Hyderabady-based VNR Vignana Jyothi Institute of Engineering and Technology (VNRVJIET) conducted Hult Prize Challenge on its campus. Frederick Devarampati, Founder, HotNot; Antara Chaudhury, Climate Reality Leader and Principal Consultant at PwC and Dr Kiran Chakravarthula, Convener-IIC VNRVJIET and Manager-VJ Hub graced the occasion as the jury members.
Three winning teams will compete at the Central and South Asia regional level in Mumbai, said the Faculty Coordinators from the Department of CSE, Dr P Venkateswara Rao and Sri Sumanth Chekuri.
The external jury members shared their professional experiences and emphasised that everyone must proactively focus on sustainability and innovation. Over 120 students applied for the challenge as 38 teams and 15 teams were shortlisted for the final round at the institute, said Campus Director and student of second-year BTech (CSE), Rishab Gupta Bejugam, adding that Hult Prize was referred to as the Nobel Prize for students by Nobel Laureate Mohammed Yunus.
Dr Kiran Chakravarthula, Convener of the Institute Innovation Cell and Manager of the in-house incubator, VJ Hub, and one of the jury members, revealed that Hult Prize has been conducted since 2009 with the motto of changing the world through social enterprise and that this year’s theme is Redesigning Fashion in a sustainable way.
Prof CD Naidu, Principal, said that every innovation today must necessarily incorporate public-spirited societal impact and sustainability and appreciated the institute’s students for their social awareness. Director for Advancement, Prof B Chennakesava Rao, said that the participants can continue to pursue their ideas and transform them into a start-up through the institute’s innovation ecosystem and that the institute supports the students to get incubated at VJ Hub.
Prizes were given away to the three winning teams that worked on sustainable fashion ideas and the jury members extended their support beyond the competition to any sincerely working student teams.
