Codeplex of Valley View University has emerged as the only group to successfully enter into this year’s Microsoft Ghana Imagine Cup competition and also represent Ghana in the global competition.
The Imagine Cup competition, forms part of Microsoft’s YouthSpark initiative, is a student competition which centers on the use of imagination, creativity and technology to help solve some of the world’s toughest problems.
A total of 12 teams from different universities from across Ghana registered to contest. However Codeplex was the only team that was able to upload their app into the contest.
The group designed an interactive device which is very useful in homes and by their submission, they do stand a chance of representing Ghana at the Imagine Cup Worldwide Finals in St Petersburg, Russia in July, this year.
Speaking at a press briefing in Accra during the weekend, Mr Yinka Oni, National Technology Officer for Microsoft Anglophone West Africa, said each team that competed in the regional finals deserved the highest recognition for their creativity and imagination applied to some of the world’s biggest challenges.
“We’re proud to honour Codeplex, who we believe truly exemplifies the spirit of the Imagine Cup competition, and we’ll be cheering team Codeplex on as they compete on the world stage in St Petersburg,” he said.
He said Imagine Cup was directly aligned with the Microsoft 4Afrika Initiative which was launched earlier this year aimed to drive access to technology, innovation and world-class skills.
“We believe deeply that technology can accelerate growth for Africa, and Africa can also accelerate technology for the world, and we are honoured to engage with these young people to help bring their innovative ideas to fruition,” Mr Oni added.
Mr Alfred Priddy, Representative of Hatua Solutions, expressed excitement to be part of this historic and creative initiative.
He said partnering Microsoft to provide solutions to worldwide problems was a giant step in the right direction saying “Hatua Solutions is looking forward to building innovative minds that will impact not only our continent, but our world in general.”
“We were speechless. To have won the competition – and to have the opportunity to represent our country at the Worldwide Imagine Cup along some of the brightest young minds – is an honour,” Davies Tobi Alex, Leader of Codeplex, said.
“And we are thrilled to have the opportunity to compete with students from around the globe who, like us, are passionate about making a difference in the world,”, he added.
Imagine Cup competition serve as a platform for young entrepreneurs, innovators and developers to have the opportunity to develop an idea, create a product, set a clear business plan and event take their product to market. All Imagine Cup Worldwide Finalist teams are eligible to apply for Imagine Cup Grants, a three year 3 million dollar investment by Microsoft to help students turn their ideas into reality.
More than 1.65 million students across the globe have participated in Imagine Cup during the past decade, creating applications and games that address the world’s toughest social problems. This year’s competition builds on the core elements that have been most popular with students in the past 10 years that is social impact and gaming while expanding the competition’s focus on innovation and entrepreneurship.
