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Zayed University e-biz challenge
e-Biz Challenge Road Show Kicks Off

The Zayed University e-biz challenge, now in its third year, has started its GCC road show. Representatives will be available to answer questions about the program on the following dates:

Dubai - Monday, 6 December, 10:30 - 1:30 in the Cafeteria
Abu Dhabi - Tuesday, 7 December, 10:30 - 1:30 in the Z Foyer

Teams from Zayed University have consistently placed in the top 3 in this prestigious competition. Students, in consultation with a faculty advisor, must submit their plans by Wednesday March 2 (note change in date), but should register their teams as soon as possible at www.ebizchallenge.com.

The challenge provides students with excellent networking and professional growth opportunities. In addition to great hands-on experience exhibiting their talent and creativity, students get feedback on their plans from other entrepreneurs and successful professionals, as well as the chance to compete for valuable prizes. They also learn about entrepreneurship and innovation, as well as intellectual property issues. The idea is based on the successful student e-business competitions run by leading international academic institutes Stanford University, MIT and Cambridge University, UK.

Prizes and winners will be announced during a gala dinner in late March 2005, which will be attended and presided by high profile dignitaries and VIP delegates.



Press Release - 'Zayed University e-biz Challenge' Launch

 FOR RELEASE ON MAY 18, 2004

ZAYED UNIVERSITY ITI ENCOURAGES E-INNOVATION IN THE GULF: 
HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL STUDENT E-BIZ PLAN COMPETITION LAUNCHED FOR 2004 

Dubai, UAE – May 18, 2004

The Institute for Technological Innovation (ITI) at Zayed University, from its offices in Dubai Internet City, announced today the launch of the “Zayed University e-biz challenge III,” a unique e-business plan competition for senior university and college students from across the gulf region, which encourages innovation and entrepreneurship – two qualities which are imperative to bring the UAE to the leading edge of business and information technology. 

“Zayed University is committed to playing an important role in the Gulf region in encouraging innovation and technology adaptation,” said Dr. Hanif Al Qassimi, Vice President of Zayed University. Now in its 3rd year, the highly successful program is based on student e-business competitions run by such leading international academic institutes as Stanford University, MIT and Cambridge University. The objective of the “Zayed University e-biz challenge” is to identify and recognize future talent in the GCC -- the e-entrepreneurs of tomorrow – and give them the opportunity and the necessary encouragement to turn their ideas into reality. 

In addition to showcasing their original ideas and exhibiting their educational training and talent, the challenge also provides students with networking and training opportunities with business and IT leaders, such as sponsors and supporters ADWEA, AME Info, Bayt.com, CNBC, Campus Journal, Element K, GTFS, Jumbo Electronics, Microsoft, National Bank of Abu Dhabi, Oracle, Pearson Education, and Sun Microsystems, many of whom have assisted with the e-biz challenge several years in a row. 

To promote the culture of recognizing innovative ideas and protecting intellectual property rights, the challenge is including entry into the Intellectual Property Showcase as part of the registration and to help protect students’ ideas and plans. “The competition continues to provide a much needed link between academic institutions and industry in the Gulf region. It gives businesses the chance to tap into the enormous talent of the future e-entrepreneurs,” said Dr. Abdullah Abonamah, Director of the ITI. Last year seventy-three teams from across the UAE, Oman, and Saudi Arabia, registered for the “Zayed University e-biz challenge II.” Prizes for the top teams included a trip to the leading technology trade show Ce-BIT in Hannover, Germany, in March 2004, as well as laptops and desktops, and all teams were awarded a certificate of participation. 

To participate in this year’s challenge, students are required to submit a plan for an electronic business idea that will be judged by industry leaders on creativity, originality and practicality of implementation. Students will work with a faculty advisor from their home institution, and are required to register online at www.ebizchallenge.com. In the fall, representatives from the ITI will be visiting colleges and universities across the GCC to provide more information and answer any questions about the challenge. In addition, a series of seminars will be conducted to provide students with the information they require to put together effective plans. The deadline to submit plans is January 19th, 2005. The challenge will conclude with a gala dinner, where the winners will be announced.
The Institute for Technological innovation (ITI) is a Zayed University owned and operated business center that is designed to educate business leaders and aspiring professionals on new and emerging technologies. Its mission is to develop and offer training and research programs to support the society’s ability to deal effectively with the flux of data from information technology and to help business leaders understand technological innovation and manage its impact.



ZU e-biz Award Ceremony
Following the recent Gala Dinner at which the top ten teams were honored, Wednesday 31st March saw the final event for the ZU e-biz challenge ll with the presentation of the actual prizes to the top five teams. The presentation ceremony took place at the ZU ITI offices in Dubai Internet City. It was attended by many of the Challenge sponsors and also team members and advisers from the top five teams. 

Through the generous support of the Challenge sponsors, the prizes presented ranged from the first prize of an all expenses paid trip to the Cebit Technology exhibition in Germany, to laptop and desktop computers as well as other valuable prizes. 

Lufthansa representative, Eliette Griffith, presented Cebit tickets to Amel Ismail Juma Ismail and Fatma Saeed Abdullah Bin Yem, representing the winning team, Initiative Girls from the HCT Women’s’ College in Sharjah, and their adviser, George Kesselaar. The Initiative Team won the Challenge by a slim margin, with their creative on-line solution to wedding planning in the UAE. 

Seham Mohamed Musallam Almahri, Asma Abdulla Mohamed Al Khoori and Zulaikha Darwish Jumaa Al Hussany of the second placed team, E-fronteir, from Zayed Univerisity (Abu Dhabi) impressed the judges with their imaginative on-line solution to traffic problems. Their talent was honored by the presentation of laptop computers.

Placed third, The Julfar Team, from the HCT Men’s College (Abu Dhabi) were represented at the Award Ceremony by Hamad Abdulla, Tariq Qubali and Khalid Al Marzouqi and their team adviser, Mrs Hillebrand. The team were presented with coupons for ICDL computer training and desktop computers.

ITI was particularly delighted to welcome the Techno Team from Sultan Qaboos University in Oman, one of 14 Omani teams to enter the challenge and one of four Omani teams to make the top 10 places, in this, their first year of participation in the Challenge. The Techno Team was placed fourth in the competition and Said Mubarak Said Al Ghannami and Hamed Hamoud Al Riyami, representing the team and accompanied by their adviser, Dr. Raied Salman, were pleased to accept flash memory sticks in recognition of their talent.

 A highlight of the ceremony was an impromptu recitation of a poem specially written by Khabab Sulaiman Sessanga to celebrate the ZU e-biz challenge. Khabab’s team, E-Minds, from UAE Universtiy, Al Ain, was placed fifth in the competition and it was inspiring to hear his reflections on the valuable role the e-biz Challenge has played in their education. Khabab and his teammates, Wafi Wadie Suleiman and Anas Abdulla Arwani also presented with flash memory sticks to recognize their achievement.

Oh What a Challenge!
Praise be to God for such a big challenge
To discover innovative students there has to be e-biz challenge
In our education there has been a change
Practised what we learned – Oh what a change

For hardworking students it was a challenging game
And for lazy ones, it was a big shame
After this competition, there’s none to blame
We enhanced our skills and we won fame

A bunch of thanks to Sheikh Nayhan for all his deeds
To Zayed University & ITI for what they did
Special thanks go to our sponsors indeed
And to Dr Hanif, Dr Abdullah, Jane, Angela & the team they led

Congratulations from my heart to all the teams
And a special message goes to the best five teams
“After winning the competition, we’re now a team
Let us co-operate to achieve our dreams”

2004 Khabab Sulaiman Sessanga
E-Minds Group
UAE University


ZU e-Biz Challenge II Concludes at Gala Event
The 'Zayed University e-biz Challenge' concluded at a gala dinner and award ceremony on Wednesday Feb 25, 2004. More than 500 invitees including 150 delegates from GCC universities attended the event at the Dubai World Trade Center where the winners were announced. The winning entry came from Sharjah Women's College. Their project was a wedding services and planning portal. ZU President Sheikh Nahayan presented the winners with a specially designed trophy. The winning team also received a week long trip to CeBIT 2004 in Hannover , Germany. Second prize in the challenge was awarded to a team from ZU's Abu Dhabi Campus and third prize went to Abu Dhabi Men's College.

Abdullah Abonamah, Project Director, hailed the success of the Zayed University 'e-biz Challenge' in identifying and recognizing the entrepreneurs of tomorrow, linking e-innovative business ideas to national resources. Forty four teams, from throughout the GCC region participated in the challenge which was made possible by the generous support of its sponsors.

The Gala Dinner has been set on Feb 25, 2004 at 7pm in the Sheikh Rashid Hall, Dubai World Trade Center.

The Institute for Technological Innovation (ITI) organizers of the Zayed University e-biz challenge last week held a press conference to honor their Abu Dhabi sponsors.

Dr Hanif opened the press conference by saying how privileged the Challenge was to be supported by such Industry leaders as ADWEA, ADCO, ADCCI ,Tejari, Emerging Technologies and ES Gulf, and emphasized that without their support the Zayed University e-biz challenge would not be possible.

Dr Abdullah Abonamah, Director of the ITI gave a short presentation in which he announced that of the 73 teams that originally registered 45 plans were finally submitted and will go forward to the judging panel in January 2004.

Upcoming Events

  • Release of the Industry Seminar CD

The ITI is releasing an Industry Seminar CD to all participating Universities and HCT’s in the ZU e-biz challenge.  The seminars have been given by our sponsoring partners including Lufthansa, Maktoob, Tejari, Pearson Education and Think 3S on such topics as Electronic communication in a global enterprise, Building an online community, Succeeding in online procurement, Developing an online bookstore and Security in the 21st Centaury.

  • Judging of the e-biz plans

From 73 teams who registered to take part in the Zayed University e-biz challenge, 45 e-biz plans were successfully submitted on the closing date of 17th December 2003 .  Judging of these plans will commence on 12th January 2004 when the top 10 plans will be selected and on 14th January 2004 when the final 3 winners will be identified.  The judging panel will consist of representatives from our sponsoring partners who will follow strict judging criteria.  The winning teams will be announced at a prestigious gala dinner to be held on 4th February 2004 in Dubai .

 
For more information regarding the above email the ITI at iti@zu.ac.ae

For more information regarding the ZU e-biz challenge log on to www.ebizchallenge.com or call 04 3901600