UCTI dominates Microsoft Imagine Cup 2011, Malaysia!

Microsoft Corporation organises an annual competition entitled The Imagine Cup, involving tertiary student teams representing nations all around the world. In this year's competition, three teams from UCTI competed in the National Level Competition, which was organized jointly by Microsoft Malaysia and the Ministry of Higher Education, on an even much grander scale than before.

We were extremely pleased that ALL 3 UCTI TEAMS made it into the shortlist to compete in the Final Rounds involving 30 teams from Public and Private Institutions from all over the country.

The Final Rounds were held in Kuching on 4th and 5th May 2011, and after the first elimination rounds, ALL 3 UCTI TEAMS made it to the Final Six teams who completed in the Finals, which were held on Thursday night.

This is the first time ever that 3 teams from the same University were shortlisted into the Final Six, so this was already a great achievement in itself for UCTI.

However, nothing could prepare us for what happened in the Grand Finals, as UCTI CREATED MAJOR HISTORY, WHEN ALL OUR 3 TEAMS MADE A CLEAN SWEEP OF ALL THE TOP 3 PRIZES!

- Team "Cyberknightz" Won the Overall Championship and were also chosen to receive the "MDeC Special Innovation Award", for their project entitled "Health3". They were awarded RM10,000 in Cash Prize, and will now be Representing Malaysia In the World Championship of Microsoft Imagine Cup 2011 in New York, USA from 08th-13th July 2011!

- Team "Filius Educata" won the 1st Runner Up prize in this competition and walked away with RM 5000 in cash, for their project entitled "Utopyeah!"

- Team "Asia Science" won the 2nd Runner Up prize and won RM2,000 in cash, and were also presented with the "Presentation Superstars Award" for their project entitled "Power Transmission Atomation".

The Theme of the Imagine Cup competition this year is "Imagine a world where technology helps solve the toughest problems". Participating teams competed to develop the most innovative solution using (primarily) Microsoft technologies, with an emphasis on achieving maximum possible impact in addressing a range of global issues as defined within the United Nation's Millennium Development Goals (http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/). In this regard, all our teams acquitted themselves admirably and truly deserve the 5 awards that they received from the Secretary General of the Higher Education Ministry at the Pullman Hotel in Kuching on Thursday night.

Details of team members and the UCTI staff who mentored them are as follows:

Please join us in congratulating our heroes who made up the 3 teams, and also their respective mentors who had worked tirelessly with the students to help them prepare their presentations.

This is an achievement for all of us to celebrate, and more importantly this indicates how well positioned and capable our students are in comparison with students from other Universities. It is proof that with a bit of encouragement and support, our students and staff can really achieve great things together.