The Imagine Cup 2023 winners and runners up were announced by Microsoft and Pakistan’s Higher Education Commission.
The Imagine Cup 2023 winners and runners up were announced by Microsoft and Pakistan’s Higher Education Commission. The announcements were made at the closing ceremony, which took place at the HEC headquarters.
Several vice chancellors, academic leaders from Pakistan, including Dr. Salim M. Almalik, director general of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), Prof. Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, chairman of the Higher Education Commission, and Jibran Jamshad, country manager for Microsoft, all attended the event.
Dr. Salim M. Almalik attended the event as the chief guest. Speaking at the event, he noted, “Such partnerships with companies like Microsoft empower the students to use their creativity in addressing real societal problems using modern technology”. Earth, Lifestyle, Health, and Education were the four competition categories that Microsoft announced winners in.
Winners at the competition included the Muhammad Nawaz Sharif University of Agriculture, Multan (MNSUAM) team “Smart Fruity Bytes” in the Earth category, the Usman Institute of Technology, Karachi’s team “Journovolt” in the Lifestyle category, the FAST NUCES, Lahore Campus team “Human Life Saviours,” and the University of Engineering and Technology (UET), Peshawar’s team “AR Learn” in the Education category. Additionally, the Imagine Cup regional winners and runners-up were announced for nine additional university teams from the North, Center, South, and Baluchistan regions.
The four winning teams also received cash awards, and they will now compete internationally against the best finalist teams from around the world as Pakistan’s representatives.
Mr. Jibran Jamshad, Country Education Lead for Microsoft Pakistan, addressed the audience and the team and said, “One of the successful and inspiring examples of how Microsoft empowers students to develop 21st century skill sets is the Imagine Cup, which gives them access to cutting-edge technology, training, and mentorship. Students are given fresh opportunities for the future as a result.”
The Imagine Cup, he continued, “offers tech students, programmers, and entrepreneurs new opportunities to innovate and address some of the biggest social, environmental, and health challenges facing the world.
The winning team will now compete in the world finals competition for a prize of $100,000, the Azure grant, and a mentoring session with Microsoft’s CEO after we have chosen excellent local projects.
At the event, the top teams displayed their projects, and vice chancellors from the winning universities and other colleges spoke about their participation in the competition. All participants agreed that Imagine Cup encouraged students to have a strong work ethic, gave them the chance to be creative and learn new skills, and gave out fantastic prizes.
Prof. Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, the chairman of the HEC, made the following final remarks: “Microsoft and the HEC are constantly working to bring technological changes to the educational system. One of the projects on which HEC and Microsoft are pleased to have collaborated is the Imagine Cup. In the end, these activities unite students and inspire them to make a unique contribution to the welfare of their nation.”
Microsoft has entered into an education transformation agreement with HEC covering key higher educational institutions in Pakistan, offering FREE certifications for 100,000 eligible students, and organizing capacity building programs. The goal is to empower the education sector through technology and the latest Microsoft products and services.