United Arab Emirates University Team wins Microsoft Imagine Cup

Microsoft Gulf, in partnership with CERT, i-mate and du, opened registration to Imagine Cup 2007 last November for students from the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman and Kuwait at an event held in Abu Dhabi, in conjunction with the global launch of the competition. 220 students from universities across the region entered the competition, and nine project proposals were short listed. The panel of judges chose the best four entries submitted to be presented in the finals in Dubai.

"Imagine Cup, the world's premiere student technology competition, represents the next generation of technology and business leaders," said Charbel Fakhoury, General Manager, Microsoft Gulf. "Microsoft is proud to announce the inclusion of the Gulf countries in this competition, as we believe that these students have a lot to contribute in terms of both innovation and technology to really make a difference in peoples' everyday lives.

Dubai sets an ideal environment for fostering innovation and enabling people to realize their full potential. The technology available for students coupled with state of the art university facilities enables students to expand on their knowledge, and see their innovative and creative ideas materialize into inventions that can help improve people's lives.

More than 65,000 students from 100 countries competed in Microsoft Corp.'s Imagine Cup 2006 competition, using their technology skills and talent to create new technologies that can benefit mankind. The theme for the Imagine Cup 2007 revolves around education, and it asked the brilliant minds of the future to "imagine a world where technology enables a better education for all."

Now in its fifth year, Imagine Cup challenges students to bring their ideas to life in a multifaceted competition that comprises nine categories, each catering to a different technological or artistic affinity. Students' work reflected valuable, real world solutions, while giving them the opportunity to compete for cash prizes. When coupled with the power of technology, the potential of young people is unlimited and the ideas they develop for the Imagine Cup could significantly improve the lives of millions of people around the world.

Students competed in nine categories spanning from software design and short film to challenges involving algorithms and programming. Students' work reflected valuable, real-world solutions that addressed the pressing global issue of education while giving them the opportunity to compete for generous cash prizes.

The United Arab Emirates University Team's project, entitled Mobile Learning - A Specification of SMS Quiz Engine, was developed by four young students Eiman Al Mansoori, Hifa Ahmed Jarah, Fatema Al Mansoori, and Ghalyah Ali, and was able to succeed in winning the Microsoft Imagine Cup 2007. The young students will travel to Seoul, Korea where they will compete in the world championships in August 2007, to present their entries to a panel of judges from academia and the technology industry. The finalists will be selected, and a worldwide winner from each category will be announced. Prizes for Imagine Cup 2007 will total more than $170,000 (U.S.) across the nine categories.

"I am very proud of our students," said Dr. Rafic Makki, Dean, College of Information Technology at the United Arab Emirates University. "They have shown time and time again their talents and passion in the field of Information Technology and produce solutions that can make a difference in people's lives and beyond."

"For Microsoft, this is another opportunity for us to highlight the necessity of supporting student talent in science and technology for future progress in industry," added Fakhoury.