Microsoft Imagine Cup leads AUB winners to New York to showcase innovative solution to world problems

Microsoft Lebanon announced D4W Team from the American University of Beirut the winners of the Local Imagine Cup Competition to represent Lebanon in the Worldwide Imagine Cup competition taking place in New York between 8-13^th July. 13 teams from several Universities, including LAU Beirut & Jbeil, AUB, USEK, NDU, BAU, AUST, USJ, Hagazian, LIU and the Canadian High school participated in the “Imagine Cup” final competition, held on Friday 13^th May in Microsoft offices, presenting their ideas and projects, supervised by independent judges from different organizations including Academic institutions, IT corporations, governmental bodies and leading companies in the country. The winning team included Computer Science Students, Daniel Haddad and Wajih Boukaram and their solutions focused on using technology to address pressing environmental, medical, social and economic challenges.

Imagine Cup is a Microsoft-sponsored competition held in a different country each year. Imagine Cup brings together young technologists and students worldwide to help resolve some of the world’s toughest challenges through technology-enabled applications. Through this competition, the participants will contribute to meeting the UN Millennium Development Goals by designing software solutions addressing the challenges to meet these goals, including 1- End Poverty and Hunger; 2- Universal Education; 3- Gender Equality; 4- Child Health; 5- Maternal Health; 6- Combat HIV/AIDS; 7-Environmental Sustainability; and 8- Global Partnership. Over 300,000 students from over 120 countries participate each year in this annual event to present their ideas, share their experience and learn from global industry leaders the best techniques to employ technology to serve the world.

Leila Serhan Salem, Microsoft Lebanon Country Manager stated, “Nine years ago, Microsoft launched the Imagine Cup competition with the idea that students can and will change the world. What you saw today is the result of many months of hard work, brainstorming and above all a determination to make a positive difference in addressing some of the world’s most pressing challenges.”  

“This year, we had a great selection of excellent projects many deserving to represent Lebanon in New York, unfortunately only one team per country can participate.”

D4W team is very excited to be heading to New York “Microsoft provided continuous support throughout the 8 month period as we were developing the project.” They explained “we are very happy to have come this far and look forward to the international competition as this is a great opportunity and gives us a new exposure.”