Code cracked in just a few minutes!
Dual students from NRW Police impress in the first-year IT competition with AI expertise
First-year students from the Computer Science degree programmes “Media Communication and Computer Science" and "E-Government" at the Faculty of Communication and Environment in Kamp-Lintfort once again participated in the annual IT competition for first-year students.
Award certificates being presented to the winners (from left to right: Timo Samulowitz, Aleksandra Krekker, Dominik Kösters) by Professor Ulrich Greveler.
As part of the Faculty’s annual IT Challenge at Rhine-Waal University, students from the “Media Communication and Computer Science" and "E-Government" programmes once again demonstrated their skills. This year’s challenge was to crack a code containing seemingly identical Unicode characters that concealed hidden messages – a task requiring both technical expertise and creative problem-solving skills.
Timo Samulowitz, a student in the dual degree programme in “E-Government”, claimed first place. Aleksandra Krekker, a “Media Communication and Computer Science” student, took second place, while Dominik Kösters, also from “E-Government”, secured third place. A unique connection links the first and third-place winners: both work for the Landesamt für Zentrale Polizeiliche Dienste (LZPD) NRW, a central service agency for the police that develops and acquires cutting-edge technologies to support police work on the ground.
Prompting as the Key to Success
The competition allowed the use of modern AI models, but as the winner, Samulowitz, pointed out, success wasn’t just about the technology: “Prompting was a real challenge. But with the right context, AI can greatly assist the analysis – and I had the solution within minutes.”
The second and third-place winners also emphasised that the combination of their own programming knowledge and AI support was crucial for both speed and precision.
Innovation and Digitalisation "Made in NRW"
The fact that two of the winners are from the Landesamt für Zentrale Polizeiliche Dienste (LZPD) NRW underscores the innovative and digitally advanced approach of the police force in North Rhine-Westphalia. “Our dual students are at the forefront of digital transformation in NRW,” highlighted Professor Dr-Ing. Ulrich Greveler, the competition’s organiser and award presenter. “The growing digitalisation of police work is particularly evident in the role of the LZPD, which is being equipped as a progressive institution with state-of-the-art technology.”
Aleksandra Krekker, a future media informatician who aspires to work as a 3D animator, also showcased how effectively she combined her expertise in character encoding with the power of Artificial Intelligence to secure her podium place. Her achievement highlights the importance of blending creative thinking with technological knowledge in today’s digital age.
Greveler expressed his enthusiasm for the participants' achievements: “Our students apply foundational knowledge with precision and make sensible use of Artificial Intelligence – an approach that will be a central component of digital infrastructures in the future, not just in modern police forces, but also in other public authorities and municipal administrations.”
Dual Degree Programmes in Focus
The successes of the dual students highlight the value of this educational model. “A natural aptitude for logical thinking and a technically creative approach to the digital world are ideal prerequisites for studying Computer Science,” Prof. Greveler emphasised. The dual degree programme in "E-Government" is offered in collaboration with the NRW state government, with students contributing their knowledge to public administration from day one – a win-win for both parties.
Rhine-Waal University provides comprehensive education in Media and Public Administration Informatics, blending theory and practice in an ideal manner.