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| 13 June 2007 |
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| TARC Techies Emerged 1st Runner-up at Microsoft Imagine Cup Malaysia |
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| A novel approach of using interactive computer technology to educate youngsters to be financial-savvy, along with its appealing avatars, have earned four IT students from Tunku Abdul Rahman College (TARC) the first runner-up spot at the national leg of the Microsoft Imagine Cup 2007 Software Design challenge held last week. |
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| The TARC team, which is named PointVector, impressed the judges with an innovative solution to address the lack of financial literacy amongst the young using the latest Microsoft technologies. |
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| (From left) Microsoft’s Malaysian Software Economy senior director Tyson Dowd presenting a mock cheque to team PointVector comprising Kok Chiann, Ong Wei Lin, Leong Kah Ho and Lee Teng Foung. |
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| Their project entitled BubbleBudget proposes a system that integrates networking software applications and debit card system. The system will enable users to strategise their expenditures and perform transactions, at the same time serving as an informal and interactive mode of learning. |
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| Team PointVector, comprising students Kok Chiann, Leong Kah Ho, Lee Teng Foung, and Ong Wei Lin, was one of the two teams from TARC that successfully entered the national finals to vie for the chance to represent Malaysia in the international finals that will be held in Korea this August. |
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| Following a neck to neck race that resulted in a tie for the top two spots, the team eventually landed on the second place after the judges went through a round of re-judging. |
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| Last year, a team of TARC students clinched the second runner-up position at the national level of this prestigious competition. |
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| TARC School of Arts and Science’s Division Head Kathleen Tan said the competition had given the students practical experience in working within a creative and competitive environment. |
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| “We encourage students to participate in competitions such as this, which position them at the international level by tackling a worldwide issue,” said Tan. |
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| “Besides encouraging students to think out of the box by generating ideas that are not limited to the typical information systems, the competition also helped the students to build up their confidence, added Tan. |
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| Team PointVector’s leader Kok Chiann dedicated the team’s success to the tremendous group effort as well as their faculty mentor Ms Poh Siaw Way. |
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| “It is no small feat that we managed to pull things together within a limited time as we were having our industrial attachment. We got this far because of the great commitment from all team members and the excellent dynamism in the group,” said Kok who is a second year Advanced Diploma in Science (Internet Technology) student. |
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| Besides winning cash prize worth RM2,500, members of team PointVector also unanimously agreed that taking part in the competition had given them a valuable learning experience. |
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| “This competition is more than just about winning the title. I have learnt a great deal throughout the process and this is what made the whole experience worthwhile,” said team member Ong Wei Lin who studies Information System Engineering. |
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