16 July 2011
'Brothers Forever' wins 2nd place at Imagine Cup - By A Staff Reporter - MUSCAT -- Two Omani teams participated in Microsoft's Imagine Cup USA 2011 worldwide competition, having qualified for the finals in New York. The first team ‛Help Me Educate Others', a first-place winner in the GCC regional finals, participated in the Software Design competition.
The second team ‛Brothers Forever', the only Arab team to reach the finals in the category of Digital Media, won 2nd place in the Digital Media category of the Imagine Cup USA 2011. The 'Brothers Forever' team hail from Sultan Qaboos University. Its team members are Osama al Adawi and Salim al Harbi, with Malik al Kindi as Team Mentor. Competitors in the Digital Media category were asked to make web videos to share their points of view and generate awareness of critical global issues. The 'Brothers Forever' project team video, entitled 'Clorofilter for a Green Life', tells the story about a man from the future, who shows us a better future with a great invention that can help reduce pollution by filtering smoke and toxins from the air.
The awards ceremony was held at Lincoln Center, New York and attended by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and officials of Microsoft Corporation, alongside hundreds of fellow global competitors.
Attending the award ceremony on behalf of the Sultanate, Talal Sulaiman al Rahbi, Deputy CEO of Operations at the Information Technology Authority (ITA), said, "We are happy and proud of the sultanate's latest achievement represented by this team. This win did not come out of thin air, but from the great efforts made by the team at various stages of the competition, until they reached the winning stage."
He continued, "The ITA, in the coming years, is keen to motivate more student participation in this competition and encourages more college students to join. The ITA will provide the necessary support, in an effort to facilitate their participation, so they can achieve similar advanced results, as Oman is seeking to host the regional finals of this competition next year. I would like to thank everyone who supported the team and who voted in the initial stages of the competition. Your support along the way has contributed to this international recognition. We call on everyone to support student teams who have the potential to qualify for international competitions and elevate the name of the Sultanate in international forums."
Commenting on this great achievement, Tareq Hijazi, Regional Country Manager for Microsoft in Oman and Bahrain, said, "I wholeheartedly congratulate the Omani team for this remarkable achievement. I am truly impressed and inspired by the level of innovation the Omani youth demonstrated throughout this global competition. Microsoft Imagine Cup is a very tough competition that hosts the brightest and most innovative minds from all over the world and today's result is a testament of the talent and potential that exists in Oman and the region. The success of the Omani team showcases how technology and successful partnerships can combine to produce amazing results. I congratulate the successful team and all the participating students and thank the Information Technology Authority for their forward-looking approach and support with the Imagine Cup," he added.
To learn more from the 'Brothers Forever' team, Susan Moores, Media and Communication Specialist, ITA, spoke to team members, Osama al Adawi and Salim al Harbi, both students at Sultan Qaboos University. On hearing the exciting news, a very happy Osama said, "I am thrilled to have placed 2nd in the world in the Digital Media category. This is just the beginning for us! From now on, we will continue to participate in other international IT competitions. Salim Al Harbi had this to say, "What a great joy it was to be able to stand on the stage carrying the Oman flag and see all the participants clapping for us and our country. I will never forget that moment!"
Malik al Kindi, the 'Brothers Forever' team mentor, offered this statement: "The team sought to provide something different in the competition and were successful. The video they made impressed everyone who viewed it. The participation in this competition is a journey towards a world of excellence in the science and technology field. We also worked together as a team. Despite difficulties we faced in completing our work, being that the participation was in the midst of study, it was the teams' determination and will that enabled us to reach our goal. Teamwork and co-operation was enough to overcome the difficulties and thankfully we got to the point of winning."
The ITA has been devoted to supporting and motivating students to partake in this international competition and comes within the context of the endeavours to discover the talented Omani youths and provide them with care and opportunities that enable them to showcase their talents and polish their skills. Participation in such global arena will have a great impact on motivating the Omani young talents to produce innovative solutions in the field of technology.
It will also contribute to raising the level of awareness regarding the significance of use of student technology in addition to coming up with innovative technological projects that serve the Omani society.
The ITA is committed to continuing to lend its support to students so that they can achieve success and prove their excellence in this significant and international IT competition.
As the world's premier student technology competition, the Imagine Cup is Microsoft's initiative to encourage young people to apply their imagination and technological innovations that can make a difference and address real-world issues. Students aged 16 and over were invited to register for the 2011 event in which they use technology to develop innovative solutions that can change the world. Imagine Cup compliments Microsoft's Unlimited Potential commitment to generate social and economic opportunities through programmes and products that transform education, foster local innovation and enable jobs worldwide.
'Brothers Forever' wins 2nd place at Imagine Cup - By A Staff Reporter - MUSCAT -- Two Omani teams participated in Microsoft's Imagine Cup USA 2011 worldwide competition, having qualified for the finals in New York. The first team ‛Help Me Educate Others', a first-place winner in the GCC regional finals, participated in the Software Design competition.
The second team ‛Brothers Forever', the only Arab team to reach the finals in the category of Digital Media, won 2nd place in the Digital Media category of the Imagine Cup USA 2011. The 'Brothers Forever' team hail from Sultan Qaboos University. Its team members are Osama al Adawi and Salim al Harbi, with Malik al Kindi as Team Mentor. Competitors in the Digital Media category were asked to make web videos to share their points of view and generate awareness of critical global issues. The 'Brothers Forever' project team video, entitled 'Clorofilter for a Green Life', tells the story about a man from the future, who shows us a better future with a great invention that can help reduce pollution by filtering smoke and toxins from the air.
The awards ceremony was held at Lincoln Center, New York and attended by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and officials of Microsoft Corporation, alongside hundreds of fellow global competitors.
Attending the award ceremony on behalf of the Sultanate, Talal Sulaiman al Rahbi, Deputy CEO of Operations at the Information Technology Authority (ITA), said, "We are happy and proud of the sultanate's latest achievement represented by this team. This win did not come out of thin air, but from the great efforts made by the team at various stages of the competition, until they reached the winning stage."
He continued, "The ITA, in the coming years, is keen to motivate more student participation in this competition and encourages more college students to join. The ITA will provide the necessary support, in an effort to facilitate their participation, so they can achieve similar advanced results, as Oman is seeking to host the regional finals of this competition next year. I would like to thank everyone who supported the team and who voted in the initial stages of the competition. Your support along the way has contributed to this international recognition. We call on everyone to support student teams who have the potential to qualify for international competitions and elevate the name of the Sultanate in international forums."
Commenting on this great achievement, Tareq Hijazi, Regional Country Manager for Microsoft in Oman and Bahrain, said, "I wholeheartedly congratulate the Omani team for this remarkable achievement. I am truly impressed and inspired by the level of innovation the Omani youth demonstrated throughout this global competition. Microsoft Imagine Cup is a very tough competition that hosts the brightest and most innovative minds from all over the world and today's result is a testament of the talent and potential that exists in Oman and the region. The success of the Omani team showcases how technology and successful partnerships can combine to produce amazing results. I congratulate the successful team and all the participating students and thank the Information Technology Authority for their forward-looking approach and support with the Imagine Cup," he added.
To learn more from the 'Brothers Forever' team, Susan Moores, Media and Communication Specialist, ITA, spoke to team members, Osama al Adawi and Salim al Harbi, both students at Sultan Qaboos University. On hearing the exciting news, a very happy Osama said, "I am thrilled to have placed 2nd in the world in the Digital Media category. This is just the beginning for us! From now on, we will continue to participate in other international IT competitions. Salim Al Harbi had this to say, "What a great joy it was to be able to stand on the stage carrying the Oman flag and see all the participants clapping for us and our country. I will never forget that moment!"
Malik al Kindi, the 'Brothers Forever' team mentor, offered this statement: "The team sought to provide something different in the competition and were successful. The video they made impressed everyone who viewed it. The participation in this competition is a journey towards a world of excellence in the science and technology field. We also worked together as a team. Despite difficulties we faced in completing our work, being that the participation was in the midst of study, it was the teams' determination and will that enabled us to reach our goal. Teamwork and co-operation was enough to overcome the difficulties and thankfully we got to the point of winning."
The ITA has been devoted to supporting and motivating students to partake in this international competition and comes within the context of the endeavours to discover the talented Omani youths and provide them with care and opportunities that enable them to showcase their talents and polish their skills. Participation in such global arena will have a great impact on motivating the Omani young talents to produce innovative solutions in the field of technology.
It will also contribute to raising the level of awareness regarding the significance of use of student technology in addition to coming up with innovative technological projects that serve the Omani society.
The ITA is committed to continuing to lend its support to students so that they can achieve success and prove their excellence in this significant and international IT competition.
As the world's premier student technology competition, the Imagine Cup is Microsoft's initiative to encourage young people to apply their imagination and technological innovations that can make a difference and address real-world issues. Students aged 16 and over were invited to register for the 2011 event in which they use technology to develop innovative solutions that can change the world. Imagine Cup compliments Microsoft's Unlimited Potential commitment to generate social and economic opportunities through programmes and products that transform education, foster local innovation and enable jobs worldwide.
© Oman Daily Observer 2011
