By Emeka Aginam, just back from Warsaw, Poland
Realizing the potentials of technology may have begun when about 400 technologically talented  students from 69 countries and regions around the world  gathered last week in Warsaw, Poland to celebrate their unique innovations targeted at  solving the world’s toughest problems using technology.

Imagine Cup

Running in its eighth series, the Imagine Cup 2010 is rated high in content by both students and judges as an  intervention tool to face the challenges of this generation. Initialed by the  software giant, Microsoft, the competition was to encourage young talents globally to apply their imagination, passion, and  creative technology innovations that can make a difference in solving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Watching presentation after presentation at the  world cup of technology which had the participation of three software champions  from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife as Nigerian representatives, it may not be an overstatement to say that the software incubation is really the future of any young talent who wants to use technology as an advancement strategy.

While recognizing their innovative technology solutions that address the biggest issues of this generation, speakers at the event were optimistic that talented students all over the world can make a big difference in solving the 21st century challenge using technology.

Apart from solving the Millennium Development Goals, students who engage in software entrepreneurship, according to the participants stand the chance to survive  the knowledge economy after graduation.

Even as  young graduates hang on for many years looking for white- collar jobs, majority of the participants expressed optimism saying that  the survivability o students in the  21st century knowledge economy depend on software potentials

With cash prizes totaling $240,000 across five competition categories and six awards, the tech  students, particularly students from Nigeria no doubt, demonstrated their real-world solutions that have the capacity to  not only impact in  their economic well-being after graduation but the global community at large.

Although it took the students one year to get to the final stage as a result of rigorous stages of selection, Imagine Cup has grown from strength to strength, becoming a truly global competition focused in finding solutions to the real world problems with the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, (MDGs) as the guiding light.

Concluding the conference through a  video conferencing, the wife of the US President, Michelle Obama  with optimism  told the gathering that the future is the hands of the  youths..

“Each one of you represents the best of the best in the world. We at Microsoft look at you and see the future  innovators of technology.” Jon Perera, General Manager, Education Group , Microsoft  Corporation had  told the gathering  during the opening ceremony, adding that each of the students have done so much work, innovation, and creativity to advance to the world’s finals.

“Together, you are the best the world has to offer. Technology represents the world. At Microsoft, we know that the single greatest resource we have on our planet is  people. And when people come together around a common cause, dream big, and take risks, anything is possible. Your innovation will help people around the world realize their potentials” he said.

Expressing optimism on what the future hold for these students, he told the gathering at the closing ceremony that software is the beginning of young talents.

“Everybody is a winner. Go back to your different country and make a difference using technology tools. We are very passionate about your future.

With software, you can face the 21st century challenges. there is no doubt about that. Every students that participated is a software champion that will used to solve the world biggest problems. That is the idea behind Imagine Cup” he said, adding that Microsoft will continue support IT education. Microsoft will continue to support students engagement in technology advancement.

Also speaking, the General Manager, Microsoft, Poland Jacek Murawski with optimism said that the students will be leading the way in the future technology innovation.

“You are the most talented and the skilled students. It is event of great energy and passion, which inspire all of  us o search for new solutions.  Imagine Cup finals is  an experience of a lifetime. I hope this  competition week in Poland will be a memorable one for you, bringing positive satisfaction and success, excitement and new friendship” he added.

“These student projects are sophisticated technology accomplishments that highlight the incredible things that can happen when inspired ideas and the will to make them happen come together,” Jean-Philippe Courtois, president of Microsoft International, told the gathering during the announcement of the winners at the closing ceremony.

“These students should make us all proud, as they are taking concrete steps to help others and make our world a better place. With their passion and the assistance of technology, these young adults can and will affect the future.
“Students care deeply about their projects having an impact.

This year’s projects primarily focused on solving challenges in education, healthcare and the environment. Within those, a few trends emerged among the students’ projects that spoke to specific global issues.

“For example, a number of projects used social networking to address carbon emissions caused by vehicle traffic, several teams created alert systems to help people quickly access local emergency services, and a plethora of solutions were designed to help the visually and hearing impaired communicate more effectively” he said.

For  Professor Dennis Anderson of Pace University, one of this year’s Software Design judges,  the participated students were very smart during their different presentations. “The Imagine Cup stands alone as a competition that is focused on applying technology to solve the biggest problems of our time

“Microsoft has created more than a technology competition for students; it has created a lasting impact for the next generation of leaders.” he said.

Meanwhile, Team Skeek from Thailand, for instance  took home the grand prize of $25,000 (U.S.) in the Software Design category for their solution,  eyeFeel, which allows hearing-impaired people to communicate with others via an augmented-reality environment.

The solution combines speech and face recognition, converts it to English from text, and generates virtual conversation text balloons and sign language animation in real time.

Although the smart  Nigerian tech wizkids from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife  who flew the nation’s flag during the  lost out in the first round, the truth of the matter is that they have the potentials to make a difference in the Nigerian economy.

“We are preparing again for next year .But we need the support of the Science and Technology Ministry  of Nigeria to really do more regarding our project. We are very optimistic to win the cup next year.

We have the capacity to face other students from the other economies. We can do that. We can face the future with our software which has the capacity to support Nigerian educational institutions if patronized”    Akinbiyi Omole, a member of the Brain Media team who represented Nigeria  said in an interaction with CyberLIFE shortly after the competion.

According to him, to support their local creativity, they need more supports from  the government and the private sectors to fully engage in more research and development ahead of Imagine Cup 2011 slated for United States of America. It would be recalled that  the increasing prevalence of cloud computing was carried into Imagine Cup projects.

Open to students around the world, the Imagine Cup is a challenge that draws serious talent, and the competition is intense. The contest spans a year, beginning with local, regional and online contests whose winners go on to attend the Worldwide Finals held in a different location every year.