HPCAC and ISC Group Kick off ISC-HPCAC Student Cluster Competition

The HPC Advisory Council (HPCAC), the community-led organization focused on high-performance computing (HPC) research, outreach and education, and the ISC Group, organizers of Europe’s HPC forum, have officially kicked off the ISC-HPCAC Student Cluster Competition (SCC) with an open call for team entries inviting international STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) student teams currently enrolled in four-year higher education and undergraduate programs to submit proposals for the 2018 competition. Submissions will be accepted through November 10, 2017. The top 12 teams selected will be announced on November 15, 2017 and face off in Frankfurt, Germany during the annual ISC High Performance Conference and Exhibition, June 24-28, 2018.

Now in its seventh year, the Student Cluster Competition enables international teams to take part in a real-time contest focused on advancing STEM disciplines and HPC skills development. To take top honors, the teams will have to showcase systems of their own design, adhering to power constraints and, at minimum, meeting a series of standard HPC benchmarks and applications.

Showcased at the conference’s closing plenary session, the three-day competition will culminate in front of conference attendees. Students will take center stage, alongside HPC luminaries, for a live ceremony to award and recognize each of the participating teams.

“The Student Cluster Competition provides a real-world hands-on education that directly benefits students and their individual studies,” notes Gilad Shainer, chairman of the HPC Advisory Council. “Team members gain access to a wealth of industry expertise, training and tools and hands-on exposure to a range of technologies and techniques they’ll use for competition and throughout their careers.”

Preparation for competition includes working with technology partners to design and build a competitive system from commercially available components, and working with advisors and mentors to master the HPC applications, tools and techniques.

For more info, visit HPC Advisory Council and ISC Group.

Sources: Press materials received from the company.