Microsoft Kuwait along with key sponsors Burgan Bank, Diyar United Company and RISE Center at the American University of Kuwait announced the winners of Kuwait Imagine Cup 2015, the world’s most prestigious student technology competition. The event which took place at American University of Kuwait saw intense competition amongst the participating university students. The winning teams were from American University of Kuwait & Gulf University for Science and Technology for their projects ‘LinkGo’ ‘Hover Knight’ and ‘PostFix’. The winning teams will participate in the Imagine Cup Pan Arab semi finals which will be held in Bahrain from 31 May to 3 June 2015 and from there the winning team will attend the Imagine Cup worldwide finals which will be held in Seattle, USA in July 2015.
Commenting on the sponsorship Mr. Bashir Jaber - Burgan Bank Group Head of Corporate Communications and Investor's Relations said: “I congratulate all teams today; just participating is a great first step on a lifetime journey of discovery, and the opportunities it presents can mean the entrants can lay the foundations for a very bright future. Burgan Bank chose to sponsor the Microsoft Imagine Cup 2015 as it represents a strong platform that provides students a chance to showcase their technology innovation and to set themselves apart as the next generation of technology leaders in Kuwait. Innovation has a great impact across all industries around the world and we are very happy to see the creative innovative ideas that these talented students develop.”
Bashar Atout, CEO, Diyar United Company said: “We at Diyar United Company are very delighted to be part of this year’s event as sponsors. This sponsorship comes in line with our policy which aims at fueling the spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation among youth, while prompting them to keep in pace with the world’s technological advances. We are happy to encourage them to utilize their technical skills and creative abilities by giving them a voice in the future. These innovative young people who have competed today can go on to make a demonstrable difference in the country. We commend all the participants and look forward to seeing our winning team from Kuwait make it to the worldwide finals.”
Commenting on the Imagine Cup, Dr. Amir Zeid, Director of RISE Center at the American University of Kuwait, and mentor of the AUK teams, said: "We believe Imagine Cup is an excellent platform for students to explore technological and artistic interests outside the classroom. This is the 5th time AUK participates in Microsoft Imagine Cup. Previously, we have participated 3 times in the world finals. We commend Microsoft for giving our students another opportunity to demonstrate their talents and help them realize their potential. We at AUK are committed towards our students and believe in their innovative and creative abilities that can contribute to the development of the country.”
Imagine Cup 2015 is comprised of three competition Tiers:
1. Games: This tier invites students to create a game on their favorite gaming platform: Windows (PC or touchscreen), Windows Phone, Xbox Indie Games, or Kinect SDK.
2. Innovation: This competition honors the most innovative, ground-breaking, and appealing software application built with Microsoft tools and technology.
3. World Citizenship: What global challenge can you help solve with technology? Got an idea for an app that will help reduce world hunger, provide better treatment for disease, raise awareness of environmental issues, or provide better access to education
As the world’s most prestigious student technology competition, the Imagine Cup is 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.
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