Baruch College to Host CUNY-IBM Watson Case Competition
NYC Mayor’s Office of Tech + Innovation Partners as First-time CollaboratorsFebruary 13, 2018
The semester-long competition challenges student teams to propose innovative ideas to help improve services provided by higher education or New York City Government using IBM Watson technology and IBM Cloud.
Baruch College is hosting the 2018 CUNY-IBM Watson Case Competition, a city-wide challenge that is open to more than 250,000 CUNY students from all majors and disciplines.
The semester-long competition challenges student teams to propose innovative ideas to help improve services provided by higher education or New York City Government using IBM Watson technology and IBM Cloud. Grand prizes for the top three teams total $10,000 and will be awarded at a final event on May 11, 2018.
“The CUNY-IBM Watson Case Competition is an exceptional opportunity for CUNY students to prepare for careers in today’s information-driven economy,” said Stan Altman, Ph.D., professor at the Marxe School of Public and International Affairs, who is the lead organizer of the program. “Artificial Intelligence technology is tackling and creating solutions for today’s complex challenges facing every sector of our society, and this experience gives students real-world knowledge and experience.”
Video: Learn more about the 2018 CUNY-IBM Watson Case Competition
NYC Mayor’s Office of Tech + Innovation Partners with CUNY
For the first time, the NYC Mayor’s Office of Tech + Innovation is joining the CUNY-IBM Watson Case Competition. As part of the contest, the office is inviting CUNY students to participate in the NYCx Challenge Program, to solve a specific problem of urban life and to move New York City towards the principles laid out in Mayor de Blasio’s OneNYC plan: growth, equity, sustainability, and resilience. Additionally, city government employees can participate in the competition by serving as mentors or reviewers for the student teams.
How the Competition Works
Teams of three to five CUNY students select a project and then explore creative ways in which artificial intelligence and cloud technology can be applied to improve how public services are provided to members of our society. The competition challenges students to think about the implications that deployment of digital technologies have on the public, such as issues of personal privacy and ethical behavior, cyber security and intellectual property rights, and shifts in the type of skills and knowledge required to be successful in today’s and tomorrow’s workforce. Workshops, boot camps, and mentoring help support student teams throughout the competition.
Registration Open Now and Info Sessions
An information session will take place on Thursday, Feb. 15, where IBM representatives and competition volunteers will answer questions about the event:
Location: Baruch College, 55 Lexington Ave, 3rd floor, Room 160, 12:45 p.m. – 2:15 p.m
Deadline to register: March 1
About IBM’s Watson and the Competition
IBM Watson represents a new era in computing called cognitive computing, where systems understand the world in a way more similar to humans: through senses, learning, and experience. Watson continuously learns from previous interactions, gaining in value and knowledge over time. With the help of Watson, organizations are harnessing the power of cognitive computing to transform industries, help professionals do their jobs better, and solve important challenges.
The CUNY-IBM Watson Case Competition is organized by Baruch College’s Marxe School of Public and International Affairs in collaboration with IBM and The Lawrence N. Field Center for Entrepreneurship.
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