The Department of Information Networks Launches a Pioneering Challenge to Inspire First-Year Students at the College of Information Technology

Duhaa Fadill Abbas
In a groundbreaking initiative, the Department of Information Networks at the College of Information Technology – University of Babylon – organized the first edition of the "Code Launchpad: Networking Edition" challenge. This event was specifically designed to motivate first-year students to embark confidently on their academic and programming journey, encouraging them to present their projects and collaborate in teams from the very outset of their university experience.

Held under the generous patronage of the Dean of the College, Prof. Dr. Wissam Sameer Bahei, and the Head of the Department of Information Networks, Prof. Dr. Al-Harith Abdul Kareem, the initiative emphasized that the strength of code lies not in the complexity of the project, but in the clarity of the idea and the awareness at the beginning.

The challenge was distinguished by giving students the opportunity to showcase their projects before a panel of experienced and supportive academic judges, including Asst. Prof. Dr. Ahmed Habeeb and Lecturer Dr. Raad Ghazi, adding an educational and humanistic dimension to the event.

A distinguished organizing committee of faculty members from the department supervised and guided the participants. The committee included:
Asst. Prof. Dr. Mohammed Hussein,
Lecturer Nebras Abdul Redha,
Lecturer Nadia Ali,
and Programmer Huda Sameer.

The challenge also featured a special segment titled “Audience’s Favorite Project”, which allowed attendees to vote for the project that resonated most with them. This interactive component aimed to foster a spirit of encouragement and community support among students, without affecting the official evaluation outcomes.

The event was met with widespread acclaim from attendees and was deemed a resounding success at all levels. Students demonstrated remarkable skills in programming, innovation, teamwork, and presentation, significantly boosting their confidence and opening new horizons for excellence and creativity.

As the first initiative of its kind in the college, this challenge marks a promising beginning for future endeavors that aim to support young talents from their earliest days in higher education, reaffirming the college’s mission to nurture and celebrate student innovation.