Students' contest problem: dreaming up a world with no problems

Hundreds of students in Ajman have signed up to a rather challenging contest - they simply have to dream up a world in which technology has solved some of today's bigger problems, say global warming. Ajman University of Science and Technology (AUST) was chosen by Microsoft in August as the venue to unveil the Imagine Cup 2009, after the two organisations signed a memorandum of understanding.

Photographers, film-makers, software designers, game developers and programmers from the university were urged to enter the contest before its launch last week. "The pre-launch event was held to create hype and to tell the students about what the competition is," said Vimal Sethi, director of the development and platform group of Microsoft Gulf. So far, 340 students at the university have registered to take part, and a competition will be held within the university to determine which team from the institution takes part in the Gulf regional finals in Dubai in May.

The grand finals are scheduled for Cairo in July next year, marking the first time they have been held in the Middle East in the contest's seven-year history. The theme of this year's competition is: "Imagine a world where technology helps solve the toughest problems facing us today." Students aged 16 and above in full-time education can take part as individuals or as part of a team in categories such as software design, game development, photography and short films.

AUST was founded in 1988 and was upgraded to university status six years later. It has colleges covering areas such as business administration, dentistry, information technology, engineering, law and education. dbardsley@thenational./ae