Imagine Cup FAQ's

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Why Aren't You Taking Part In Imagine Cup 2009??

Want to get a chance to go to Cairo, Egypt all expenses paid for?

The Imagine Cup is a global student technology competition focused on finding solutions to real-world issues. Here is your chance to tackle the toughest problems facing the world today, apply the latest technologies, network with the IT industry as well as win great prizes including an all expenses paid trip to Cairo, Egypt next year!

New Zealand sent the winning team from Canterbury University earlier this year to Paris (check out the photos and write up on www.imaginecup.co.nz) and we would like to see your team going to Egypt next year.

The theme of this competition is “Creating technology that solves the toughest problems we face today” . The Imagine Cup Organisers have made the theme more general to allow more students to take part in this competition and have fixed this theme for the next three years. This also encourages more students to take part in that students can enter with the same project over the next three years, building on it, refining it etc.

The competition is not about winning, but the opportunity for students to network with the industry, their chance to get their foot in the door, learn valuable skills and an opportunity for IT companies to see the talent that’s coming out of our tertiary institutes. You are given the opportunity to compete in the Software Design Challenge in a team with a maximum of 3 of your mates. You are provided with an industry mentor to develop an idea that could solve the toughest problems we face today. It’s your time to make a difference while at the same time walking away with some cool prizes and learning valuable business and IT skills.

  • Registration for the competition closes March 2009, register before mid September and go into the draw to win 1 of 10 software/hardware price pack even if you do not win
  • Individuals who are interested can register – NZ Imagine Cup Admin team will put them in a team
  • You don’t need to be a hardcore programmer – teams are usually built up with students of different skills, presenter, coder, marketer etc.
  • What happens if you don’t know anything about Microsoft Technologies, there are plans to have workshops and get industry mentors to come and teach students the basics of what they need to know to meet the requirements of the competition.
  • You can find detailed information on last year’s projects on our local Imagine Cup Site : https://www.microsoft.com/nz/imaginecup09/resources.aspx#2008projects
  • Students that register on Imagine Cup get access to e-learning Microsoft Courses to help them prepare for project work
  • Each team has an academic mentor that they find, academic mentors can coach more than one team
  • Students can use the same project entry in 2009 in future Imagine Cup competitions
  • Competition presentations start in April 2009
  • Proposal for projects need to be submitted by the end of 2008
  • NZ Imagine Cup Admin team will communicate with all registrants by mid September and start working with teams in assigning mentors beginning end of September.
  • Imagine Cup has 7 other categories – students can compete in these, but compete online with teams across the world. i.e. Photography, Short Film, Gaming, Embedded, Robotics.
  • Find out more here: www.imaginecup.co.nz , register for the Imagine Cup before mid September and go in the draw to win 1 of 10 software/hardware prize packs.