The premier technology competition is back! Currently in its twelfth year, Imagine Cup is a global student technology program and competition. It provides a platform to students across all disciplines to team up and use their technological knowledge, passion and creativity to create applications, games and integrated solutions that can change the way we play, live and work.
The UAE local final will take place on the 21st April 2014 at Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT), Dubai. The top five finalists namely, Innov8 -American University of Sharjah, I-Connect – American University of Sharjah, M.S.A -Ajman University of Science and Technology, FRESH -Ajman University of Science and Technology and Heroes -University of Wollongong will showcase their innovative projects to the Microsoft judging panel, and a winner will be announced amongst them. The winning team will then be invited to Qatar for the pan-Arab semi-finals taking place from May 31st to June 4th and then the winners will go to the worldwide finals to be held in Seattle later in July.
This year, in addition to the core World Citizenship, Innovation and Gaming competitions (prize of $50,000 each), the Imagine Cup 2014 will offer three new and exciting non-technology challenges globally, in which participants will stand a chance to win US $3,000 cash prize each. The new challenges are: Pitch Video Challenge requires students to record a three to five minute video with the team to pitch their project. Project Blueprint Challenge requires students to dig deep into their thinking and deliver a written project proposal covering the end-users, requirements, scenarios and business model.
User Experience Challenge is aimed at encouraging teams to focus on transformative user experiences. The teams will have to show the user flow, wireframes and a visual target for how the software will look on screen.
Michael Mansour, DPE Lead, Microsoft Gulf said, “The Imagine Cup is Microsoft’s initiative to encourage young students to utilize their imagination and creativity for innovative technological advancements that can further address real-world issues. Imagine Cup compliments Microsoft’s commitment to create social and economic opportunity through programs and products that can transform education, foster local innovation, drive future prosperity and enable jobs and opportunities within UAE and worldwide.”
Dr. Saoud Al Mulla, Director of Higher Colleges of Technology, “Imagine Cup has opened new doors for students in the field of technology. It has given the students an opportunity to learn the basic know how of launching their own businesses and bring their own individual ideas into the market. I would like to encourage the students in the UAE to make the most of this extraordinary opportunity.”
