2015 ACM-ICPC Press Kit Table of Contents • On

 2015 ACM‐ICPC Press Kit Table of Contents 
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On‐site PR Contact List ICPC Fact Sheet World Finals Teams Executive Quote Sheet Executive Biographies IBM Morocco Hackathon Activity Fact Sheet IBM Cloud Fact Sheet IBM Africa Fact Sheet Sponsor and Host Fact Sheet World Finals On‐Site Contact List Chas Kurtz, Tierney (IBM/ICPC Public Relations), on‐site IBM ACM‐ICPC PR Manager ckurtz@tierneyagency.com Speaks English Nadia Kallel, IBM North and West Africa External Relations Leader NKALLEL@tn.ibm.com Speaks English, French and Arabic Olga Proskuryakova, IBM Russia External Relations Leader olga.proskuryakova@ru.ibm.com Speaks English and Russian Page 2
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World Finals (16-21 May 2015, Marrakech, Morocco) – Hosted by Mohammed V University (UM5), Al
Akhawayn University (AUY), Mundiapolis University (MU), and The Moroccan Association for
Computing Machinery (MACM), one hundred and twenty-eight (128) world finalist teams will compete
for awards, prizes and bragging rights. These teams represent the best of the great universities on six
continents - the cream of the crop.
Battle of the Brains
The contest pits teams of three university students against eight or more complex, real-world problems, with a
grueling five-hour deadline. Huddled around a single computer, competitors race against the clock in a battle of
logic, strategy and mental endurance.
Teammates collaborate to rank the difficulty of the problems, deduce the requirements, design test beds, and build
software systems that solve the problems under the intense scrutiny of expert judges. For a well-versed computer
science student, some of the problems require precision only. Others require a knowledge and understanding of
advanced algorithms. Still others are simply too hard to solve – except, of course, for the world’s brightest
problem-solvers.
Judging is relentlessly strict. The students are given a problem statement – not a requirements document. They
are given an example of test data, but they do not have access to the judges’ test data and acceptance criteria.
Each incorrect solution submitted is assessed a time penalty. You don’t want to waste your customer’s time when
you are dealing with the supreme court of computing. The team that solves the most problems in the fewest
attempts in the least cumulative time is declared the winner.
To learn more about the ICPC, please visit icpc.baylor.edu or acmicpc.org.
For full coverage of the World Finals including social media, photos, video, live coverage, and live scoreboard go
to ICPCNews, icpcnews.com.
Visit the ICPC podcast series at battleofthebrains.podbean.com for insights from past contestants and current IBM
executives.
Contest Growth
ACM, IBM, UPE, and Baylor University are thrilled that the contest continues to attract the best and brightest
students from around the world. This past year 38,160 contestants from 2,534 universities in 101 countries
competed in regional competitions at over 459 sites worldwide. Since the beginning of IBM’s sponsorship in
1997, participation has increased more than 1500%. For more information on previous contests, and last year’s
final standings and problem sets, please see icpc.baylor.edu. Growth continues.
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45,000
ACM-ICPC Student Participation
40,000
38160
35,000
32043
29479
30,000
25016
25,000
21327
20,000
18297
16818
15,000
12327
9450
10,000
7086
5904 6480
5,000
23811
21957
2520 3114
8619
4368
0
World Finals 2015 hosted in Morocco – the final round following the 2014 Regionals
One hundred and twenty-eight teams from regional contests servicing universities worldwide will advance to the
World Finals to be held at the Palmeraie Resort, Marrakech, Morocco, 16-21 May 2015. The World Finals is
hosted by Mohammed V University, Al Akhawayn University, Mundiapolis University, and The Moroccan ACM.
Morocco hosted the very first regional contest in North Africa and the Middle East in 1997.
Recent medal winners in order of finish are:
 2014 Gold:
 2013 Gold:
 2012 Gold:
 2011 Gold:
 2010 Gold:
St. Petersburg State University (Russia)
Moscow State University (Russia)
Peking University (China)
National Taiwan University (Taiwan)
St. Petersburg National Research University ITMO (Russia)
Shanghai Jiao Tong University (China)
The University of Tokyo (Japan)
National Taiwan University (Taiwan)
St. Petersburg National Research University ITMO (Russia)
University of Warsaw (Poland)
Moscow Institute of Physics & Technology (Russia)
Shanghai Jiao Tong University (China)
Zhejiang University (China)
University of Michigan at Ann Arbor (USA)
Tsinghua University (China)
St. Petersburg State University (Russia)
Shanghai Jiao Tong University (China)
Moscow State University (Russia)
National Taiwan University (Taiwan)
Taras Shevchenko Kiev National University (Ukraine)
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About ACM
ACM, the Association for Computing Machinery, with more than 100,000 members, is the world’s largest
educational and scientific computing society, uniting computing educators, researchers, professionals, and
students to inspire dialogue, share resources and address the field’s challenges. ACM strengthens the computing
profession’s collective voice through strong leadership, promotion of the highest standards, and recognition of
technical excellence. ACM supports the professional growth of its members by providing opportunities for lifelong learning, career development, and professional networking. For more information, see www.acm.org.
About IBM
IBM is a globally integrated technology and consulting company. With operations in more than 170 countries,
IBM attracts and retains some of the world's most talented people to help solve problems and provide an edge for
businesses, governments and non-profits. Innovation is at the core of IBM's strategy. The company develops and
sells software and systems hardware and a broad range of infrastructure, focusing on growth initiatives such as
cloud computing, big data and analytics, mobile, social business and security. For more information, visit
www.ibm.com.
About Mohammed V University
Mohammed V University (UM5), the oldest modern university in Morocco, was founded in Rabat in 1957 and
inaugurated two years later by the late King Mohammed V. It also has the distinction of being the mother of
Moroccan universities. Over the years UM5 established branches in other cities such as Casablanca, Fes, Kenitra,
Tangiers, and Tetouan, which eventually became independent universities in 1975. UM5 is a public university that
provides high quality education to over 20 000 students annually. Its alumni include leading government officials,
ambassadors, academics, engineers, lawyers and executives. UM5 takes special pride in being the alma mater of
His Majesty King Mohammed VI and other members of the Royal Family. For more information, visit
www.um5s.ac.ma.
About Al Akhawayn University
Established in 1995, Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane (AUI) is an independent, not-for-profit, coeducational
Moroccan university committed to educating future citizen-leaders of Morocco and the world through a globally
oriented, English-language, liberal-arts curriculum based on the American style. The University enhances
Morocco and engages the world through leading-edge educational and research programs, including continuing
and executive education, upholds the highest academic and ethical standards, and promotes equity and social
responsibility. For more information, visit www.aui.ma.
About Mundiapolis University
Mundiapolis University was founded by a group of business and industrial firms bringing together, into the first
private university campus in Morocco, three major higher education institutions that played a pioneering role,
since 1996, in their respective areas: Polyfinance in financial engineering and business administration, IMADE as
a law school specialized in corporate and business law, and EMIAE in computer and electrical engineering
(EMIAE). For more information, visit www.mundiapolis.ma.
About The Moroccan ACM
The Moroccan Association for Computing Machinery, MACM, comprises a cross section of the computer science
and information technology community committed to increasing the visibility and relevance of ACM in Morocco.
The MACM is focused on a wide range of ACM activities, from creating channels to bring more high-quality
ACM activities to Morocco; to expanding ACM chapters; to enhancing access to the ACM Digital Library and
publications for ACM members in Morocco; to increasing the participation of ACM members in Morocco across
all dimensions of ACM. For more information, visit www.macm.ma.
IBM’s Commitment
IBM’s sponsorship commitment to the ACM International Collegiate Programming Contest is part of a companywide effort to advance the next generation of technology leaders and problem solvers who have combined skills of
computing science and business management. For more information, visit www.ibm.com/university.
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Baylor University’s Commitment
Baylor University has been the home of the ICPC since the late 1980s, where it has been managed under the
direction of Executive Director and Professor, Dr. William B. Poucher with global enterprise technology
development headed by Dr. Jeff Donahoo, Deputy Executive Director. The ICPC contributes to Baylor’s global
mission to encourage the next generation to develop and apply their problem-solving talents to the challenges that
face the world today and the world to come. Chartered by the Republic of Texas, Baylor is the oldest institution
of higher learning in the State of Texas. You may find more about Baylor at www.baylor.edu.
Upsilon Pi Epsilon’s Commitment
The Upsilon Pi Epsilon International Computer Science Honor Society recognizes the best students of computer
science and engineering in the world. Since its earliest participation, the UPE has provided support and
scholarships to the World Finals teams. The UPE boasts the longest continuous relationship to the ICPC, dating
back to 1970 with the first event held at Texas A&M by members of the Alpha Chapter of the UPE. For more
information about other UPE activities, its chapters, and its membership click on: upe.acm.org.
2015 ACM‐ICPC World Finals Participating Schools by Region Africa and the Middle East: Al Akhawayn University; Arab Academy for Science and Technology; Cairo University – Faculty of Computers and Information; ENSA Marrakech, UCA; Faculty of Computer and Information Sciences, Ain Shams University; Faculty of Engineering, Ain Shams University; German University in Cairo; The American University in Cairo; Tishreen University; University of Cape Town Asia: Amrita School of Engineering, Kollam; Beihang University; Beijing Institute of Technology; Beijing Jiaotong University; Beijing Normal University; Fudan University; Fuzhou University; Hangzhou Dianzi University; Huazhong University of Science & Technology; Indian Institute of Technology – Bombay; Indian Institute of Technology – Delhi; Indian Institute of Technology – Kharagpur; Indian Institute of Technology – Madras; Indian Institute of Technology – Roorkee; International Institute of Information Technology – Hyderabad; Jahangirnagar University; Jilin University; KAIST; Korea University; Kyoto University; Nanyang Technological University; National Taiwan University; National University of Defense Technology; National University of Singapore; Peking University; Seoul National University; Shahid Beheshti University; Shahjalal University of Science and Technology; Shanghai Jiao Tong University; Shanghai University; Sharif University of Technology; South China Agricultural University; South China University of Technology; The University of Tokyo; Tsinghua University; University of Electronic Science and Technology of China; University of Engineering and Technology – VNU; University of Indonesia; University of Science and Technology of China; University of Tehran; University of Tsukuba; Yazd University of Iran; Zhejiang SCI‐TECH University; Zhejiang University Europe & the Russian Federation: Belarusian State Economic University; Belarusian State University; Belarus State University of Informatics and Radioelectronics; Charles University in Prague; ETH Zürich; Free University of Tbilisi; Friedrich‐Alexander‐University Erlangen‐Nuremberg; Jagiellonian University in Krakow; Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University; KTH ‐ Royal Institute of Technology; Lviv National University; Moscow Aviation Institute; Moscow Institute of Physics & Technology; Moscow State University; National Research University Higher School of Economics; National University of Science and Technology "MISiS”; Nazarbayev University; Odessa National Mechnikov University; Saint Petersburg Academic University – Nanotechnology Research and Education Centre RAS; Saratov State University; St. Petersburg National Research University of IT, Mechanics and Optics; St. Petersburg State University; Taras Shevchenko Kiev National University; Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya; University of Bucharest; University of Copenhagen; University of Warsaw; University of Wroclaw; University of Zagreb Latin America: Escuela Superior De Computo Instituto Politecnico Nacional; Facultad de Ciencias Exactas‐Universidad Nacional de Rosario; Federal University of Minas Gerais; ITESM Campus Monterrey; Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes; Universidad Católica San Pablo; Universidad de Buenos Aires – FCEN; Universidad de La Habana; Universidad de los Andes, Colombia; Universidad de Oriente – Sede Antonio Maceo; Universidade de São Paulo; Universidade Estadual de Campinas; Universidade Federal de Campina Grande; Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro; Universidad Nacional de Colombia – Bogotá; Universidad Privada de Santa Cruz de la Sierra; Universidad Simón Bolívar North America: Carleton College; Carnegie Mellon University; Cornell University; Georgia Institute of Technology; Harvard University; Iowa State University; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Messiah College; Northwestern University; Princeton University; Rice University; Stanford University; University of Calgary; University of California at Berkeley; University of California Los Angeles; University of Central Florida; University of Chicago; University of Illinois at Urbana‐Champaign; University of Maryland; University of Michigan at Ann Arbor; University of Minnesota – Twin Cities; University of Southern California; University of Waterloo; University of Wisconsin – Madison; Virginia Tech South Pacific: The Australian National University; The University of Western Australia; University of New South Wales 2015 ACM‐ICPC World Finals Executive Quote Sheet “As the contest sponsor, our goal is to celebrate the world’s best computing students and provide insight that will help them successfully transition into business and technology leaders,” said Gerald Lane, ACM‐ICPC Sponsorship Executive and Director, IBM Open Technologies & IP. “In Marrakech, IBM has the opportunity to engage with this elite talent and expose them to the latest technology trends, such as cloud and analytics.” “Through the ACM‐ICPC, we aim to inspire today’s young adults to raise the bar of technological advances. These students are the leaders of tomorrow’s world and possess the skills to create technology that will ensure prosperity for generations to come,” said Dr. Bill Poucher, ICPC Executive Director and Baylor University Professor. “I am excited to see what lies in store for the students in Marrakech and as they continue their academic and professional pursuits, especially as ACM members.” “More than 38,000 students competed in ICPC regional contests this past fall, all will the goal of advancing to the 2015 World Finals in Marrakech, Morocco,” said Dr. Jeff Donahoo, ICPC Deputy Executive Director and Baylor University Professor. “Ultimately, 128 teams of three students from around the world were rewarded with a trip to Morocco. The competition is fierce and the challenges are immense. Only the best of the best earn the opportunity to vie for the coveted World Championship.” “The IBM Africa Technical Academy and University Program address the fast growing technology sector in Africa,” said Hassan Bahej, Country General Manager, IBM Morocco. “They help local IT students and professionals cultivate skills in areas such as analytics, systems of engagement and Cloud computing that are crucial to the economic development of the African continent. We are excited to build on the success of these programs by hosting the ICPC World Finals in Marrakech and furthering the development of talent here.” “Preparation for the ICPC is relentless, but its impact on productivity and opportunity lasts a lifetime,” said Dr. Bill Poucher, ICPC Executive Director and Baylor University Professor. “These students are dauntless problem solvers. We aim for them to inspire each other to raise the bar for global technological innovation as they move into their careers with top industry players like IBM.” “Beyond the contest itself, the ICPC offers students a unique cultural experience,” said Dr. Jeff Donahoo, ICPC Deputy Executive Director and Baylor University Professor. “The students are exposed to their peers, a collection of diverse and innovative problem solvers from every corner of the world. Additionally, they are encouraged to take advantage of their time abroad, as historical and cultural excursions in Morocco will add flavor to the experience of a lifetime.” “In 1970, the ACM‐ICPC began as a competition among the universities of Texas,” said Dr. Bill Poucher, ICPC Executive Director and Baylor University Professor. “Today, it is a truly global phenomenon, as participants from 2,534 universities in 101 countries on six continents competed for a trip to Morocco for the 39th Annual ACM‐ICPC World Finals sponsored by IBM and hosted by Mohamed V University, Al Akhawayn University, Mundiapolis University, and The Moroccan ACM. We are thrilled to open doors of opportunity for these talented young students as they face real world challenges in a competitive environment and are excited to see this elite level of talent compete in Morocco.” Contact to schedule an interview with an IBM or ICPC Executive: Chas Kurtz, 215-790-4386,
ckurtz@tierneyagency.com
2015 ACM‐ICPC World Finals Executive Biographies Dr. William Poucher Executive Director, ACM International Collegiate Programming Contest, sponsored by IBM Since 1977, Dr. William Poucher, Baylor University Professor of Computer Science, has served the ACM International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC) as co‐coach, judge, regional director, finals judge, and finals system manager. He has directed the ICPC internationally since 1988. As a result of his leadership, this prestigious contest has attracted more students each year and continues to expand globally. This year, regional contests included nearly 30,000 participants in 91 countries on six continents. Dubbed by the Wall Street Journal as the "High Geek of Computing," Dr. Poucher endures virtually any hardship in hopes of attracting more people to the field of computer science. The ACM ICPC challenges the best student programmers to test their problem‐solving acumen, programming skills, and teamwork ‐‐ all predictors of success in the world being shaped by information technology. Dr. Poucher has taught courses in theory, architecture, and software design since 1975. He began his tenure at Baylor University in 1983. In addition to academics, he has developed software tools for pharmaceutical research, energy conservation, and communications. He is an ACM Fellow (Association for Computing Machinery), winner of the 1990 ACM Outstanding Contribution Award, recipient of the Baylor Outstanding Professor Award, recipient of the Medal of the University of Warsaw and recipient of the Upsilon Pi Epsilon Honor Society Abacus Award. The Abacus Award honors individuals who have made a significant impact on computer science education at the university level. Dr. Poucher was awarded his Ph.D. from Auburn University in 1975. His dissertation was directed by Dr. Curt Lindner in combinatorial design (mathematics of computing). Dr. Jeff Donahoo Deputy Executive Director, ACM International Collegiate Programming Contest, sponsored by IBM Michael ("Jeff") Donahoo serves as the Deputy Executive Director of the ACM International Collegiate Programming Contest. Dr. Donahoo received his B.S. and M.S. degrees from Baylor University in 1991 and 1993, respectively. He received his Ph.D. in Computer Science from the College of Computing at the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1998. Upon graduation, he returned to Baylor University to join the faculty of the School of Engineering and Computer Science, where he currently serves as Professor of Computer Science. He is a recipient of the Medal of the University of Warsaw. 1
Gerald Lane ACM‐ICPC Sponsorship Executive and Director, IBM Open Technologies & IP Gerald Lane is Director of Standards and Open Source for the IBM Corporation. In this role, Gerry oversees and coordinates IBM’s internal and external standards programs, including intellectual property commitments, legal issues, and policy negotiations with a multitude of standards, consortia and special interest groups. He also coordinates groups of skilled technical and legal professionals who advise the corporation on open source technology, issues and trends. Gerry is often called upon to describe the evolution of IBM’s Intellectual Property regime and how it serves as a valuable collaborative mechanism propelling an innovative business model. Prior to his involvement with the IBM open source and standards activities, Gerry was responsible for the intellectual property licensing programs in the software and semiconductor areas. In earlier assignments, he was responsible for the worldwide management of IBM’s Undertaking with the European Union while also managing the international technical teams that supported the IBM/Fujitsu Arbitration effort. With over 25 years of management experience in the Information Technology industry in addition to various technical positions in the development of IBM’s large systems, Gerry has accumulated an extensive background in the management of hardware, software, and their associated legal matters. In addition to his IBM responsibilities, Gerry is Chairman of the Board of Directors of the IEEE‐Industry Standards and Technology Organization (IEEE‐ISTO). In 2007, he was appointed as Vice Chairman of the Information Technology Industry Council’s Standards Policy Committee. He served on the IEEE Standards Association Board of Governors and is IBM’s representative to the ANSI Intellectual Property Rights Policy Committee. Gerry is a graduate of Marist College. Dr. Naguib F. Attia, Ph.D. Vice President & Chief Technology Officer, IBM Middle East and Africa Dr. Naguib Attia is a Distinguished Engineer and VP & CTO of the IBM MEA. He is responsible for creating, inventing and leading technical solutions for MEA as well as leading the Africa Skills Initiative. With over twenty five years of industrial, manufacturing, research and academic experience, Dr. Attia has contributed to shape the development of IBM’s intellectual capital, industry insights, and overall solution portfolio. His specializations include Cloud, Business Analytics, Security, and Supply Chain optimization. Dr. Attia has a rich academic background with assignments from Chair, Computer Science Departments of Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, NC, The American University in Cairo, Egypt, and University of Essex, England. He has actively published several papers in different journals and has presented papers and lectures at many international conferences. Dr. Attia was the chair of Aerospace Industry Association (AiA) Technical group, a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Computer Society (IEEE), member of ChemIT, and other industry organizations. Dr Attia holds a Ph.D. Computer Science from University of Essex, England. 2
Hassan Bahej, Country General Manager, IBM Morocco Hassan Bahej is the Country General Manager of IBM Morocco since January 2014. He is joining IBM from Cisco, where he was General Manager for Morocco, West and Central Africa. Prior to this, Mr. Bahej held various executive sales and management positions in France, North and West Africa at Juniper Networks and Alcatel Lucent. Mr. Bahej holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Rennes in France, an engineering diploma from the Polytechnic Research Institute of Alsace and a MBA from the ESSEC Business School in Paris. Mr Bahej is a native French speaker, and is also fluent in English and Arabic. He enjoys soccer, swimming and tennis and keenly supports his local community. Sidi Ali Maelainin 2015 ACM‐ICPC World Finals Director and University Relations Manager for IBM North Africa Sidi Ali Maelainin is the University Relations Manager for IBM North Africa, since December 2014, and the Director of the 2015 ACM‐ICPC World Finals in Marrakech. Before joining IBM, Sidi Ali Maelainin served as the Technology Advisor to the Head of Government for almost three years advising on the national IT strategy and the development of new major technology projects. Prior to this, he served as the Director of Social Transformation in the Cabinet of the Minister of Industry, Trade and New Technologies between January 2010 and March 2012. Passionate about Technology and the impact it has on people’s lives, he has been working for the last thirteen years on ICT integration in education, promotion of innovation, and empowerment of youth, women, underprivileged people and people with disabilities through ICT. He has extensive experience in North Africa and a deep knowledge of Education systems in this region, where he successfully implemented multiple Education and Citizenship programs with a wide network of NGOs and IGOs. He began his career as a Computer Science Lecturer at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane in 1997, then Associated Director for Development in 1999. He joined Microsoft North Africa in 2001 as a Government Account Manager, then he was promoted to the role of Education and Citizenship Manager for Microsoft in North Africa in charge of Education and Citizenship programs. Sidi Ali Maelainin is also the founder of the Africa and Arab Regional Programming Contest in 1998, and he served as Coach, Regional Contest Director and member of different Steering Committees for the ICPC in his region. Dr. Amine Bensaid President, Mundiapolis University Dr. Amine Bensaid is President of Mundiapolis University in Casablanca, and holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science and Engineering from the University of South Florida. From 2001 to 2007, he served as Dean of the Al‐Akhawayn University in Ifrane (AUI), before becoming Vice‐President, in charge of academic affairs and research. 3
He has served as an expert on university quality assurance with both the UNDP (2002‐2005) and UNESCO (2011), and was General Chair of the 2010 Moroccan Fullbright Alumni Association (MFAA) Conference on “Higher Education in Morocco in a Globalized World: a Transition to a more efficient and more competitive system.” He currently also sits on the boards of the Moroccan‐American Commission, the MFAA and the Anwaar associations. Dr. Driss Ouaouicha President, Al Akhawayn University Dr. Driss Ouaouicha was named President of Al Akhawayn University by His Majesty King Mohammed VI in December 2008. He had previously served at Al Akhawayn as Vice President for Academic Affairs, Interim Dean of the School of Business Administration, and Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences. President Ouaouicha has also been (2007‐2008) the Executive Director of the “The Scholar Ship,” and from 1988 to 1999 he was Dean of the School of Humanities at Moulay Ismail University in Meknes. He is General Secretary of the Moroccan British Society, and former Secretary of the EuroMed Permanent University Forum. Dr. Ouaouicha holds a Ph.D. in Linguistics and Education from the University of Texas at Austin, a Masters in Applied Linguistics and Language Teaching from the University of Wales, and a Bachelor of Arts from Mohamed V University. In February 2011, President Ouaouicha was appointed by His Majesty King Mohammed VI Member of the National Economic and Social Council. Dr. Saaïd Amzazi President, Mohammed V ‐ Rabat University Dr. Saaïd Amzazi is the President of Mohammed V ‐ Rabat University, a position he has held since January 2015. Previously, he served as the Dean of the Mohammed V‐Agdal Science University from 2011 to 2014 and the Deputy Dean in charge of Academia at Mohammed V‐Agdal Science University from 2006 to 2011. In 2015, Dr. Amzazi became President of the National Commission for PhD Scholarship Allocation CNRST. He also serves as a member of the Pedagogy Commission of the University Presidents’ conference. He is also member of the MESRSFC High Commission and Director of the Research and Training Unit UFR – Ph.D. in Biochemistry – Immunology. He has been a researcher since 1993 and served as President of the Science Faculty Pedagogy Commission from 2003 to 2011. He has directed many Ph.D.s and published a number of national and international publications. He is a founding member of many scientific societies: SMBBM, SMI, AMBS, ISFG and an active member of the SVT National Aggregation contest. Dr. Amzazi obtained his Ph.D. in Biology Science in Immunology, Virology and Molecular Biology from Science Faculty ‐ Mohammed V‐Agdal Science University and the La Pitié Salpêtrière Hospital and Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris 6 University. 4
IBM Morocco Hackathon Activity The IBM Morocco Hackathon Activity will be held during the ACM International Collegiate Programming Contest (ACM‐ICPC) 2015 World Finals week, with the support of the ACM‐ICPC Executive and Deputy Director and the overarching objective of helping the finalists develop tangible skills they can use as both students and entrepreneurs. This activity will provide a pressure‐free outlet for the competing students to hone their programming skills in a fun and interactive way. Hackathon participants will be using IBM Bluemix, Mobile and Watson Analytics technologies to develop applications that can be used to solve specific challenges related to helping engage students, parents, and civil society to help make schools a better place. The students will have direct access to talented IBM technology experts while they learn about IBM Bluemix and the services available for them to use to design and develop their programs. While some students may begin coding during their spare time while at the ICPC, they will have until the end of June 2015 to submit their programs for judging. Winners of the Hackathon will be offered mentorship and eligibility to apply for cool Internships or full‐time jobs at IBM. "We have successfully held similar hackathon events across Africa, in Nigeria, Tunisia, Egypt and South Africa, where we engage university students in education, ideation and experimentation, resulting in innovation around a specific societal theme," said Art Francis, Program Director, IBM Innovation. "We look forward to seeing what kind of innovation and creativity can be generated when you bring the best and brightest ICPC students together to help create opportunities for others who could follow in their footsteps." Event registration and information sharing will be conducted through a website hosted by developerWorks, customized and dedicated to the Hackathon, containing information on the reference architectures that will be available for the participants in the event, Bluemix resources, supporting sample code, tutorials, forums and other reference material. The developerWorks site will also serve to host the Apps and presentations developed as part of the event. IBM Cloud IBM Cloud is designed for business and IBM is one of the fastest‐growing enterprise cloud companies. A combination of technical advances and new thinking about business models has created one of the most profound changes in business operations ever: a digital revolution. Cloud is here and is accelerating globally. By 2018 the market opportunity is estimated to reach $286 billion.* No enterprise is immune—all must transform. Cloud is a platform on which the entire IBM company can deliver value that helps clients thrive. An enterprise‐grade cloud is not just any cloud; it has some key design points: Hybrid: for seamless delivery across multiple cloud and traditional IT environments Data: everything is measured to provide insight critical for decision‐making Secure: to protect clients’ privacy and a business’ brand integrity while meeting compliance requirements IBM is the premier cloud provider to help companies migrate to the cloud to accelerate digital business transformation  IBM cloud revenue grew more than 75% in the first quarter of 2015; its rolling 12‐month revenue is now more than $7.7 billion  For cloud delivered as a service, IBM has an annual run rate of $3.8 billion, compared to $2.3 billion in the first quarter of 2014  In 2014, IBM drove $7 billion of revenue for cloud‐based solutions ‐‐ one year ahead of schedule  IBM Cloud is the platform for more than 30,000 clients around the world and supports 47 of the top 50 Fortune 500 companies, including ABN Amro, Deutsche, Whirlpool  U.S. businesses ranked IBM as the #1 cloud computing provider to help enterprises transition them to cloud (IDC). 80% of cloud apps are data fueled  Alliances with SAP, China’s Tencent, Microsoft, Twitter, Apple, TWC are helping advance IBM as the platform for enterprise cloud  IBM has 120 SaaS offerings, which generated $3.5 billion in 2014  More than 11 million trade promotion deals have been negotiated across IBM’s SaaS network  IBM Cloud powers more than 100 million gamers playing games running on SoftLayer technology  IBM has more than 1,560 cloud patents tied to inventions  IBM invested $1.2 billion to expand to 40 SoftLayer cloud centers (46 locations expected YE 2015) IBM is fueling a new ecosystem of cloud innovators  IBM is fueling a new class of innovators ‐‐ from developers to partners to start‐ups, to accelerate the delivery of new cloud apps to the marketplace  $1 billion investment in Bluemix, a cloud‐based app development platform helping developers connect data and apps to cloud  IBM’s new cloud marketplace combines IBM’s cloud capabilities with 100+ new third‐party services IBM is the undisputedl in hybrid cloud  IBM is ranked #1 in hybrid cloud by Synergy Research  IBM is helping leading companies such as Marriot Enterprises, CitiGroup, Turner Broadcasting, Santander Bank and WPP adopt hybrid clouds  30 of the world’s busiest airports rely on IBM hybrid cloud solutions *Gartner Forecast Analysis: Public Cloud Services Worldwide, August 2014
IBM Africa Advancing Technical Skills
Initiated in 2014, the IBM Africa Technical Academy has quickly evolved from delivering product education to a deep‐ tech skills development program for technical professionals. The Academy has already rolled out 12 sessions in eight countries, with content focusing on technologies like business analytics, cyber security, data management, cloud and mobile technologies. IBM’s intensive training courses condense vast amounts of knowledge into a five‐day, instructor‐led courses, beginning with foundation training on terminology and technology, all the way through to tools and management in each field. The program has trained 1250 technical professionals so far, each in a specialist role with two primary technologies. Candidates use the training to enhance their existing technical knowledge or opt to complete an IBM Certification following the training.
To expand the impact of the program an additional two specialist roles will be added to the curriculum and the training opportunities will be stepped up to be offered quarterly, as well as extended to from eight to 12 countries by the end of 2015.
This first‐of‐a‐kind program takes a holistic approach, where participants gain an understanding of how mobile touches on big data, social and other technologies. Participants gain a comprehensive view of the technology solutions rather than training on a single product. Business and governments have access to candidates with deeper technology skills adept at integrating old and new technologies as well as applying innovative technology solutions to real world and business problems. University Outreach IBM Technical Academy runs in parallel with IBM Africa University Program, where 25 Universities across the continent currently participate to enhance their curriculum. These universities provide their final year students with the range of business analytics, cybersecurity, data management, cloud and mobile technology training via the technical role based model applied in the IBM Technical Academy. Academic staff and students are supported by IBM’s team of experts, cloud‐based resources and an IBM training and information portal. Courseware currently delivered in English is being expanded to French, and later to other African languages. The early success of the program is evident in the graduation numbers from the program. “Each participating university is able to train up to 400 students in a year. When the training is offered in more than 60 Universities across Africa, we will be able to reach and offer certification to over one thousand faculty members and more than 35,000 students by 2016,” says Dr. Naguib Attia, IBM Chief Technology Officer & VP Technical Leadership MEA. The positive response to the program from technical professional, business and academia reflects the very real demand for technology skills of this nature. The initiative emphasizes the urgent need to 1 develop technology skills that align to the growing need of business and government which underpin the development of the African economy and the Africa IT workforce. IBM promoting entrepreneurship in North Africa H1 2015: In Morocco, IBM hosted for the first time the CEED‐IBM Challenge in its Moroccan Innovation Center. It is a monthly event that started on January 21st, and that offers local startups the opportunity to pitch their projects to a jury of national and international famous entrepreneurs, investors and business angels. The winners will benefit from mentoring from CEED and IBM, $1,000/month worth of Cloud Services access (Softlayer, Bluemix and Cloudant), access to the IBM innovation center, as well as the opportunity to compete at the BootCamp CEED Go‐To‐Market Summer 2015 and at the Casablanca Smartcamp 2015. December 2014: In Tunisia, IBM launched the first IBM Hackathon in French‐Speaking Africa, a programming contest organized around the theme "Smarter Tunisia" that aimed to promote innovation and entrepreneurship cultures among Tunisian students and developers, as well as showcasing IBM's Software portfolio. The event gathered 140 students from 11 Tunisian universities for two days of training and two days of coding on IBM's Cloud development platform Bluemix, but also on Cognos, Worklight and Rational. November 2014: In Morocco, IBM sponsored and pitched as a judge on the Women's Entrepreneurship day at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) in Marrakech, an event sponsored by the White House, the State Department, and the King of Morocco. The winner of the contest was an Egyptian company, Biopical, that treats waste water with new technology. They won $10,000 worth of cloud services, Softlayer or Bluemix, per month for a whole year, plus mentoring from IBM. March 2014: In Morocco, IBM launched its Global Entrepreneur and SmartCamp programs in its new Innovation Center, offering local startups and entrepreneurs the tools and expertise needed to innovate and grow using technologies such as cognitive computing, cloud, mobile and big data/analytics. During the Smart Camp event, IBM Morocco hosted around 10 startups who presented their projects to a jury of professionals that included academia, business partners and senior members of IBM. The winner won six months of IBM expert mentoring as well as $1,000 per month worth of Softlayer services and was invited to attend the regional context (North Africa and Turkey) in September in Istanbul. During that contest, the Moroccan startup myVLE won the "Best Entrepreneur of Year North Africa & Turkey Award." myVLE is an e‐Learning platform designed to supplement and support the traditional classroom teaching with a particular focus on developing countries. myVLE now host their apps on Softlayer. They will be attending the global contest in April 2015. 2 June 2014: In Egypt, IBM announced a new program, aiming at providing cloud computing expertise to one hundred Egyptian Software Companies to help drive innovation and new cloud development skills. This is part of a collaborative agreement with the Egyptian Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA), in which IBM will offer its expertise to the ISVs with the aim of boosting Egypt’s efforts to become a center of cloud computing excellence in the region. The agreement is in line with ITIDA’s strategy to provide support for small and medium IT companies to be able to expand their offerings to new markets and help grow the Egyptian economy based on the proliferation of technology trends such as big data. As data is the life blood of every organization, businesses are challenged with using it to gain insights and transform with speed. IBM Cloud is enabling clients to harness all available data and apply the full power of analytics on a massive scale, privately and securely. February 2014: IBM opened an innovation/client center in Casablanca to support clients, business partners, entrepreneurs, start‐ups, independent software vendors (ISVs), IT professionals and academic communities. The center later hosted many workshops and for startups/entrepreneurs such as the Moroccan Smartcamp (15 startups) in September and the Seedstars event (20 startups) in May. 3 Sponsor and Host Fact Sheet IBM IBM is a globally integrated technology and consulting company. With operations in more than 170 countries, IBM attracts and retains some of the world's most talented people to help solve problems and provide an edge for businesses, governments and non‐profits. Innovation is at the core of IBM's strategy. The company develops and sells software and systems hardware and a broad range of infrastructure, focusing on growth initiatives such as cloud computing, big data and analytics, mobile, social business and security. For more information, visit www.ibm.com. Mohammed V University Mohammed V University (UM5), the oldest modern university in Morocco, was founded in Rabat in 1957 and inaugurated two years later by the late King Mohammed V. It also has the distinction of being the mother of Moroccan universities. Over the years UM5 established branches in other cities such as Casablanca, Fes, Kenitra, Tangiers, and Tetouan which eventually became independent universities in 1975. UM5 is a public university that provides high quality education to over 20 000 students annually. Its alumni include leading government officials, ambassadors, academics, engineers, lawyers and executives. UM5 takes special pride in being the alma mater of His Majesty King Mohammed VI and other members of the Royal Family. For more information, visit www.um5s.ac.ma. Al Akhawayn University Established in 1995, Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane (AUI) is an independent, not‐for‐profit, coeducational Moroccan university committed to educating future citizen‐leaders of Morocco and the world through a globally oriented, English‐language, liberal‐arts curriculum based on the American style. The University enhances Morocco and engages the world through leading‐edge educational and research programs, including continuing and executive education, upholds the highest academic and ethical standards, and promotes equity and social responsibility. For more information, visit www.aui.ma. Mundiapolis University Mundiapolis University was founded by a group of business and industrial firms bringing together, into the first private university campus in Morocco, three major higher education institutions that played a pioneering role, since 1996, in their respective areas: Polyfinance in financial engineering and business administration, IMADE as a law school specialized in corporate and business law, and EMIAE in computer and electrical engineering (EMIAE). For more information, visit www.mundiapolis.ma. The Moroccan ACM The Moroccan Association for Computing Machinery, MACM, comprises a cross section of the computer science and information technology community committed to increasing the visibility and relevance of ACM in Morocco. The MACM is focused on a wide range of ACM activities, from creating channels to bring more high‐quality ACM activities to Morocco; to expanding ACM chapters; to enhancing access to the ACM Digital Library and publications for ACM members in Morocco; to increasing the participation of ACM members in Morocco across all dimensions of ACM. For more information, visit www.macm.ma.