Burgan Bank teams up with Microsoft for Gulf Imagine Cup 2009

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As per the collaboration, Burgan Bank will sponsor the Kuwait leg of the Gulf Imagine Cup 2009, facilitate the mentoring of registered teams and on-campus elimination rounds as well as support the Kuwaiti contingents as they represent the country at the regional finals to be held in Dubai early next year.

At a signing ceremony held at Burgan Bank's headquarters to kick-off the sponsorship, Microsoft Country Manager Ramez Dandan and Burgan Bank Chief Executive Officer Jonathan Lyon underlined the significant role played by the Gulf Imagine Cup in encouraging Kuwaiti youth to realize their potential.

Burgan Bank's sponsorship of the Gulf Imagine Cup 2009 reiterates its commitment to corporate social responsibility by encouraging the nation's youth towards knowledge and experience acquisition.

'The youth of today are the citizens of tomorrow. Which is why encouraging young minds to constantly challenge themselves, and assuring them necessary resources, mentoring and support to do so has always been integral to our Corporate Social Responsibility philosophy.'

said Burgan Bank Chief Executive Officer Jonathan Lyon.

'Be it establishing Kuwait's first online financial trading learning center at the Kuwait University, funding global student exchange programs or supporting the activities of the National Union of Kuwaiti Students, we've always backed the endeavors of the youth community. Partnering with Microsoft for the Gulf Imagine Cup 2009 is another step in this direction. We commend Microsoft for their initiatives in recognizing visionary talent across all countries at a global platform.'

'Microsoft Imagine Cup is all about igniting the imagination of tomorrow's technology visionaries and leaders. When coupled with the power of technology the potential of young people is unlimited and the ideas they develop for the event could significantly improve the lives of millions of people around the world. In Kuwait, we are seeing tremendous interest from both the education and private sectors who want to be involved in this year's Gulf Imagine Cup as the contest provides students with a launch pad for their ideas and access to key resources that can set them on the path to career success.'

said Ramez Dandan, Country Manager for Microsoft in Kuwait.

'With this contest, Kuwaiti youth now have the opportunity to ignite their imagination paving a way for them to follow their dreams and make a difference in the real world. We are pleased to be associated with Burgan Bank and thank them for their generosity and dedication to helping the world's brightest technology students achieve their full potential', concluded Ramez.

Now in its seventh year, the Imagine Cup is a global student technology competition - hosted and administered by Microsoft - which focuses on finding solutions to real-world issues.

The competition encourages the world's most talented software designers, programmers, game developers, photographers and filmmakers to tackle the toughest problems facing the world today.

Reflecting Microsoft's initiative to encourage young people to apply their imagination and creativity to technology innovations that can make a difference and address real-world issues, the Imagine Cup compliments Microsoft's Unlimited Potential commitment to create social and economic opportunity through programs and products that transform education, foster local innovation and enable jobs and opportunities worldwide.

The Imagine Cup is also endorsed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) which is the UN agency responsible for the promotion of international cooperation in the fields of education, science, culture and communication.

Each year the Imagine Cup chooses its theme from the UN Millennium goals.

In 2009, the Imagine Cup challenges the world's most talented students to 'Imagine a world where technology helps solve the toughest problems facing us today.'

The United Nations has identified some of the hardest challenges in the world today in its Millennium Goals.

This year the Imagine Cup uses these ambitious challenges as a guiding light to inspire change all over the world.