Microsoft announces world final winners in games, innovation, and world citizenship

The waiting time  is over. Thirty-three finalist Teams who arrived Seattle last Monday for the global technology contest had showcased their innovative solutions in a live presentation before Microsoft panel of judges.

Although it may be difficult for the judges to select the best solution, but winners have emerged from the   Imagine Cup World Finalist Teams.

Just yesterday, Microsoft announced winners of 2015 Imagine Cup finals in Games, Innovation and World Citizenship categories.

It would be recalled that thirty-three Imagine Cup World Finalist Teams had arrived Seattle last Monday for the global showcase.

Meanwhile, the Imagine Cup World Champion will be crowned today by the Microsoft Chief Executive Officer,  Satya Nadella.

The competing Teams had presented their innovative solution in a live presentation before Microsoft panel of judges last Wednesday.

World Citizenship:

1st Place: Virtual Dementia Experience, Australia: $50,000 and a Microsoft YouthSpark Boot Camp

2nd Place: Mozter, Singapore: $10,000

3rd Place: Prognosis, Greece: $5,000

Innovation:

1st Place: eFitFashion, Brazil: $50,000 and a Microsoft Ventures Boot Camp

2nd Place: NoObs, Azerbaijan: $10,000

3rd Place: Siymb, United Kingdom: $5,000

Games:

1st Place: IzHard, Russia: $50,000 and a PAX Boot Camp

2nd Place: Kuality Games, Netherlands: $10,000

3rd Place: Thief, China: $5,000

World Citizenship: Virtual Dementia Experience  from Australia

The Virtual Dementia Experience (VDE) simulates the effects of aging and dementia in a virtual environment, so that cognitively intact people can gain an appreciation of the issues confronting people with dementia.

Innovation: eFitFashion, Brazil

The project “Clothes For Me” is an online marketplace developed to sell custom made and tailored clothes in a simpler way. The goal is to increase the development of the ePMG software, which generates patterns of clothes automatically, based on the user’s measurements.

That way, everyone can find clothes that fit perfectly, no matter what type of body they have. The team aims to connect customers, seamstresses and clothing firms all over the world, offering them a channel to get in touch with reliability and security.

Games: IzHard, Russia

OVIVO is a 2D puzzle-platformer. The game world is divided into black and white spaces. With the ability to transit from one color zone to another, the player-controlled character penetrates through the environment’s contours and overcomes obstacles.

Interestingly, this  year, a special award was added to the competition, the Microsoft Imagine Cup “Ability Award.”

 This award celebrates the student team that demonstrates innovation with the potential to drive a more accessible and inclusive workplace and world. In addition to the title, the winners will be given the opportunity to come back to Redmond for an “Ability Bootcamp” – spending time with experts in disability, accessibility and inclusive design from across Microsoft, refining their project and getting invaluable insight.

Team Prognosis from Greece takes home the Ability Award. Prognosis proposes an intelligent ICT-based approach for early Parkinson’s disease detection and early intervention in older adults’ everyday life, promoting active and healthy aging by introducing new ways of health self-managing tools, set within a collaborative care context with health professionals.

The awards ceremony also bestowed the title of Microsoft Student Partner of the year to Jason Chee of Singapore.

The MSP of the Year Award honors the student partner who exhibits advanced technical skills, the quality of the apps they’ve created and the events they’ve organized to reach students in their country. Jason not only received this prestigious recognition, but he also won  $2,000.

One thing is clear. It is hard to believe that today is the last day of the 2015 Imagine Cup World Finals. The students who arrived bleary-eyed on Monday are not the same developers while heading back to their countries today.

They’ve received feedback from experts on how to improve their presentation – and this is where Imagine Cup stands out in a student’s path to entrepreneurship.

As a recent competitor reminded us all, no other technology competition focuses so much on the real-life business aspect of potential apps and games. At Imagine Cup, students turn into entrepreneurs almost without realizing it.

World Championship

For Team Virtual Dementia Experience, Team eFitFashion and Team IzHard, the journey continues to the World Championship round today  where they will vie for the ultimate prize.

 For this final round today,  Microsoft has  lined up a new, spectacular trio of judges: Thomas Middleditch, star of HBO’s “Silicon Valley”; Alex Kipman, Inventor of HoloLens; and Jens Bergensten, Lead Developer of Minecraft.

- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/07/microsoft-announces-world-final-winners-in-games-innovation-and-world-citizenship/#sthash.EUg2XetO.dpuf

UniIorin working to develop Ebola vaccine, says VC

Abuja – Prof. Abdulganiyu Ambali, the Vice-Chancellor of University of Ilorin (Unilorin), says the institution’s Ebola Research Committee is working toward developing a vaccine for the Ebola virus.
Ambali, who disclosed this in an interview on Sunday in Abuja, said that the process of developing a vaccine was a long one.
“What is happening is that the committee is just monitoring events; in terms of the vaccine, it will take a while because there are processes that you have to follow before you develop a vaccine.
“For example, you have to isolate the virus; grow the virus; attenuate the virus; bring it out for testing; and then before the final usage.
“So those are the processes that any vaccine candidate will have to pass through before you can now use on victim.
“But right now what they are doing is monitoring events across the borders; and then we have put in place the facilities to be able to advise our staff as well as students that want to visit those places (High risk Ebola countries).
The vice-chancellor said that the committee was monitoring developments in neighbouring countries, especially in Liberia where there was a resurgence of Ebola.
He said that people, staff and students, who travelled, would be advised on proper precautionary measures while those returning from high risk areas would be properly screened before entry.
Ambali stressed the need for Nigerian universities to step up the publications of their research findings in order to improve the global rating of Nigerian universities.
He said the recent ranking of African universities in which only one Nigerian university made the top ten was worrisome.
“Every academic should be worried about this ranking and we are doing our best to make sure that we enter that vicinity of the ranking arena.
“We need to increase our visibility; we need to improve on our interaction through the internet and then update our research publications.
“We also need to make sure that we are seen across globe as much as possible so that the world will know what is happening in our institutions,” Ambali told NAN.
According to him, Nigerian universities are as good as their foreign counterparts but need to constantly upload their activities online in order to achieve global presence. (NAN)

Ministry hails Nigerian with 5.0 CGPA in Russian varsity

The Federal Ministry of Education on Wednesday in Abuja honoured Dr Victor Olalusi, who scored 5.0 Cumulative Grade Point Average in Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow in 2013.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Olalusi, who was the best graduating student in the whole Russian Federation in 2013, studied in RNRMU under the Russia-Nigeria Bilateral Education Agreement.
Speaking at the event, the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr MacJohn Nwaobiala, said a lot of Nigerian students were brilliant but Olalusi was a genius.
He said Olalusi had become an ambassador not only to the ministry but to Nigeria and Russia.
The permanent secretary added, “We have to search the Guinness Book of Records for anybody who has achieved 5.0 in a university.

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“It is curious and strange that all those that evaluated his performance could not find reason to reduce a point from him.
“You should be the ambassador of the Federal Scholarship Board, Ministry of Education, Nigeria and the Russian Federation.
“I look forward to the day you will stand before the President to receive your honour. We have recommendations to that effect.”
He urged Olalusi to continue to be a role model to young Nigerians and also called on him to explore opportunities in post graduate research.
The Director, Federal Scholarship Board, Mrs. Ifeoma Agunwa, said Olalusi made 5.0 GPA in all the courses he took in the seven years he studied Medicine in Russia.
“Olalusi never had a 4.99 GPA. Even in the Russian language class, he did not fall below 5.0,” she stated.
In her citation on Olalusi, Agunwa said he ranked as one of the best students in the faculty which handed him a place in RNRMU’s Hall of fame for academic excellence.
Mr Artem Romanov, who represented the Russian Embassy, said Olalusi’s feat was very significant for everybody in Russia.
Romanov said, “Nigeria is blessed with abundant human potential which is officially acknowledged in Russia.
“It has been acknowledged in the Russian Ministry of Education that Nigerians have a lot of exceptional talents. Genetically, Nigerians grasp knowledge easily.
“Olalusi is a hardworking person. It is not easy to achieve such in Russia; it goes with talent and hard work.
“I urge you to engage your knowledge in the development of your father land.”
While showing his appreciation, Olalusi thanked God for his rare feat and also commended the Federal Government and the Scholarship Board for the opportunity given to young Nigerians to distinguish themselves.
Olalusi’s father, Mr Olarewaju Olalusi, believed his son’s achievement was as a result of hard work.
He explained that his son did not attend high class schools but normal public schools, which spoke volumes of the standard of education in Nigeria.

ASUU asks FG to probe JAMB’s expected N1bn scratch card income

Ibadan—ACADEMIC Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Ibadan Chapter has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to probe alleged over N1billion that will be generated from sale of scratch cards to candidates seeking admission into tertiary institutions across the country.

While condemning the new policy imposed on candidates by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, the academic union claimed the scratch card is now being sold for N1,500 to each candidate seeking admission.

To the academic union which spoke through its Chairman, Professor Olusegun Ajiboye, the policy would be counter-productive, noting that it has made admission process chaotic and exposed candidates to fraudsters.

It insisted that JAMB should respect candidates’ preferences and choices for tertiary institutions and consider security of lives of candidates, cost, proximity, quality, and rights of the Nigerian child in arriving at any policy.

ASUU further described the policy as exploitative which allegedly amounted to abuse of the rights of the candidates.

It alleged that Professor Dibu Ojerinde, who oversees the affairs of the board was insensitive to the plights of the Nigerian masses with parents not paid for months by some governors but are now being forced to pay N1, 000 to know where their wards are reassigned against their choices.

Reacting to the allegations, the board through its Head of Media, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, denied sale of scratch cards saying the internet access is free to all candidates.

The Board explained “that the National cut-off marks of 180 for universities and 150 for Polytechnics, Colleges of Education and Innovative Enterprise institutions in the 2015 UTME was a benchmark to set the tone for 2015 admission exercise.”

The decision to have a national accepted cut-off mark at policy meeting was to serve as a guide and pruning mechanism to give the tertiary institutions qualitative candidates to choose from a pool of candidates desirous of tertiary education”.

“However, Universities and other levels of tertiary institutions are at liberty to go higher, but not lower, depending on their peculiarities and the performance of candidates that choose them. Provided thes e cut off marks are uniformly applied to all candidates based on existing admission criteria by proprietors of these institutions”.

“Universities are centres of excellence anywhere in the world and ours should not be an exception. The policy witnessed in University of Lagos is aimed at ensuring that our Universities admit only the top best as done globally. “

WAEC threatens to withhold results of candidates in 19 states over N4b debt

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) on Monday threatened to withhold results of candidates in 19 states who wrote the May/June 2015 West African Senior Certificate Examination (WASSCE) over non payment of exams fees by their state governments.
The 19 states according to the WAEC Head of National Office (HNO), Mr. Charles Eguridu, owe the council over N4billion for examination fees of their candidates for the May/June 2015 WASSCE and also few in 2014.
Eguridu who briefed newsmen on the debt issue along side some management staff at WAEC national office, Yaba, Lagos, gave the affected 19 state governments two weeks to settle their debt and warned that the council would not release the results of their candidates if they failed to meet up the deadline.
His words: ‘’As you are aware, the council has successfully conducted the May/June 2015 WASSCE and is working assiduously to ensure that the results are released on schedule.
‘’Again, as you aware, many state of the Federation, as part of their education policy, pay the registration fees of candidates for the WASSCE, particularly in their public schools. This is quite commendable as it has afforded many indigent students the opportunity to sit our examinations and relieved many poor parents of this financial burden.
However, this obviously good gesture has come at a price to the council. As I speak to you now, we are cash-strapped as a result of the delay in off-setting the registration fees owed the council by some states. As a result, we are finding it difficult in meeting our financial obligation, particularly to our supervisors, examiners and service providers.
‘’A total number of 19 states in the country are owing the council in respect of entry fees for state government sponsored candidates for the May/June 2015 WASSCE. Some states also still owe the council registration fees for the May/June 2014 WASSCE.
‘’We have written to the affected states governments without any response. The poor response of debtor states is threatening the smooth operations of the council.
‘’We, therefore, want to publicly plead with the affected states to off-set the registration fees of their candidates as soon as possible, as we cannot guarantee that the results of their candidates for the May/June 2015 WASSCE will be released along with others.’’
Speaking further on the debt issue, the HNO said the council wrote to the affected states six months ago and only one responded but crave the indulgence of the press to withhold the names of the 19 states involved.
Eguridu however warned that at the expiration of the two weeks ultimatum for the affected states to off-set the debt, he would be forced to make the names public when releasing the results of the May/June 2015 WASSCE.
When pressed further by newsmen to reveal names of the affected states, Mr. Eguridu explained that the states owing the council over N4billion cut-across the six geo-political zones noting ‘’we want to give the states benefit of doubt. You know some these states have new governors. So, we want to give the new governors some time to off-set the registration fees for their candidates’’.
According to him, ‘’when the states requested to be granted credit, we allowed them. It has been the practice for a long time. WAEC does not have another avenue to source for funds to run its operation. We are still owing many of our examiners and supervisors because of the non payment by the 19 states’’.
He traced the debt situation to the current melt down affecting the states and hoped the old/new governors would pay the May/June 2015 WASSCE registration fees to avert the withholding of their candidates results.
The HNO assured parents and the over 1.2million candidates that sat for the May/June 2015 WASSCE that the results would be released in two weeks time even as he praised the examiners, supervisors and WAEC staff for ensuring the successful conductor and marking of the answer scripts within the stipulated time.
Eguridu used the opportunity to inform Nigerians that the council discovered two fake website that post fake questions to attract candidates thereby defrauding them of huge sum of money.  He said the website syndicate operate from Badagry and Ekpoma.
The WAEC boss revealed that those involved in the fake website to deceive candidates were arrested and are being prosecuted. He warned candidates not to patronize operators of such fake website noting ‘’in last five years, our questions have not been compromised because of several mechanism put in place’’.

Medical Student dies after spending 10 years in Medical School in vain

Prof. Charity Angya, Vice-Chancellor

A Medical Student of the Benue State University Makurdi, Idoko Nicholas Inalegwu, has died in controversial circumstances after receiving the news of his withdrawal after spending 10 years in medical school.

The media gathered that the deceased, Idoko was withdrawn for failing a re-sit.

A student, who spoke to a Journalist on telephone on condition of anonymity, said they believed that Idoko took his life because he could not bear the news that his 10 years in medical school was in vain.

“He had been talking about it; that he wished he died a painless death; that the school had finished him. There is nowhere in the world that a medical student is withdrawn after spending 10 years,” he said.

The student said the students had complained about the manner in which examinations were conducted, where re-sits were prolonged for up to one year, as against the stipulated six weeks, with no efforts to engage the students.

The students, after an altercation at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital mortuary, obtained the coffin of their dead colleague and marched to the VC’s office, vowing not to leave until their grievances were resolved.

All efforts to reach the Vice-Chancellor, Mrs. Charity Angya, for comments proved abortive as she neither picked several calls made to her mobile phone nor responded to a text message sent to her as of the time of filling this report.