Daffodil International University (DIU) hosts the world's largest ICPC Online Preliminary Contest on Saturday. This programming competition was organized with more than three hundred teams with the participation of more than nine hundred students. This is the first such programming competition organized with such a large number of students from a university. Earlier, DIU organized the ACM ICPC Dhaka Regional Contest 2018 with the participation of 298 teams from across the country. Which was the largest regional programming competition ever hosted by a university. Earlier, Daffodil International University organized the ICPC Dhaka Regional Contest in 2012.
DIU always strives to prepare skilled citizens to compete in the global arena. Such huge participation in programming competition proves that the students are gradually becoming interested in programming. In each step, the CSE department of DIU is working hard to ensure every opportunity for students in programming. In addition to the facilities of programming practices, the university has always been at the forefront by establishing Robotics Labs, IoT Class Rooms, Machines Learning Labs and Innovation Labs for students.
Head of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering Professor Dr Syed Akhtar Hossain said, "To survive and thrive in the fourth industrial revolution, you have to make maximum use of your merit by improving critical thinking and problem-solving skills, to do so there is no alternative to know programming." Under his leadership, DIU CSE department is taking various steps to motivate students to study programming. Free training classes are organized at the university by world-finalist programmers. Besides, there are various opportunities for first semester students, including special workshops, programming training trackers, advanced camps for advanced programmers, separate labs for night contests. In addition to the ICPC, DIU is organizing a "National Girls Programming Contest" on a regular basis.
DIU’s Computer Programming Club organises "Take-off Programming Contest" every semester for students of the first and second semester. Through this competition, students get a taste of the world of contest programming at the initial level of university life. With the support of the departmental head, this initiative was taken by Adjunct Professor Mohammad Mahmudur Rahman (CEO, Code Marshal and ACM World Finalist 2017). Under their supervision from 2016, 11 seasons of this contest was successfully done. Where more than 3000 students participated.
Reputed teachers from abroad regularly take classes as visiting professors. DIU is working not only to create programmers but also to create skilled leaders. Through programmers' mentorship programmes, senior programmers at the university are regularly taking classes and instructing junior programmers to move forward. As a result, many new programmers are being created every semester. In addition to classes and labs, special tutorial classes are also arranged for the students so that they do not have a gap in any programming topics. Thus, maximum care is being provided for programming for young programmers.
In continuation of all of this, 300 teams from Daffodil participated in the preliminary contest which is the highest ever. About 500 teams registered to participate in the preliminary. Only selected teams were given a chance to participate.
The entire programme was organized by the university’s CSE Department. Under the overall supervision of the departmental head, a group of about 15 alumni teachers organized the program. The programme was led by Assistant Professor Narayan Ranjan Chakraborty, Senior Lecturer Saiful Islam, and Lecturer Jahangir Alam among others. This arrangement was successfully completed under their leadership. Software Department and Multimedia and Creative Technology Department also helped in organizing and participated in this competition.
The competition started at 3pm and ended at 8pm. BUET HellBent was the first in the contest. The second and the third runner up were respectively BUET Doofenshmirtz Inc and SUST Whiplash. From Daffodil International University DIU_Tr0jAnZ, DIU_Turtles and DIU_Beli3v3rs became first, second and third respectively. There were more than 15 all girls team from DIU this year where DIU Heuristic became the first in all girls team inside DIU. It is to be noted that the top teams from each university will participate in the ICPC Dhaka Regional 2020 which will held at Southeast University.