upnm

KUCHING: About 120 young talented Malaysian students participated in Imagine Cup 2011 final which ended here yesterday.

Organising chairman of the the three-day annual competition, Prof Datuk Dr Ahmad Yusoff Hassan said the Microsoft-sponsored event brought together young tech-savvy students from around the country to solve some of the world’s toughest problems through the use of technology.

He said from what he saw yesterday, the participants were very passionate about using their ICT knowledge and talents to help address the world’s problems.

About 1,200 students from all over the country had participated in the preliminary rounds.

“The competition was aimed at encouraging students innovation in institutions of higher learning and providing an outlet for them to explore technological and artisitic interests outside the classroom,” he said during a press conference at Pullman Hotel here yesterday.

Ahmad, who is vice-chancellor of Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka, said this year’s competition would honour the ultimate winner in the Software Design Category.

He said the winner then would represent the country to the Worldwide Finals held in New York on July 2011.

The Imagine Cup is the world’s premier student technology competition, created by Microsoft nine years ago with the idea that students can and will change the world.

The Malaysia’s Imagine Cup 2011 is organised by Microsoft Malaysia in collaboration with the Ministry of Higher Education and Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM) is the event secretariat.

The top 30 finalists are 1 Step Away (USM), Asia Science (UCTI), Augmented Reality Story Book (MMU), Bear Mario (UKM), Easy Team (IIUM), Ecesty (UUM), Excalibur (UTM), Filius Educata (UCTI), Green Soul (UNIMAS), iDenver (UPNM), IMGS (UTHM), KCast (KDU), Klang Valley Team (UM), Marcador (UTeM), My Imagination (TARC), NT-Waste (UniSZA), RGBY (UKM), Sonic Jet (USM), Sycost (TARC), Team Cyber Knightz (UCTI), The Bond (LUCT), The Frontiers (UPM), The Third Cloud (KDU), The Green P (UPM), Tuffah (UTeM), Vertex (USM), V-Real (TARC), WASPending (UPM), WTH2 (UTAR) and YHA (MMU).