University technology students at Microsoft Imagine Cup Final

Four University of Malta students have just represented Malta in the 2009 edition of the Imagine Cup, Microsoft's annual international student technology competition. Though the Maltese team was unsuccessful, the participation was another positive experience for young Maltese ICT students.

More than 300,000 students from over 142 countries entered the 2009 competition which was held in Cairo last week. The finals saw 444 students from 124 countries and regions presenting their projects for the theme Imagine A World Where Technology Helps Solve The World's Toughest Problems.

Until a few weeks ago, the four students - James Abela, Mauro Pirrone, Keith Galea and Brian Fenech - were busy working into the early hours of the morning on their entry for the International Imagine Cup.

The team, who adopted the official name of LogicArts for the competition, was the winner of a local competition among scores of ICT students.

When these students approached the Malta Information Technology Agency (MITA) asking for support for their bid to compete in the renowned international IT competition, the agency accepted immediately: one of the agency's main missions is to support the development of students' skills and abilities within the ICT arena.

As James Abela explained, the team had worked hard to develop a top-quality system which would do the country proud at the international competition, but sorely lacked sponsorship and funding needed to be able to present a professional product.

"The team decided to approach the Malta Information Technology Agency with a request for assistance and following initial discussions, the agency offered us a sponsorship deal that allowed us to fulfill our dream and participate in the challenge," he explained.

MITA chairman Claudio Grech explained that the agency was impressed with the team's strong belief that technology can be the driving force that transforms their ideas into real-world solutions.

The concept behind LogicArts' project was based on the Millennium Development Goals - the eradication of poverty. All projects for the 2009 Imagine Cup were to be based around one of these goals, with the aim of putting technology to good, practical use that would benefit the international community.

The team opted to design an online charity donation solution, DonationExpress, that was user-friendly and transparent, allowing internet users to donate money to a selected charitable organisation or project.

"One of the most interesting features of the system is that it is extremely user-friendly and allows you, as a donor, to log on to the DonationExpress website to trace your donation," and even follow updates on the progress of the project/s to which you donated," Mauro Pirrone explained.

The system is flexible and can be used by charity organisations, e-commerce websites and by corporate organisations that wish to raise funds for a worthy cause. All transactions associated with donation received through DonationExpress.org are recorded and are also made public and accessible to anybody logging on to the DonationExpress website.

The system aims to optimise the level of transparency of the entire donation process, an issue that often prohibits people from donating money to charity. DonationExpress should be recognised as a trustful donation solution.

Given the many benefits that can be enjoyed by such initiatives, MITA said it will continue to invest in local students' potential. Being at the forefront of supporting innovation, it is committed to the development of students within the ICT arena.