FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)
Instruction: To learn more about the CUNY-IBM Watson Case Competition simply click on the questions you are interested in learning more about.
- What is the CUNY-IBM Watson Case Competition?
- What is IBM Watson AI?
- Why should I participate in the CUNY-IBM Watson Competition?
- Will their be an orientation/information session held about the competition?
- Who is eligible to compete?
- Can I compete as an individual?
- Who should be on a team?
- How do I select a project?
- Will the teams have access to the IBM Watson AI technology?
- Who owns the Intellectual Property (IP) rights to the ideas our team develop?
- What is a Case Statement?
- What are the major elements of the required case statement?
- How does my team get a mentor?
- How can I identify other students with whom I might form a team?
- Will there be an opportunity to get feedback on preliminary project ideas?
- What workshop will be available for students to participate in?
What is the CUNY-IBM Watson Case Competition?
An opportunity to apply your creativity and what you have learned in your classes to improve how public services are provided to members of our society. The competition challenges students to think about how they would apply cognitive computing to improve how institutions of higher education or local governments can better serve the public. It also 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 and tomorrow’s workforce.
What is IBM Watson AI?
Watson AI technology that processes information more like a human than a computer – by understanding natural language, generating hypotheses based on evidence, and learning as it goes. And learn it does. Understanding; Reasoning; Learning are three capabilities that differentiate cognitive systems from traditional programmed computer systems. Click on the link below to see a video about Watson and its application to various industries and sectors. Watch video about How IBM Watson Works.
Why should I participate in the CUNY-IBM Watson Competition?
All matriculated students will have the chance to participate in this competition which will give them an opportunity to explore how cognitive computing is changing our lives and how it can be used to improve city services and higher education.
Reason One: a chance for my team to win $5,000.
Reason Two: gain valuable insight into emerging technology and be at the forefront of applying this technology to solve pressing social issues.
Reason Three: your project could lead to your starting a new business featuring an application for mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets, etc.
Reason Four: You become eligible to earn 3 credits by registering for either PAF 4199 (undergraduate) or PAF 9199 (graduate) offered by the Marxe School of Public and International Affairs at Baruch College.
Will their be an orientation/information session held about the competition?
On February 15, 2018 an information session about the CUNY-IBM Watson competition will be held from 12:45 – 2:15 pm at Baruch College in the Vertical Campus (55 Lexington Ave) room 3-160. The meeting is open to all CUNY students. Students unable to attend in person can watch the information session live over the Internet. [Link to watch the orientation via the Internet will be provided] A recording of the orientation will be posted for later viewing.
Who is eligible to compete?
All CUNY students enrolled in a degree-granting program are eligible.
Can I compete as an individual?
No. Only teams of consisting of 3-5 CUNY matriculated students are eligible to compete.
Who should be on a team?
Ideally, members of a team will bring a mix of skills that include business, marketing, psychology and human behavior, communications and an understanding of technology.
How do I select a project?
Once you have organized into a team the next step is to select a project to work on. You have freedom to identify a project that focuses on the Higher Education or NYC Government domain or sector. Be creative, pick a project you are interested in exploring or select one of the projects provided by NYC Government agencies. Projects proposed by NYC Government agencies are posted on the PROJECTS page. Links to the videos describing projects prepared by ten of the teams were invited to the final round are listed on the HOME page.
Will the teams have access to the IBM Watson AI technology?
IBM provides free-access to IBM Watson AI and Watson Cloud Services to all students enrolled in the competition. Members of the IBM Watson Team will provide workshops on Watson and what it is capable of doing as well showing how to build a working model for use in the project you have selected. . Every team is required to develop a case statement for their proposed project that includes a conceptual design, business plan and rationale for who would adopt the application they propose.
Who owns the Intellectual Property (IP) rights to the ideas our team develop?
The IP rights to ideas developed as part of the competition are owned by the students who created them. IBM does not own any IP rights created by the CUNY students during the competition. IBM owns the IP rights to IBM Watson AI and Watson Cloud Services. If the students/CUNY wish to commercialize their IP rights, the students/CUNY are free to pursue without IBM’s involvement. However, if students plan to use IBM Watson AI or Watson Cloud Services in commercializing their IP they will have to licensee IBM Watson AI and Watson Cloud Services from IBM.
If students select a project provided by a NYC Government agency they agree to share their idea they develop during the competition by allowing the agency to adopt the idea and use it to improve its operations.
What is a Case Statement?
A case statement is a concise document that clearly explains what need your team seeks to meet, how you have and plan to meet that need, and what you could achieve with additional resources. A workshop on preparing a case statement is provided during the competition.
What are the major elements of the required case statement?
In preparing your case statement be sure to address the following as best you can at this point in the competition:
- Case Criteria: Discuss the reason your team selected the sector (higher education or government) and project to work on and the associated challenges. Why is it important to solve this problem? Who are the users of the application developed during your project?
- Integration of IBM Watson Technology: Discuss how using Watson cognitive technology and Bluemix services represent an Innovative application of Watson to solve problem. Why is Watson’s cognitive computing capability essential to solving this problem?
- Plausibility: Cognitive computing technology is changing so rapidly that it’s ability to solve problem will expand in the near future. Therefore think creatively about the technology you will be utilizing – you do not have to be bound by what is possible today – consider what might be possible tomorrow. .
- Impact: What part of Higher Education or NYC Government (potential client) would be interested in your application? How will your application impact the potential client’s ability to serve its public?
Think of the two-page case statement as a pitch to potential investors you want to convince to invest in the development of your application, not as a recap and explanation of your project.
How does my team get a mentor?
Once a team is formed and a project selected, the team completes a Team Information Form and submits the form via email address cunywatson@baruch.cuny.edu. A mentor is then suggested based on the mentors strengths and interests and the teams project. The mentor and team meet (in-person, by email or telephone) to ensure this pairing is workable. To learn more about what the guidelines are for mentors visit the Mentor Page.
How can I identify other students with whom I might form a team?
We have created a LINKEDIN GROUP to help you form/join a team. For information about using CLICK HERE.
Will there be an opportunity to get feedback on preliminary project ideas?
The competition holds a Boot Camp during the evening of March 23, 2018 (Friday) and all-day Saturday March 24, 2018. Prior to the Boot Camp teams prepare a preliminary case statement describing their project. On Saturday, teams prepare a 5-minute presentation about their project and make a presentation before a panel of reviewers who provide feedback on project, the team’s approach and the quality of the presentation itself.
What workshop will be available for students to participate in?
A number of workshops are being planned to provide students with a greater understanding of the design process in developing new applications. Among the workshops to be offer are: Design Thinking; Matching Technology to Functionality; Preparing a Case Statement and Communication Skills. Dates and location of these will be posted on a “Workshops” page. [under construction]