Microsoft’s Imagine Cup kicks off in Vietnam

American multinational technology giant Microsoft has launched its annual technology contest, the Imagine Cup, for 2016 in Vietnam.

Around one hundred local students attended the kick-off ceremony held by the company in collaboration with the U.S. Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City at the American Center on Saturday.

Nathaniel Rettenmayer, an economic officer at the consulate who is also a member of the contest’s board of judges, said the event would continue to serve as a powerful mechanism to foster innovation in Vietnam.

“The U.S. Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City has been proud to partner with Microsoft Vietnam on this event for the past few years,” the officer said in his remarks. “Strike out, launch your business, and if you fail, pick yourselves up and get right back out there!”

According to Nguyen Le An Phuong, representative of Microsoft Vietnam for the competition, the Imagine Cup attracted nearly 130 proposals last year and only nine were selected for the final round.

She said this year’s contest will put more focus on quality so participating teams are required to get their proposals well prepared.

Do Anh Thong, leader of one of last year’s wining teams in Vietnam, The Better We, told Tuoi Tre News that the contest gives students a lot of knowledge and new experience in technological creativity.

“It’s a very good stepping stone for students to start creating breakthrough creative technological products to meet the demand of the market in the future,” he said.

The Imagine Cup is a global technology program and competition for college students that provides opportunities for students across all disciplines to team up and use their creativity, passion and knowledge of technology to create applications, games and integrate solutions that can change the way people live, work and play.

Beginning in 2003, the Imagine Cup has attracted millions of students around the world.

This year, in addition to traditional categories Games, Innovation and World Citizenship, a new category has been jointly created by Microsoft and NASA called the Imagine Cup Earth Global Student Contest for students aged 6 to 18.

Prior to its launch in Vietnam, the Imagine Cup had a “warm-up” round called Ideas Pitching, which received more than 100 proposals from which the three best ideas from teams JustNoti.Me, Gameplay and LeapMotion were selected to be presented at the kick-off ceremony.

Interested students can still submit their entries before the first round closes on December 9.

The national round is expected to be held on April 6 with the three best ideas to be chosen for the Asia – Pacific regional round before the global round in Seattle in July next year.
The top prize is worth US$50,000.

Registration forms and detailed information on the contest can be found at https://www.facebook.com/Tech4Student.

Source : http://tuoitrenews.vn/