RV University Students Secure Position In India Sustainability Startathon 2024

Three students from RV University's School of Liberal Arts and Sciences (SoLAS), Tabassum, Nathania and Subhiksha, have secured third place in India Sustainability Startathon 2024. Out of the 58 final teams, comprising approximately 200 students, the SoLAS-RV University team emerged in third place, earning the opportunity to represent India along with four other Indian teams at the international forum.

India Sustainability Startathon 2024 is an innovation programme curated by The Future Founders Co. The programme enables 15 young innovative leaders from India to receive a fully funded opportunity to be part of the ASEAN-CHINA-INDIA (ACI) Youth Leadership Summit scheduled to be held in Singapore from 28 September to 5 October 2024 in collaboration with OSG Youth Alliance. 

The ACI Youth Leadership Summit is a dynamic forum which brings together young leaders to address global sustainability concerns. Participants will learn about and engage in significant subjects like sustainability, entrepreneurship and intercultural understanding. With around 2,000 attendees, the summit fosters regional cooperation and cross-cultural dialogue, preparing future leaders to address global issues.

Four teams from RV University participated in the two-day bootcamp, which served as a qualifying round for the international event. They tackled issues related to UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 7 and 11, focussing on agricultural expertise and pedestrian rights in Bangalore.

More than 1800 students registered from different Indian institutions and competed. The bootcamp phase, held in cities across India, saw participants debate issue statements, followed by multiple rounds of elimination throughout July and August. The finalists, guided by international mentors with masterclasses hosted by leaders from London Business School and Cambridge Innovation Center in MIT, refined their ideas to meet global standards. The winners were announced at a ceremony at Christ University after the final online round.