Summary
Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar (CMU-Q) hosted the seventh annual Qatar Collegiate Programming Contest (QCPC), the largest national programming competition in the GCC region. Organized by the Hamad Bin Jassim Center for Computer Science Education (a partnership between CMU-Q and the Jassim and Hamad Bin Jassim Charitable Foundation) and sponsored by Doha Insurance Group, the event brought together 100 high school teams and 35 university teams. CMU-Q teams swept gold, silver, and bronze in the university division, while DPS-Modern Indian School took gold in the high school division. Top placing teams qualify for the regional Africa and Arab Collegiate Programming Championship (ACPC).
Organized by Hamad Bin Jassim Center for Computer Science Education, the QCPC is the largest national programming competition in the GCC region
DOHA, QATAR: Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar (CMU-Q) hosted the seventh annual Qatar Collegiate Programming Contest (QCPC), bringing together 100 high school teams and 35 university teams to compete in a challenging test of coding and problem-solving. CMU-Q is a Qatar Foundation partner university.
The event provided a platform for young programmers to showcase their technical abilities, teamwork and problem-solving skills in an intensive, timed competition. The contest was organized by the Hamad Bin Jassim Center for Computer Science Education (HBJ Center), a collaboration between CMU-Q and the Jassim and Hamad Bin Jassim Charitable Foundation. Prizes were generously sponsored by Doha Insurance Group.
“The Qatar Collegiate Programming Contest has helped create a community of young programmers in Qatar,” said Michael Trick, dean of CMU-Q. “As young programmers develop their skills, this community flourishes and creates a culture of innovation, progress and creativity in Qatar.”
First held at CMU-Q in 2021, QCPC has grown to become the largest national programming competition in the GCC region.
Ali Ibrahim Al Gharib, CEO of the Jassim and Hamad Bin Jassim Charitable Foundation, said: “We are proud to see the reach of the Qatar Collegiate Programming Contest continue to grow and attract such creative young minds. Equipping students with advanced computing skills is essential for driving innovation. The talent and determination on display this year give us great optimism for Qatar’s technological future.”
Throughout the two-day competition, participating teams tackled a series of complex programming challenges under strict time constraints, demonstrating their technical knowledge, creativity and ability to work together.
In the university track, teams from Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar swept all three top positions, securing the gold, silver and bronze medals.
In the high school track, DPS-Modern Indian School secured the gold medal, Park House English School claimed the silver medal, while Birla Public School earned the bronze medal.
The top two university and high school teams will advance to the Africa and Arab Collegiate Programming Championship (ACPC), bringing them one step closer to competing on the international stage.
Eduardo Feo Flushing, assistant teaching professor of computer science, was part of the team that brought QCPC to Qatar in 2021, and today he serves as the lead organizer: “The level of problem-solving we saw this year was outstanding. These students aren’t just writing code; they are operating under pressure to solve highly complex programming challenges. It is incredibly rewarding to witness the next generation of computer scientists pushing their limits and succeeding.”
Since its launch, the Qatar Collegiate Programming Contest has provided a platform for aspiring programmers to develop their technical skills, collaborate with peers and gain valuable competition experience. Now in its seventh year, the contest continues to support the development of Qatar’s next generation of computing talent.
Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Computer Science is a world leader in computer science education and research. At the Qatar campus, students can pursue two of the SCS undergraduate programs, both ranked first by U.S. News and World Report: Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, and the Bachelor of Science in Artificial Intelligence. CMU-Q also offers top-ranked programs in biological sciences, business administration and information systems.
