Imagine Cup 2009

Imagine Cup is a competition organizes by Microsoft which invite more 100 countries to participate and given them the air ticket to fly to other country for the worldwide final competition. Each year, Imagine cup will held the final at different country. This year the world final will be held at Egypt. If you are currently a student of IT/Computer Science/Computer related Engineering/Art (yes, there is non-technical category, read below) and etc, come join the competition for a free ticket to travel to Egypt for FREE.

Imagine Cup is just like the Olympic, but it is not for sport, but for developer, or I should said for those with creativity people to crash their ideas together and compete for the world champion. This year theme is "Imagine a world where technology helps solve the toughest problems facing us today". If you think you never do something big for this world, this is the time to show your talent. This year all participation are require to solve one of the 8 Millennium Goal .

There are 9 categories to choose:

• Software Design


• Embedded Development


• Game Development


• Robotic & Algorithm


• IT challenge


• Mashup


• Photography


• Short Film


• Design

In Malaysia, not much people know about Imagine Cup, only IT students in USM, KTar, UTar, MMU and KDU participate in this competition. Sadly, only 1 and only 1 local government university knows about this, what happen to those Microsoft student representatives in other university? It seen like Imagine Cup 2009 in Malaysia will still have the similar participation from those Universities only. There is also no participation for other category in Malaysia. Is the prices too little for them? Who knows? Maybe there is too many people anti-Microsoft I think…

With the sentence of participation in Imagine Cup in resume doesn’t mean you will get a better job in Malaysia, because they usually end up asking you what that is and they will just forget after you answer that. There is news that Malaysia is voting for Imagine Cup 2011. I’m not sure which states will held the event, any way, it just something not confirm yet.
“I wish there had been an Imagine Cup when I was growing up. It gets people involved in seeing that software is changing the world.” - Bill Gate.
What are you waiting for? Imagine Cup 2009 website .