Study in Australia: Delhi school students win Australian entrepreneurship challenge

NEW DELHI: A team of five students from a Delhi school won the Study Australia Entrepreneurship Challenge (SAEC) 2024 organised by the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade). The event held on May 31 at the Imperial Hotel in New Delhi brought together 33 teams of Class 11 students from premier institutions across India.

The SAE challenge spanned two weeks, focusing on themes of global net zero goals and artificial intelligence. Participants worked in multidisciplinary teams to create tech-enabled solutions for real-world problems.

Awards for Indian schools

The first prize went to a team from Manava Bharati India International School, New Delhi. Each member received a digital scholarship valued at 16,000 Australian dollars (16,000 AUD) from Australia’s Blended Learning International (BLI) for a diploma in business. Additionally, they were awarded iPads by Austrade. Their winning project focused on leveraging technology to conserve soil, aligning with the global net zero goals.

The first runners-up, a team from Birla Open Minds International School, Hyderabad, received 3,000 AUD scholarships from Study New South Wales (Study NSW) and Rs 10,000 in gift cards from Macquarie University. The second runners-up, a team from Swaraj India Public School, Kanpur, were awarded 100 AUD cash prizes by Australia’s MyCareerMatch.

Monica Kennedy, senior trade and investment commissioner at Austrade, remarked on the event's success, highlighting the high caliber of ideas presented by the teams. She praised the professionalism, polished pitches, and impactful business models demonstrated by the participants.