Students tackle SDGs with inventive and inclusive ideas
This series of articles explores the journey of the winners of the EIG Sustainable Goals Student Ideas Competition.
The EIG Sustainable Goals Student Ideas Competition is focused on inspiring students to contribute towards tackling the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as set by the United Nations. The RGU Entrepreneurship & Innovation Group (EIG) led competition aims to encourage students to take innovative, creative and proactive approaches to tackling these challenges through supporting sustainably focused early-stage business innovations while also strengthening future employability.
Sponsored by the RGU Foundation Annual Fund, every month students can win cash prizes, raise their profile, give back, and be rewarded for thinking innovatively.
The winner of October’s innovative entries was Palika Vithana, a School of Creative and Cultural Business student whose idea stemmed from helping disabled people who may be unable to hold or read books.
As a book lover herself, she wants reading books to be as inclusive as possible and wonders whether using an augmented reality (AR) application could aid people with disabilities to do so.
“Libraries are sustainable institutions that ensure everyone has access to information, yet many disabled people cannot read a book. The objective is to give a real book-reading feeling with augmented book projection through an AR application that can be created to support mobile devices, smart glasses or contact lenses.
“The application should have features such as voice commands to facilitate individuals who are unable to hold any device and a magnifying and narration facility to support poor eyesight.”
The idea relates to the twelfth SDG, responsible consumption and production. By winning the October entries Palika’s been awarded with a £100 Amazon voucher.
“I entered the EIG Sustainable Goals Student Ideas Competition because I was so enthusiastic about sharing my idea and I was so happy to learn that I had won the top prize for the month.
“I am honestly so thankful for this prize and truly honoured. I am grateful for the Entrepreneurship & Innovation Group who always come up with such marvellous ideas to make students think outside of the box.
“Coming up with an innovative solution to a day-to-day problem gives a wonderful feeling. I think this competition is such a nice opportunity for RGU students because anyone can try it for free and without any extra pressure. How fun it is to be rewarded for your innovative thoughts?”
Two further students were awarded a £50 voucher for their highly commended efforts.
Saad Mohiddun, studying Law, focussed his idea on selective breeding to tackle the problem of mass coral bleaching to counter climate change and rising ocean temperatures.
"My idea helps tackle goal 14, life below water. The great barrier reef is undergoing mass coral bleaching due to climate change and rising ocean temperatures - I want to make the coral reefs more resilient to the impacts of climate change.
“The main solution is to introduce heat-tolerant corals which have a higher tolerance to bleaching at an industrial scale using selective breeding which would allow the reef to persist.”
Saad said that the competition “demonstrated that others are interested in my idea” which “boosted my confidence in thinking innovatively”.
The other highly commended entry was Govind Kodappully Gopi from the Aberdeen Business School. He devised an AI equipped waste management system which aims to tackle several of the 17 SDG’s.
"By utilizing the latest innovations in technology such as automation, machine learning and AI, computer logic can be implemented to machines by training them rapidly with various waste products until it achieves its recommended accuracy.
“An efficient automated waste management system can tackle and attain goals like good health and well-being, life below water, clean water and sanitation, pollution, affordable and clean energy etc".
The competition is relaunching this month with EIG keen to receive your entries throughout February, March and April.
Image: Govind Kodappully Gopi
