Russia, University Tour 2009

Spring is a time when nature wakes up from hibernation and opens all the roads to a new generation of flora and fauna. The time has come for us to plunge again into the world of new web technologies, which have also increased by spring. Therefore, I invite everyone to attend regular seminars conducted by representatives of Opera Software in Russian universities. The spring university tour begins very soon - on May 12, and it will take place in the south of Russia, where the opera web agitators have not yet set foot. The full schedule is as follows:

Astrakhan
Date - May 12
Time - 13:00
Place - Astrakhan State Technical University
Address - st. Tatishchev, 16. The main educational building, "Red Hall"

Volgograd
Date - May 13
Time - 13:00
Place - Volgograd State Technical University
Address - st. Lenina, 28. Main Educational Building, Assembly Hall (2nd floor)
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Rostov on Don
Date - May 14
Time - 13:00
Place - Don State Technical University
Address - pl. Gagarin, 1. Main building, room 384

Krasnodar
Date - May 15
Time - 13:00
Place - Kuban State Technological University
Address - st. Red, 91. Institute of modern technology and economics. Audience 101

Everyone is welcome, including those from neighboring universities. Those who have come have a chance not only to receive small gifts from Opera Software (there will still be t-shirts! And for girls too;)), but also to learn some opera secrets in the course of personal communication with company representatives. These same representatives will be:

Navjot Pawera - Product Manager, Consumer Products. One of the best opera lecturers;)
Ilya Shpankov - Development Manager in Russia (i.e., it's me;))

During the lectures, you can learn about new web technologies, the future of the Internet, and the ideas / plans of Opera Software on this subject. After each lecture, time is provided for questions and answers on any topics that interest you. By the way, I am betting that the most popular again will be the question that I will encrypt in the abbreviation "KOZZD." Decoding will give after the end of the tour - see if I'm right;)

But that's not all. For the first time in the framework of the Russian university tour will be held:

WEB PROGRAMMING COMPETITION

The competition is held at each university, so that students from all visited cities (not even from the host university) can count on the prizes (and they will). The rules are the same for all universities and are very simple.

Contest Rules

The theme of the competition - "Widgets for education"

The task is to create an opera widget, the functionality of which will allow to somehow use it in the process of learning in a university. It can be anything from a regular RSS aggregator that reports university portal news to a sophisticated web application integrated into a distance learning system. You are limited only by your imagination, professional level and store of creativity. In this case, even unfinished works, which are only a prototype and a description of the idea, will be evaluated. Naturally, this should be a really cool idea;)

Primary requirements:

- Widgets must be created in compliance with existing web standards;
- Widgets should work on all versions of Opera 9.6x and higher (for Windows, GNU / Linux, Mac OSX), ideally - on Opera Mobile;

Dates of the competition

Start - has already begun;)
The deadline for accepting applications from applicants is May 11, 2009 at 24:00 Moscow time.

Contacts

All materials need to be sent to me at shpankov [at] operamail.com marked "Widget Contest". Do not forget to indicate in the letter your city and university.

Award

The winners will receive valuable prizes, as well as, possibly, an invitation to summer practice at Opera Software. Award will be held during the seminar at each university.

Materials to use

These materials will help you master the development of opera widgets in a short time:
Opera Widgets SDK
Opera widget documentation
Useful articles with examples
Opera Library Sets

We are waiting for your work.

But that's not all;)

As part of the university tour, two meetings will be held with representatives of Opera Software in an informal setting. Sign-up-passwords:

Rostov on Don
May 14, Dobry El cafe, ul. Pushkinskaya 135, beginning at 18:00
Cafe on a city map

Krasnodar
May 15, Beer restaurant "Beer number 1", st. Kolkhoznaya, 60, beginning at 18:00

Again, we invite everyone who wants to socialize over a glass of beer with company employees. By the way, beer - at the expense of Opera;)