Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar (CMU-Q) has carved out a place in history as three of its computer science students, hailing from Kazakhstan, emerge as the inaugural team to represent Qatar at the International Collegiate Programming Competition (ICPC) world championship.
The triumphant trio emerged victorious at the Qatar national competition held last September, outshining over 200 participants to clinch the coveted spot. Following their win, they went on to compete at the Africa-Arab regionals in Egypt, where their performance secured them a berth in the upcoming world championship.
The team, known as Andrey+2, comprises third-year student Andrey Genze, alongside seniors Ulan Seitkaliyev and Gulnaz Serikbay, all of whom have exhibited exceptional prowess in the field of computer science. Gulnaz Serikbay's achievement is particularly noteworthy as she becomes the first Kazakhstani woman to qualify for the finals. Interestingly, all members of Andrey+2 hail from Kazakhstan, coinciding with the location of the finals.
Michael Trick, Dean of CMU-Q, expressed immense pride in the team's accomplishment, highlighting the rapid progress of computer science education in Qatar.
"The journey from Qatar's first national competition just three years ago to now having a team in the world finals is truly remarkable," remarked Trick, emphasizing CMU-Q's role in fostering a vibrant culture of programming and problem-solving within Qatar.
Giselle Reis, Area Head of Computer Science at CMU-Q and a driving force behind the Qatar national competition, lauded the team's performance in Egypt, placing them among the top echelon of competitive programmers globally.
"This is an amazing achievement," said Reis, emphasizing the significance of Qatar's presence on the international programming competition stage.
The ICPC world championship stands as the pinnacle of university-level programming competitions, where teams tackle a series of intricate programming challenges over a five-hour period, testing their ingenuity and technical acumen.
Reis expressed optimism about the future of programming in Qatar, citing the remarkable performance of another CMU-Q team comprising first-year students who secured second place at the regionals. Among them are George Chkhaidze, Diyorbek Ibragimov, and Khakimjanov Khasanboy, originating from Central Asian countries, who, in just their second semester at the university, secured the twentieth position out of 116 competing teams.
"With burgeoning interest in programming among high school and university students in Qatar, I believe our nation's standing will only continue to ascend," remarked Reis, underscoring the promising trajectory of Qatar's programming landscape.
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