Iraqi Kurdistan selects its team for Imagine Cup 2011 contest
The first local Microsoft Imagine Cup Competition final held in Iraqi Kurdistan, gave the opportunity to a team of three students from one of the Universities of Kurdistan to participate in the Worldwide Imagine Cup 2011 in New York this July.
Microsoft and the KRG Department of Information Technology collaborated to make this event a reality, in order to support innovation and technology in the region.
The first local Imagine Cup 2011 contest was held Tuesday evening at the IT Academy in Erbil, Iraq. More than 100 students representing 8 different universities from the Kurdistan Region formed the 20 teams that participated in this event.
Supporting the youth and enabling them to prove themselves through innovation, technology and hard work is a vision the Microsoft shares with the KRG Department of IT. It is an essential part of the KRG IT Strategy and Blueprint.
The 20 teams went through a qualifier round, which was supervised by judges from Microsoft and independent Kurdish IT Experts. Following a grueling three-hour process, three teams emerged as finalists, earning the right to go on stage in front of a live jury panel.
Team Hawk from the American University of Iraq- Sulaimani bested its peers and took first place and with it the privilege of representing Iraqi Kurdistan in the Worldwide Imagine Cup 2011 in New York, USA.
Wireless Minds, another team from the American University of Iraq- Sulaimani, earned the first runner up spot edging Team Regal from the University of Duhok by a small margin.
The three teams earned a standing ovation from the audience in addition to prizes courtesy of the event organizers.
“It is the first time that the Universities from the Kurdistan Region of Iraq to participate in the contest. It is the ideas, actions and dedication of the participating students will shape the future of our region. They are the next generation of CEOs and public officials of our region,” said Botan Mahmoud Osman, head of the KRG Department of IT. “Microsoft Imagine Cup is one of the most rewarding programs we have started in this region. Thanks to our friends from Microsoft who are here today, we have placed a star for the Kurdistan Region of Iraq on the global technology map by participating in Imagine Cup 2011.”
Osman added that, “Our challenge now is to move ahead year on year powered by the innovation of our students to make this star brighter and brighter each year and continue to focus on the dream that one day a student from the Kurdistan Region of Iraq will win the Imagine Cup worldwide competition.”
“We are happy to be here in Kurdistan of Iraq. At Microsoft our primary mission is to put in the hands of the student the necessary tools to empower them to innovate to let loose their hopes and dreams so that they can share it with the World,” said Rajai El-Khadem, Business Development Manager for Microsoft. “Imagine Cup is the forum that gives the student the voice that can help them reach the World and share their ideas.”
Imagine Cup is a Microsoft-sponsored competition held in a different country each year. Imagine Cup brings together young technologists and students worldwide to help resolve some of the world’s toughest challenges through technology-enabled applications. Through this competition, the participants will contribute to meeting the UN Millennium Development Goals by designing software solutions addressing the challenges to meet these goals, including 1- End Poverty and Hunger; 2- Universal Education; 3- Gender Equality; 4- Child Health; 5- Maternal Health; 6- Combat HIV/AIDS; 7-Environmental Sustainability; and 8- Global Partnership.
The KRG Department of Information Technology (www.it.krg.org ) is the lead Information Technology agency in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Founded in 2007, it is mandated as the highest authority on IT in the region. Its mission is to lead the development of IT and modernise the KRG through a unified IT policy. It is currently implementing a five year IT strategy for the region to deliver e-government and increase ICT capacity and development in the region.
For updates on the department’s activities sign up to our facebook.com/krgit and twitter: @KRGIT
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