Press Release – Organizing Committee
The Global IT Challenge for youth with disabilities (GITC), which seeks to strengthen the IT capabilities of youth with disabilities and bridge the digital divide, is recruiting countries to participate in the 2023 event.
The GITC has been held annually since 2011, touring different Asia-Pacific countries to strengthen ICT capabilities of youth with disabilities around the world, lay the foundation for social advancement, and further improve awareness of digital divide.
Over the past decade, about 4,500 youth with disabilities from 28 counties have participated in the Challenge. Through continuous cooperation with governments, international organizations and corporations, it has developed into the most established IT competition for youth with disabilities in the world.
This year, the Final Round will be held in Abu Dhabi, UAE at the end of October with participants selected by National Leagues and the Preliminary Round. Four years after the outbreak of COVID-19, this year’s event is expected to be more meaningful as it is the first GITC to be held in the Middle East.
The GITC Organizing Committee signed an MOU with the Zayed Higher Organization for People of Determination (ZHO) of the UAE, a member organization of RI, and has pledged to perform their respective roles faithfully for a successful Final Round.
The Final Round will be held in a hybrid format, in which both onsite and online events are held simultaneously. About 120 contestants from 20 countries qualified through the International Preliminary Round will participate onsite at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (ADNEC), and at the same time, about 300 contestants will participate online. Furthermore, the GITC Organizing Committee plans to invite delegations from low-income countries onsite to ensure equal opportunities.
Meanwhile, the Committee is recruiting the next host country. Any organizations wishing to host the GITC 2024 should contact the Secretariat.
The Committee asks RI members for their active participation and cooperation. Visit the official website (www.globalitchallenge.com) for more information. You can also contact Sol Jin at phone number: +827040127009, or email: globalitchallenge@gmail.com
