Sri Lanka’s very own Moratuwa University has gained the distinction of becoming the only university to produce three of the four teams from Sri Lanka or, for that matter, it is the only university amongst all the Asia Pacific universities to have three of its teams qualify for the finals of the Microsoft Imagine Cup 2009 world finals, reflecting the superior level of its ICT curricula and instruction.

In all, 20 teams have qualified for the world finals from the Asia-Pacific region, out of which four teams are from Sri Lanka, four teams from Singapore, three teams from Korea, and one each from Australia and New Zealand. The Imagine Cup is the most sought after technology competition globally and Sri Lanka has once again proved its passion for technology by increasing the number of entries year on year with more sophisticated applications. There are nine categories in all for the Imagine Cup and, creditably, three of the Sri Lankan teams have entered in the most technical categories: Embedded Development, Mash Up, Robotics and Algorithm.

In fact, this year’s Embedded Development team won the Sri Lankan software design competition in 2007 and represented Sri Lanka in Imagine Cup 2007 world finals in Korea.

Further, two members in the Mash Up category were in the team that won the Sri Lanka software design competition and represented the country at Imagine Cup 2008 world finals in Paris, France.

Wellington Perera, Developer Evangelist, Microsoft Sri Lanka, said: “I would like to extend my heartiest congratulations to the Sri Lankan teams that have qualified for the Imagine Cup 2009 world finals and am confident that they will prove to be tough competitors at the final stage.  The talent on display at every stage of the Imagine Cup here and abroad is immense and we are especially proud to note that the number of entries have been on the rise every year, which reflects the passion with which students have embraced the challenge that the Imagine Cup poses. At Microsoft we feel intensely proud of the strides that the competition has made locally. I hope the technical solutions and outstanding performance by these four teams will motivate more youth with a keen interest in ICT to take part in the Imagine Cup competition next year. The Moratuwa University in particular needs to be commended for being the only university in the entire Asia-Pacific region to produce three teams of such high standards to qualify for the Imagine Cup 2009 world finals.”

The four teams from Sri Lanka who will make their presence felt at the Imagine Cup 2009 world finals soon are competing in the following categories: Software Design - Team Mahee from the Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology and team members are Akila Jayasooriya, Lakkana Perera, Chanakya Jayasinghe and Dunith Kankanamage; Embedded Development category has Team SAS_EN from the University of Moratuwa, its team members being Sanjaya Rathnayake, Ruvindee Tharaka, Anuruddha Ranatunga and Amila Sajayahan; while the Mash Up category has Team Sasrutha also from the University of Moratuwa with Dasuni Kannangara and Supunmali Ahangama; and the Robotics&Algorithm category has Aravinda Pramuditha also from the University of Moratuwa. The Moratuwa University has been at the epicentre of popularising IT amongst its students by offering an advanced curriculum that includes cutting edge IT courses that are coveted by students globally and which render them instantly employable on graduation.

The confidence and experience gained from participating in the Imagine Cup has resulted in local winners securing enviable employment opportunities which perhaps may not have come their way without this valuable exposure. The opportunity to compete with the sharpest minds in IT on a global platform has opened up new vistas for local participants as this competition has gained the status of being a stepping stone to a successful career in the realm of IT.

Team Mahee                                      Team SAS_EN


Team Sasrutha                                Aravinda Pramuditha