*More than 400 students invited to showcase their technology to solve the world’s toughest problems at Microsoft Imagine Cup 2011 Worldwide Finals in New York.*
NEW YORK — May 23, 2011 — In July, more than 400 of the brightest young minds from around the world will travel to New York to showcase their innovative ideas for using technology to solve the world’s toughest problems. As the winners of regional, national and online Imagine Cup competitions, these high school and university students represent the pinnacle of innovation, creativity and entrepreneurialism from 73 countries and regions around the globe.
This year, more than 350,000 students from 183 countries registered for Microsoft Corp.’s Imagine Cup, the world’s premier student technology competition. The 124 student teams secured their places at the July 8–13 Worldwide Finals event, where they will demonstrate technological advancements in problem-solving and compete for international recognition and $215,000 (U.S.) in cash prizes in categories including Software Design, Embedded Development, Game Design, Digital Media, Windows Phone 7, IT Challenge, Interoperability Challenge, Windows 7 Touch Challenge and the Orchard Challenge. The students’ projects tackle serious humanitarian issues, often inspired by the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, such as the environment, health, accessibility and education.
“Some of history’s greatest inventions were created by students. With the Microsoft Imagine Cup, students apply their innovative thinking to real-world causes in order to generate the future’s greatest inventions as well,” said S. Somasegar, senior vice president, Developer Division at Microsoft. “To see young innovators and entrepreneurs harness their creativity and talent to benefit a greater good is absolutely inspiring.”
Last year, Team GINA from the Czech Republic was among the finalist teams that competed at the Imagine Cup 2010 Worldwide Finals in Warsaw, Poland. The team developed GINA (Geographical INformation Assistant), an innovative software system for mobile equipment that provides navigation in difficult terrain, helps coordinate rescue teams, and enables the efficient exchange of geographical information. Together with the humanitarian organization Hand for Help Europe o.s. and its partners, the GINA system has been deployed in Haiti to track the progress of the cholera epidemic, and recently has been helping rescue workers in Japan monitor areas affected by the recent earthquake and tsunami that devastated the country.
“Technology has tremendous potential to solve humanitarian problems, and the Imagine Cup gave me a platform to share my ideas for making the world a better place,” said Team GINA member Zbynek Poulicek. “The Imagine Cup was also a launching pad to start my own business and have an impact in places like Haiti and Japan.”
More information about the GINA system is available at https://www.ginasystem.com.
2011 marks the first time that the Imagine Cup Worldwide Finals event, now in its ninth year, will take place in the United States. Although the primary focus of the gathering is the competition, the finalist teams will also have opportunities to attend special training sessions, meet peers from around the world, and participate in volunteer and cultural activities while in New York. The final event of the competition, the Imagine Cup World Festival and Awards Ceremony, will take place on Wednesday, July 13.
The worldwide finalist teams are:
Country | Category | School(s) | Team Name |
Algeria | Software Design | Ecole Nationale Superieur d’Informatique | Epsilon |
Algeria | Embedded Development | Ecole Nationale Superieur d’Informatique | Green Stroumpfs |
Armenia | Software Design | Yerevan State University, State Engineering University of Armenia | X-Tech |
Algeria | Software Design | Ecole Nationale Superieur d’Informatique | Epsilon |
Australia | Software Design | Canberra University | UCEEG |
Bangladesh | Software Design | American International University | Rapture |
Belgium | Windows Phone 7 | Campus karel de goedelaan Howest | Digitron-WP7 |
Belgium | Game Design Mobile | Campus karel de goedelaan Howest | Crash Games |
Bosnia and Herzegovina | Software Design | Slobomir P University | CPU Team |
Brazil | Software Design | Federal University of Pernambuco | LevelUp |
Brazil | Embedded Development | UFPE, Universidade de Pernambuco, Universidade Federal Rual de Pernambuco | Embedded Brain |
Brazil | Game Design (Windows/Xbox) | Federal University of Pernambuco | Replay |
Brazil | Game Design (Windows/Xbox) | Universidade Positivo | Signum Games |
Brazil | Digital Media | Universidade Estadual Paulista | Quarentaedois |
Brazil | Interoperability Challenge | Federal University of Pernambuco | Bells Team |
Bulgaria | Software Design | Technical University of Sofia, New Bulgarian University and Sofia University | Walk2Help |
Bulgaria | Game Design (Web) | Sofia University, University of Hertfordshire | GreenWorld |
Chile | Software Design | Universidad Tecnica Federico Santa Maria | Lifeware S.A.C. |
China | Software Design | City Institute, Dalian University of Technology | Care Everyone |
China | Embedded Development | Tsinghua University | Harmonicare |
China | IT Challenge | Huazhong University of Science and Technology | Xuewen Tian |
Colombia | Embedded Development | Universidad Icesi | Freakin’ Mind |
Costa Rica | Software Design | Not available | CarPooling Mate Finder |
Croatia | Software Design | Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing, University of Zagreb | Apptenders |
Cyprus | Software Design | University of Cyprus | iDOC |
Czech Republic | Software Design | Faculty of Informatics at Masaryk University | Celebrio Software |
Czech Republic | Game Design (Windows/Xbox) | Brno University of Technology | WickedTeam |
Ecuador | Software Design | Escuela Superior Politécnica del Chimborazo | Falcon Dev |
Egypt | Software Design | Faculty of Computers and Information, Cairo University | Cairo Team 3 |
Egypt | Embedded Development | Ain Shams University, Computer and Systems Engineering | ideas 4 u |
Finland | Software Design | Turku University of Applied Sciences | 25k |
France | Software Design | École Française d’Électronique et d’Informatique | Dream’n’Touch |
France | Embedded Development | École Française d’Électronique et d’Informatique | Give Me 4 |
France | Game Design (Mobile) | Epitech | Close World Mobile |
France | Game Design (Mobile) | Ingesup, Supinfogame | Geekologic |
France | IT Challenge | Supinfo International University | Jean-Sebastien Duchene |
Germany | Software Design | Dresden University of Technology | majiRanger |
Germany | Embedded Development | Duale Hochschule Baden-Wurttemberg | JOFNET |
Germany | IT Challenge | Karlsruhe Institute of Technology | Alexander Wachtel |
Greece | Software Design | School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece | Epione |
Greece | Interoperability Challenge | Athens University of Economics and Business | alaniarides |
India | Software Design | University College of Engineering, Punjabi University | Infiniti |
India | Embedded Development | V.E.S. Institute of Technology | Drushti |
India | Digital Media | Madurai Kamaraj University, University of Birmingham | Green Uno |
Indonesia | Software Design | Telkom Institute of Technology | Gatotkaca |
Indonesia | Embedded Development | University of Indonesia | MACARA |
Iraq | Software Design | American University of Iraq- Sulaimani | Hawk |
Ireland | Software Design | Institute of Technology Sligo | Hermes |
Italy | Software Design | University Frederico Secondo of Naples | Nea Soft |
Japan | Software Design | Dosisha University | MI3 |
Japan | Embedded Development | Kyoto University of Technology, Salesian Polytechnic, Osaka Municipal College of Design | SunDonation |
Jordan | Software Design | German Jordanian University, Petra University, Princess Sumaya University | Oasys |
Korea | Software Design | SeJong University | Four Leaf Clover |
Korea | Embedded Development | National University | Link Your Passion |
Korea | Windows Phone 7 | Dongguk University, Samgmyung University | HOMERUN |
Korea | Windows Phone 7 | Seoul National University of Technology, Soongsil University in Seoul, Korea University of Technology and Education, Ewha Women’s University | Zipi Zigi |
Kuwait | Software Design | American University of Kuwait | SWAP Team |
Lebanon | Software Design | American University of Beirut | D4W |
Malaysia | Software Design | UCTI University, Asia Pacific University | Team Cyber Knightz |
Mexico | Software Design | Universidad Iberoamericana | Brain |
Mexico | Game Design (Mobile) | Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico | Fomis Phone Team |
Morocco | Software Design | École Marocaine des Sciences de l’Ingénieur | Whitelight |
Netherlands | Software Design | Not available | Olife |
New Zealand | Software Design | University of Auckland | OneBuzz |
Nigeria | Software Design | Federal University of Technology | Nerds Inc. |
Oman | Digital Media | Sultan Qaboos University | Brothers Forever |
Oman | Software Design | Sultan Qaboos University | Edunology |
Pakistan | Embedded Development | Lahore University of Management Sciences | The Pioneers |
Pakistan | Software Design | FAST — National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences, Islamabad | V3C |
Palestinian Authorities | Software Design | Palestine Polytechnic University | Vital Dreams |
Peru | Software Design | Universidad Católica Santo Toribio de Mogrovejo | Nawy Harkay |
Philippines | Game Design (Web) | De La Salle University | Signum Fidei |
Philippines | Software Design | Ateneo De Manila University, De La Salle University | polymor.ph |
Poland | Embedded Development | Wojskowa Akademia Technicza | WCY_TEAM |
Poland | Game Design (Web) | Uniwersytet Im. Adama Mickiewicza | Cellardoor |
Poland | Interoperability Challenge | Uniwerstytet Adama Mickiewicza W Poznaniu | DemosceneSpirit |
Poland | IT Challenge | Poznan University of Technology | Blazej Matuszyk |
Poland | Software Design | Polytechnika Lodzka | CodeRaiders |
Portugal | Software Design | Instituto Politecnico Do Cavado E Do Ave | RescueMe |
Puerto Rico | Software Design | Universidad Metropolitana, Sistema Ana G. Mendez | Team A41 |
Romania | Digital Media | NW College London, Universitatea Bucuresti | M.N.A. |
Romania | Embedded Development | Gh. Asachi Technical University of Iasi | Endeavour_Design |
Romania | IT Challenge | Alexandru Ioan University | Sinescu Ionut |
Romania | Software Design | Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca | Simplex |
Russia | Embedded Development | Saratov State Technical University | Calvus |
Russia | Game Design (Mobile) | Yaroslavl State University | CRS |
Russia | Software Design | Moscow Aviation Institute | Oriteam |
Senegal | Software Design | L’ecole polytechnique de Dakar | CYAN GIRLS |
Serbia | Software Design | University of Novi Sad | 4K-join |
Singapore | Embedded Development | Nanyang Polytechnic | Skynet |
Singapore | IT Challenge | Nanyang Polytechnic | Yunheng Mong |
Singapore | Software Design | Temasek Polytechnic | ElderGuardian |
Singapore | Windows Phone 7 | Tamesek Polytechnic | Code Instincts |
Slovakia | Game Design (Web) | Slovak University of Technology | Quegee Team |
Slovakia | Software Design | Technicka Univerzita V Kosiciach | Zippers |
Slovenia | Software Design | University of Maribor, Feri | 2ndsight |
South Africa | Software Design | University of Cape Town | Komodo1 |
Spain | Software Design | Castilla La Mancha University | Software4life |
Spain | Embedded Development | Mondragon Unibertsitatea | Argitech |
Sri Lanka | Software Design | University of Peradeniya | Pera Soft |
Sweden | Software Design | Uppsala Universitet | Life Map |
Switzerland | Software Design | Hendrik Knoch | Texting4All |
Taiwan | Software Design | Taipei University | Miner |
Taiwan | Embedded Development | National Tsing Hua University | NTHUCS |
Taiwan | Digital Media | National Taipei University of Technology | Cottoncandy |
Thailand | Game Design (Windows/Xbox) | Mahidol University | JubJub |
Thailand | Software Design | Chulalongkorn University | NewKrean |
Trinidad & Tobago | Software Design | University of the Southern Caribbean | Codec |
Tunisia | Software Design | Engineering School of Gabes | Sight Browser |
Turkey | Software Design | Bahcesehir University | Co2ncerned |
Uganda | Software Design | Makerere University College of Science, Makerere University College of Computing and Informatics | Quest-0 |
Ukraine | Software Design | Odessa Computer Academy “Step” | DashPoint |
Ukraine | Digital Media | IT Academy Step, Kharkov | Digital Dream |
United Arab Emirates | Software Design | University of Wollongong in Dubai | The Hex Pistols |
United Kingdom | Software Design | University of Manchester | Project OVE |
United Kingdom | Embedded Development | University of York | Cycling into Trees |
United States | Software Design | Arizona State University | Note-Taker |
United States | Embedded Development | Santiago Canyon College | Syntax Errors |
United States | Game Design (Web) | Ithaca College | ICsquared |
United States | Windows Phone 7 | University of California Los Angeles Anderson School of Management, University of California Davis, Harvard Business School, University of Central Florida | LifeLens |
United States | Game Design (Mobile) | Rice University | Team Dragon |
Venezuela | Software Design | Universidad Central de Venezuela | UCV-Ideas |
Vietnam | Software Design | Hanoi University of Technology | MIGI |
Microsoft also announced the winners of the Orchard Challenge and Windows 7 Touch Challenge, two of Imagine Cup’s online competitions. The first place teams in these challenges will represent their countries at the Imagine Cup Worldwide Finals:
Category | Place | Country | School(s) | Team Name |
Orchard Challenge | 1st | Denmark | Aarhus University | MP Brun |
Orchard Challenge | 2nd | Brazil | Escola Politecnica da Universidade de Sao Paulo, Universidade Estadual de Campinas | Virtual Dreams — Orchard |
Orchard Challenge | 3rd | Serbia | Metropolitan University, Tehnicki Fakultet Mihajilo Pupin | Zveen Zveen Team |
Windows 7 Touch Challenge | 1st | France | University of Orleans | India Rose |
Windows 7 Touch Challenge | 2nd | Indonesia | Telkom Institute of Technology | _dreambender_ |
Windows 7 Touch Challenge | 3rd | Japan | Senior High School at Komaba, University of Tsukuba | IUVO |
Additional information about the worldwide finalist teams and projects can be found on the Imagine Cup blog. A sortable spreadsheet of the finalist teams and projects, as well as more information about the Microsoft Imagine Cup, is available at the Imagine Cup Virtual Pressroom.
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*Source: Microsoft