The Imagine Cup is an annual worldwide student competition which started in 2003 with 1,000 student competitors and has grown to be a truly global competition focused on finding solutions to real-world issues. More than 325,000 students from 142 countries entered the competition in 2009. As with the Olympics, Imagine Cup finalists compete at the world finals, which are held in a different country each year – and for 2011 that will be in USA.

The Imagine Cup Imagine Cup 2011, competitions are in Software Design, Embedded Development, Game Design, Digital Media and IT Challenge.

The themes are inspired by the United Nations Millenium Goals including:

• Ending hunger and poverty
• Achieving primary education for everyone
• Promoting gender equality and empowerment
• Reducing child mortality
• Improving maternal health
• Combating widespread disease
• Ensuring environmental sustainability
• Developing a global partnership for development.

Imagine Cup 2011 is not only a global competition. As a part of the Swiss "You Make IT Smart: Code – Win – Play” campaign we will be holding the competition in Switzerland in 2010-11 with the finals in May 2011. Details – coming soon.