Anniversary Edition of Microsoft Imagine Cup Inspires Thai Talents to Tackle Global Problems

Microsoft (Thailand) Limited held a celebratory event to honour the winning teams of the Imagine Cup Thailand 2012, the Thai edition of the world’s premier student technology competition. For the first time in its 10-year history and as the first country worldwide, students from high-schools in Thailand could enter their work in the Imagine Cup Junior competition. The winning team in the Software Design category in the main competition will receive a royal trophy from HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, a prize check of 100,000 baht and certificate. Together with the winner of the Software Design category, a Thai team in Game Design will also travel to Sydney, Australia to compete with teams from 75 countries in the worldwide finals from 6-10 July. The Award Announcement & Ceremony was organized in collaboration with platinum sponsor KASIKORNBANK (KBank), Representatives from the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok, Software Park Thailand and from sponsors Nokia Thailand and Chanwanich attended the event as honorary guests.

 

The Microsoft Imagine Cup is a worldwide competition in which students use their imagination and passion to find solutions to real-world problems. Since 2003, 1.65 million students from 190 countries have participated in the several categories of the Imagine Cup. Thailand is the only country worldwide to have delivered a winning team in software design twice and 1st runners-up in game design on a worldwide stage in the past. The global theme of this year’s Imagine Cup competition is ‘Imagine a world where technology helps solve the toughest problems facing us today’.

 

Imagine Cup Junior

Thailand is the first country to expand the competition to include high school students, and is hosting the first ever Imagine Cup Junior. Winners and runners-up are from schools in Bangkok and provincial areas, reflecting Thai students’ ability in software design.

 

“The Imagine Cup competition is testimony to Microsoft’s on-going commitment to promoting creativity and IT skills amongst young minds, both in Thailand and worldwide. By providing them an international platform, we give university and high-school students in Thailand the opportunity to showcase their outstanding talents to the country and the world. Broadening the competition to students from different age groups will help establish a stronger local IT ecosystem and inspire more young professionals to develop Thailand into an IT leader in the ASEAN region,” said Ms. Siriporn Pajharawat, DPE Director, Microsoft (Thailand) Limited.

 

Two Thai teams to compete in worldwide finals in Sydney, Australia

The winning team in the Software Design category, ‘Novitat’ from King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT), developed a technological solution to one of the world’s largest challenges, namely the fast-growing requirement for extra care due to the quickly aging population in many countries. The so-called ‘Smart House’ solution allows for other family members to freely go out to work and not have to worry about their elderly or disabled loved ones.

 

The ‘Tang Thai’ team from Mahidol University in Bangkok enters the final round of Game Design, which is a direct application to Microsoft Corporation, with its ‘Verdant Fantasy’ game. They will also travel to Sydney to compete on a global level.

 

Strong support from partners

Speaking at the Thai winner’s ceremony, Mr. Art Wichiencharoen, First Senior Vice President, KASIKORNBANK (KBank), said: “As an institutional member of the global society, KBank has always recognized education as an essential element of the country’s progress and development. We are therefore extremely proud to be the platinum sponsor of the Imagine Cup Thailand for the third consecutive year. The competition allows Thai students to develop creative technology solutions that make a difference in people’s lives. In turn, we hope that this will inspire more students to get creative with science and technology.”

 

“Participants in the world’s largest student technology competition have bravely and persistently challenged the conventional norms of software technology-- not simply in the name of research or technological advancement, but in the hopes of making the world a better place,” said Charg