Microsoft Jordan announces Imagine Cup 2014 Jordan winners

Under the patronage of Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah, Microsoft Jordan announced the winners of Imagine Cup 2014 Jordan. The announcement was made during a ceremony that took place on Tuesday 19 April, 2014, at the King Hussein Business Park. The event was attended by the Information and Communications Technology Minister, H.E. Azzam Sleit, on behalf of Her Majesty Queen Rania; Microsoft Jordan Country Manager, Hussein Malhas; Microsoft Jordan Developer and Platform Evangelist Lead, Ayman Afaneh; top executives from Zain, Aramex,  MenaITech, Pioneers Academy and Capital Bank, among others; in addition to a group of students and academics from various Jordanian universities.    

As the world's premier student technology competition targeting students between the ages of 16 and 26, Imagine Cup 2014 Jordan featured the participation of 11 teams who competed under three different categories. As part of the competition, the participants were required to innovate solutions that help them realize their dreams and enrich the lives of others around them using Microsoft’s latest technology platforms. Team ‘Mission Possible’ of Petra University was announced as winner of the ‘World Citizenship’ category which honors developers of software applications that show the greatest potential to make a positive contribution to the betterment of humanity; team ‘Amel Watan’ (‘Nation Worker’ in English) of  Princess Sumaya University for Technology was named winner of the ‘Games’ category which recognizes developers of outstanding games created using Microsoft platforms; and team ‘The Pen’ of Jordan University of Science and Technology was crowned as winner of the ‘Innovation’ category which honors developers of applications that deliver accessible innovations and advance major platforms such as social networks, search engines, classified advertisements or online shopping. The overall winner of Imagine Cup 2014 Jordan was team ‘The Pen’. 

Team ‘The Pen’ will go on to represent Jordan at the Imagine Cup Arab Semi Finals in Qatar, during which it will compete against participants from 22 Arab countries. Winners of the Imagine Cup Arab Semi Finals will qualify for the Imagine Cup Worldwide Finals 2014, challenging hundreds of students from around the world. The Imagine Cup Worldwide Finals 2014 is slated to take place during July in Seattle, USA. 

“Launching this competition underscores our commitment to supporting the Government of Jordan’s national strategy which aims to advance the Kingdom’s science, technology and education sectors, and to promote creative thinking among youth so as to establish a knowledgeable generation that is capable of creating a brighter future for all,” commented Malhas. 

In turn, Afaneh added, “We are proud to have witnessed such an impressive number of technology projects, all of which reaffirm that Jordan is home to inspiring entrepreneurial and creative talents that are worthy of being nurtured. This year’s participants were immensely successful and inventive in their utilization of Microsoft’s various technology platforms, as well as in developing projects that benefit both Jordan’s community and its technology sector.” 

Mo’men Nimrat from ‘The Pen’, stated, “Participating in the competition has allowed me to transform my ideas into reality and has presented me with the opportunity to showcase them in front of top industry experts who have helped me execute my vision using Microsoft’s cutting-edge platforms.” 

In 2011, Jordan ranked third in the Imagine Cup Worldwide Finals which is supported by Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah. Launched 11 years ago by Microsoft, Imagine Cup is geared towards encouraging and empowering students to make a change. The year-long competition kicks-off with national online rounds in more than 100 countries, after which finalists qualify to compete in the Imagine Cup Worldwide Finals which is held in a different country each year. Imagine Cup brings together talented students from around the world and provides them with invaluable resources and opportunities to innovate using the latest technologies.