportunities without becoming overly concerned about the final outcome.
Birungi credited her interest in writing to two schoolmates, Darlene and Jan, whose work she admires.
The World Scholar’s Cup runs regional and global academic rounds in several countries.
Students who perform well at regional events qualify for global rounds. Successful participants at global competitions can earn invitations to the annual Tournament of Champions at Yale University.
The programme says its competitions aim to help students discover and develop skills through collaborative learning and international interaction.
