Microsoft UAE in collaboration with the Higher Colleges of Technology held the Imagine Cup 2014 semi-finals for the UAE region on 21st April 2014. After meticulous assessment of the five 20 minute presentations, Team I Connect – from American University of Sharjah, was announced as the winner. The team developed a full azure/phone solution to monitor status of completely paralyzed patients to know their state of mind. Whether it is hunger, pain, or other emotions the phone can identify. The doctor can check on his phone the holistic well being of the patient with his latest state of mind and can refresh a any time.
The judging panel comprises of knowledgeable industry experts like, H.E. Abdalla Mohamed Saleh, Consultant-Government, Customer Services Transition Chairman Office, Department of Municipal Affairs, Government of Abu Dhabi, Lt. Colonel Faisal Mohammed Al Shimmari, Director Ministry of Interior/Abu Dhabi Police Child Protection, Centre General Secretariat of H.H. the Minister’s office, Alexandar Williams, Director Strategy and Policy Division Dubai SME, Noor Al Nouman, Executive Director Department of Information & Government, Sharjah and Samer Geissah, Vice President, Consumer Home & Multimedia Services, Du.
The 12th edition of Imagine Cup started accepting entries in September 2013, where teams comprising of four members, aged 16 to 26 years were challenged to develop innovative projects and present real world solutions to real world problems. 17 projects were submitted from seven universities cross the UAE out of which five made it to the semi- finals. This year the two winning teams (I Connect and M.S.A) will represent the UAE in 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.
Imagine Cup, currently in its third year in the UAE, had Team M.S.A. last year from Ajman University as the winner. Their project called “H.E.A.R” was an innovative robot and Windows Phone application to assist with lecture capturing for universities worldwide. The team is competing this year as well with another creative project in the pipeline.
Michael Mansour, DPE Lead, Microsoft Gulf said, “For the past 11 years, Imagine Cup has been a place of inspiration and innovation for students around the world. The students participating in this competition demonstrate the very best in innovation and together are creating new apps, innovations and services that will change the way the world works, interacts and learns. We are incredibly proud of the semi-finalists who competed in Imagine Cup this year and stand in awe of the projects and technology they brought forth during the competition.”
Dr. Saoud Al Mulla, Director of Higher Colleges of Technology, said, “Imagine Cup is a forum for exceptional students from around the world to channelize their passion and creativity into thoughtful, innovative solutions that have the potential for real-world impact. The commitment of the students towards their respective teams and projects demonstrates that these students are finding ways to address everyday problems through technology and are trying to make the world a better place.”
Now in its twelfth year worldwide and 8th year within the Gulf region, the competition has grown to become the world’s global student technology competition with more than 1.65 million students from more than 190 countries having participated in the Microsoft Imagine Cup annual competition from inception.
