This year software development company „Baltic Software Solutions“ have supported initiative of Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) student’s to arrange selection of students to take part in the International Collegiate Programming Contest ACM ICPC. Nine students’ of different KTU faculties will represent KTU in this annual contest. They passed the selection and will take part in the quarterfinal, which will be held in Minsk on 24th of October.

Selection event took place on 27th of September. Students which took from first to sixth places not only go into quarterfinal, but also won various prizes established by BSS. All students will go to Minsk dressed up with the same T-shirts with logos of KTU, BSS and ACM ICPC. The winners of fist three places have won a possibility to do three months practical work in company.

„The Youth is able to adapt themselves to innovations rationally using their free time and skills. Knowing that, we try to derive the best ideas from them. However they are often feeling lack of support. Our company strives for perfection, that’s why we decided to support specialists with the same goals. We hope, that students will do well in the contest and they will pass into the final “, − says Aidas Kavaliauskas, general director, Private Limited Company „Baltic Software Solutions“.

International Collegiate Programming Contest ACM ICPC is held for more then thirty years – since 1977. The firs final took place in USA, Atlanta. This Contest has grown to be the largest and most prestigious computer competition of its kind. Contest also called „Battle of the Brain“. This competition attracts thousands of students from universities in 83 countries on six continents. Since 1997 contest is sponsored by IBM, one of the largest software development companies in the world.

ACM ICPC is a team contest. One computer is assigned to three-person team. During five hours period students have to achieve the best result and to solve sufficient amount of tasks in English. First teams compete with ach other in quarterfinals and semifinals. Only the best teams passes into World Final. Lithuania belongs to Minsk region (other participants are Latvia, Estonia, Belarus and Kaliningrad). The winner teams of this region get into semifinal in St. Petersburg (other participants are Russia and majority of countries from former Soviet Union). 
This year semifinal will be held on 26th of November. Only 100 three-person teams will advance to the World Finals on April 22, 2009 hosted by KTH – Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden. 

KTU organizes selections since 2005. University’s teams represent Lithuania in Minsk since 2001. Last year KTU students managed to win quarterfinal in Minsk and to achieve the best result in the KTU participation history. KTU team has taken 48th place from 197 teams in St. Petersburg.