The heat is on….and it’s not just the tropical environment of Phuket; 128 collegiate teams from all over the world have won their regional competitions and now find themselves at the 40th Annual ACM International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC) World Finals, the world’s oldest, largest, and most prestigious programming competition, sponsored by IBM and hosted by Prince of Songkla University.
With the contest only days away, you might expect the environment here to be tense. Actually, many students have spent the last day getting acclimated, meeting each other, and having fun. An important component of the ICPC is students engaging with each other and the host country. Competing in the ICPC is truly a one-of-a-kind experience, with cultural and educational experiences at every turn.
Instead of stressing, contestants prepared by unwinding on the beautiful beaches of Phuket and hanging out at the IBM Chill Zone, where contestants can play board games, demo the latest technologies from IBM, and meet with young, like-minded IBM employees to discuss industry trends and career paths.
One of the demos contestants were most excited about allowed them to "feel the force" by moving BB-8 with their mind, made possible by IoT services on IBM Bluemix.
Looking for more information about the ICPC? Check out the press kit here.
Courtney Coolidge is CACM's on-site blogger at ICPC.
Join the Discussion (0)
Become a Member or Sign In to Post a Comment