A team from Birzeit University placed first in a Nablus competition intended to encourage innovation in information technology and communications.

"Startup Weekend International Competition - Nablus" was held January 24-26, 2013 in the city of Nablus. The competition targeted programmers, graphic designers and business managers seeking to transform their ideas into successful companies.

 

A team of BZU information technology students submitted a project titled “As Simple as That (Bebasatah),” which targeted high school students. The project sought to assist high school students, who are spending money and time on private tutoring and accumulating strain and stress.

"E-learning has significantly contributed to cutting down time and effort, and provides an approach to information that is easily remembered,” said the team in their presentation. The group aspires to apply the project principles to students at other levels.

At the international "Startup Weekend,” teams start forming and discussing ideas, speaking to mentors, and then commenced construction. Participants usually presented their thoughts on the first day, and then the group with the best idea entered the competition. Inventors formed teams representing future companies and then met a number of designers, programmers and business managers to assist in developing their ideas over the competition’s two days. Meanwhile, experts delivered lectures on entrepreneurship to provide the participants with information necessary and useful to transform their project ideas into successful companies. On the third day of competition, the teams focused on finishing the work and presented its output of ideas to a panel of specialized judges who then chose a winner.

 

 

 

This global annual event targets the IT community, entrepreneurs, business and marketing specialists. It was held at the Google Technologies Club at Al-Najah University in Nablus, Palestine.