Giuseppe Macario

Bio

Dr. Giuseppe Macario is an Italian Oracle–Google certified engineering manager based in Panama and Italy, and a former ACM-ICPC champion. MIT and Tokyo Tech alumnus. Geographical areas of focus: the Caribbean. His book about the Metaverse is available in the Library of Congress.

Verified profile

«Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.» —Steve Jobs

(AIRE-Italy press) The International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC) is the premier global competition for computer science and programming. Traditionally, the prestigious title of world champions is awarded to the university team that solves the most problems in the shortest possible time.
We asked Giuseppe Macario, a former programmer from Rome, now working as an engineer in Panama and the Caribbean, who holds two world records in ICPC problem-solving, what the chances of victory are for the Italian teams.
Giuseppe Macario: «I hate to disappoint you, but Italy will almost certainly not even be represented. In fact, it has never been invited to the finals of these international competitions. Unlike foreign universities, Italian universities do not prepare students adequately to pass the preliminary phases.»
What are the reasons for such a discouraging situation?
Giuseppe Macario: «Personally I am not surprised, because I believe the root of the problem lies in the general structure of the Italian education system. Students find themselves stuck between the Ministry of Education and Universities—which is completely absent—and the teaching staff. The latter, with a few exceptions, hardly engage with students, and skills are not truly recognized. It is no coincidence that, every year, Italian universities perform poorly in all international rankings.»
And how did you manage to set two world records?
Giuseppe Macario: «Fortunately, the problems presented at the ICPC can also be solved individually by registering on websites dedicated to competitive programming. In this case, being part of a university team is not required. The correctness and efficiency of the submitted solutions are evaluated by the same software used in the ICPC. It's a major global competition, open 24/7, 365 days a year, involving programmers and computer scientists from all over the world. Besides, my solid education at MIT has left me feeling very confident in my abilities.»
Which team will win the next world finals?
Giuseppe Macario: «Russia seems to be the favorite this year too, with ITMO University. However, we should also keep an eye on China, which has a couple of very strong teams. And finally, let's not forget the United States, which is always highly competitive. These are countries that prepare their students to an extremely high standard.»

Giuseppe Macario: meaning

Giuseppe is the most popular male name in Italy, meaning "God will add" from the Hebrew Yosef (יוֹסֵף‎). It is Joseph in English. Macario is the Italian form of the old Greek given name Makários (Μακάριος), meaning "happy, blessed".

Contact me

I recommend email: giuseppe.macario@mit.edu.it and LinkedIn.

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