Higher Education Commission and Microsoft Pakistan today announced the launch of Microsoft Imagine Cup during an event hosted at Higher Education Commission Pakistan.Imagine Cup is an annual global technology competition hosted by Microsoft Corp., bringing together the young technologists to play their part in resolving some of the world’s toughest challenges. Not only a competition, Imagine Cup which was started in 2003 serves as a platform for teams to present their solutions to the world and is the ideal opportunity for the youthful innovators, from around the world, to give express their imagination, bring ideas to life and win $100,000. The occasion was graced by the presence of Federal Minister of Science and Technology, Fawad Ahmed Chaudhry; Special Advisor to PM on youth affairs, Usman Dar; Chairman for Higher Education Commission, Tariq Banuri; Microsoft Country General Manager, Mr. Abid Zaidi & Microsoft Country Education Lead, Mr. Jibran Jamshad. The competition that will be streamed live on HEC’s EDUTV with a massive online reach across the country, would advocate inclusiveness and equal access to opportunities to the youth across the nation. Must Read: Emirates launches 48-hour Super Sale for Pakistani travellers This year, Higher Education Commission through the Prime Minister’s Kamyab Jawan Initiative is bringing the program to Pakistan in collaboration with Microsoft via a program designed to facilitate government’s vision of empowering youth to realize their full potential individually and collectively, to contribute effectively to the in the development processes of the country and play their role in the digital economy that we are a part of, today. “Imagine Cup is all about innovation, transformation and what comes next. The program continues to cultivate a spirit of social and technological entrepreneurship, empowering students to use their creativity to address real societal problems through technology. We have seen extremely innovative ideas coming in and the students who have been participating especially in the imagine cup and so many of them have gone on to establish their own startups that are now becoming multimillion dollar companies. I am proud of our students for participating in this Global event and I am sure they will bring laurels for Pakistan”. says Chairman Higher Education Commission, Tariq Banuri. Microsoft Imagine Cup continues to witness strong participation from Pakistan, as well as world over. Pakistan ranked as the TOP country in the Middle East and Africa cluster, with the highest number of project submissions and competitors in Imagine Cup in the last two years. Pakistan also ranks 3rd worldwide, in the same category students from various universities participated enthusiastically, as the competition received an overwhelming response. A lot of remote and underprivileged areas are targeted specifically in the drive for Imagine Cup, particularly Hyderabad, Rahim Yar Khan, Muzaffrabad, Nawabshah, Rawalakot, Sukkur and Quetta. Country Education Lead for Education, Microsoft Pakistan Mr. Jibran Jamshad said “As Microsoft we strive to bring the right set of tools and technology towards the students so that they can change the work for the better. The way we look at our students, we feel that they are the agents of change and they just need the right set of tools to succeed. The energy these students are bringing to Imagine cup is phenomenal. As a technology company we want to empower our students and enable them to shape our future “ The Federal Minister for Science and Technology, Fawad Chaudhry commented on the occasion; “The link between education, attainment and economic growth has never been clearer. Around the world, the communities where educational excellence is a high priority, create the most economic opportunities. The foundation for sustainable economic growth for the future is being laid, through this initiative.” Imagine Cup is one of Microsoft’s many efforts to transform skill development, nurture budding technologists and foster collaborative and innovative spirit. This global technology competition boasts of several success stories emerging from the competition. It’s a great platform to innovate, get recognized and eventually get enabled to bring about a positive change.
Microsoft & HEC bring the ‘Imagine Cup’ to Pakistani youth
Microsoft and Higher Education Commission (HEC) collaborated to bring Microsoft’s Imagine Cup to Pakistan. It is the world’s most renowned technology competition for students. Started in 2003, Microsoft’s Imagine Cup is the ideal opportunity for the youthful innovators, from around the world, to give express their imagination, bring ideas to life and win $100,000. Imagine Cup is held annually by Microsoft Corp., bringing together the young technologists to play their part in resolving some of the world’s toughest challenges. Not only a competition, imagine cup serves as a platform for teams to present their solutions to the world. All technology projects are welcome in this competition; it is no longer bound by categories. HEC’s commitment to the academia and students is reflected as Microsoft drives the Imagine Cup to highlighted Pakistan’s position on the leaderboards – Pakistan ranks as the TOP country in the Middle East and Africa cluster, with the highest number of project submissions and competitors in Imagine Cup. Pakistan also ranks 5th worldwide, in the same category. In Pakistan, students from various universities participated enthusiastically, as the competition received an overwhelming response. A lot of remote and underprivileged areas were targeted in the drive for Imagine Cup, particularly Sahiwal, Mianwali, Khuzdar and Jamshoro. Students were initially evaluated in Regional finals, held in different cities and the best teams competed to win the National Finals. The evaluations for both Regional and National Finals were done according to the rules, regulations and criteria listed in 2017 Imagine Cup Competition. The winning team of the Imagine Cup National Final from Pakistan was ‘Positive Zero’ from Bahria University, Karachi. The victory was announced during a grand ceremony. The team has built a Microsoft Azure cognitive service-based engine that helps in writing code through voice commands. The team will represent Pakistan in the advanced stages of the competition on a global scale. The Director of Microsoft’s Enterprise & Partner Group Segment – Mr. Abid Zaidi commented on the occasion; “The link between education, attainment and economic growth has never been clearer. Around the world, the communities where educational excellence is a high priority, create the most economic opportunities. The foundation for sustainable economic growth for the future is being laid, through this initiative.” The Country Head of Microsoft – Mr. Shahzad Aslam Khan stated: “Talent has no boundaries! Any student can derive great benefits from the Imagine Cup, as it provides world-class opportunities and support for the youth, nurturing their true potential and giving them a chance to do something extraordinary and accelerate growth”. Director General IT – Mr. Anwar Amjad appreciated the event and commented that; “The platform provided by HEC to the students is truly unique in as it promises valuable exposure that they need to take the next steps in Academic life, helping them with a successful transition into their professional careers.” Executive Director at HEC – Dr. Arshad Ali stated that: “HEC-Microsoft Strategic Education Alliance has contributed greatly in producing graduates, who are well-equipped and qualified, not only to handle the pressures of the practical world, but have the vision to carve their own avenues with a scientific approach, to tackle complex issues.” The Chairman HEC – Prof. Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed expressed his happiness and said; “We appreciate the valuable support of Microsoft in this initiative, as Higher Education Commission strives to nurture the students’ talents through this annual competition. This is a great way to evolve a rich and modern academic culture in Pakistan, as we integrate global advancements and cutting-edge tools to bring the domestic curriculum and learning at par with the leading universities of the world. Thus, we are empowering our students to contribute and compete in the global workforce”.
