News

The 49th World Finals of the International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC) officially kicked off today in Baku. Considered one of the most prestigious programming competitions in the world, the finals are organized by the ICPC Foundation and hosted by ADA University, in partnership with the Central Bank of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Innovation and Digital Development Agency (IDDA) and the ICPC Azerbaijan community, with support from PASHA Holding.

On September 1, the opening ceremony of the competition took place. In his opening remarks, William B. Poucher, President of the ICPC Foundation, expressed his great pleasure in seeing the World Finals held in Baku. Fuad Hajiyev, Director of the 49th ICPC World Finals, then addressed the participants, wishing them success in the competition.

Later, Hafiz Pashayev, Rector of ADA University, shared his thoughts: “Hosting the ICPC World Finals is an important step forward. We are confident that this event will mark a turning point in the development of the IT sector in our country and contribute to placing Azerbaijan in the spotlight on the international stage.”

The event continued with a speech by Taleh Kazimov, Chairman of the Central Bank, who emphasized that young people will use the knowledge and experience gained from such a globally significant event as ICPC to shape the technological future of the country and contribute to solving the complex challenges of the financial sector.

Samir Mammadov, Deputy Minister of Digital Development and Transport, also addressed the audience, noting the importance of hosting the 49th ICPC World Finals in Baku: “This event is not only a competition but also a gathering of the brightest young minds from around the world. They are not just competing here; they are learning from one another, sharing experiences, and sparking new ideas.”

It is noteworthy that, for the first time in history, Azerbaijan is represented by two teams at the World Finals this year. Until now, only one team from Azerbaijan had qualified for the finals, but this year, teams from ADA University and the Baku Higher Oil School (BHOS) are both competing.

The competition brings together the strongest teams from leading universities around the world. Each year, more than 50,000 student programmers from nearly 3,500 universities in over 110 countries compete in the official ICPC stages. The World Finals feature teams (each consisting of three students) from 140 universities across 70 countries.

For reference, this prestigious contest was first held in the 1970s in the United States. Over time, it has gained international recognition and become one of the largest events testing programming and problem-solving skills among university students. The ICPC World Finals are hosted in different countries each year, providing the host nations with significant opportunities for enhancing their international image.

Since 2024, the Innovation and Digital Development Agency has been supporting the ICPC preparation program in collaboration with ADA University and the ICPC Azerbaijan community. As part of this collaboration, ICPC-based programming Olympiads for school and university students, the 1/8, 1/4, and semifinal stages of the 49th ICPC in Azerbaijan, ICPC-based international programming training camps, as well as visits by ICPC Foundation Board members to Baku and the participation of Azerbaijani finalists in the International ICPC Camp in Kazakhstan, have all been organized.