University students who can generate innovative ideas aimed at solving the world’s most pressing challenges stand a chance to get funding from The Hult Prize, a start-up accelerator initiative for social entrepreneurship.
Launching the programme in Uganda at Cavendish University, the Hult Prize Campus Director, Frank Mugisha called upon students to participate in the global cause.
He said that the competition, which is open to students around the world, energizes young entrepreneurs to build for-profit startups that focus on critical social challenges.
“Each year a challenge is thrown to University students to come up with solutions that benefit the community. Globally a prize of $1Million (Shs3.7bn) is won, sponsored by Bill Clinton and partners; Hult International Business Schools and United Nations. The Hult Prize has engaged over a million students and deployed over $50 million in capital to winning projects. Each year, the Hult Prize directs applicants, of which there might be as many as 50,000, to focus on specific issues,” Mugisha said during the launch of Hult Prize at Cavendish University recently.
He added that 2019 programme is now open and selected students will be trained before being presented to judges to select regional teams for semi finals and will end in the finals at the United Nations headquarters in Boston.
The Executive Director, Cavendish University, David Mutabanura, advised students intending to join the competition that beyond learning, teaching, research among others things, there is need to think of other innovative ideas including new research ideas, creating new cultures, new forms of integrity to improve the generation well being.
Mutabaura added that Cavendish University decided to sponsor the Hullt Prize competition because the challenge solves global problems through innovation which he said is recognized at the University.
By Drake Nyamugabwa
