Applications for the HUC SIC Contest Are Now Open
The HUC Social Ideas Challenge initiative seeks the best ideas that contribute to solving the social and environmental challenges in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals. UC Chile students won the first edition of the contest. It could be your turn next.
photo_camera The winning team of the first version of the HUC Social Ideas Challenge was the Reflush team. (Photo by: Gabriela Gerón)
A new version of the HUC Social Ideas Challenge will be organized by the Consortium, which is made up of 13 universities from the Americas, including UC Chile.
The student-oriented contest aims to promote social entrepreneurship and innovation by identifying the best ideas for solving social and environmental problems within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Its first edition was won by students from UC Chile and the finals took place this year at the fair eMerge Americas in Miami. The winning proposal was Reflush, a device for reusing and filtering grey water.
“Through programs such as the Social Ideas Challenge we seek to establish a culture of innovation that inspires our students to connect with the needs of society and to be permanently thinking and practicing ways to apply their knowledge and disciplines to the main challenges of the country and planet,” said Constance Fleet, associate director of the Research and Innovation Department of the UC Chile School of Engineering.
One of the expectations of the initiative is to return to the same rate of project creation prior to the pandemic, and thus consolidate an innovation ecosystem with an impact on the environment, explained Fleet.
Student participation is essential, as it gives them the opportunity to be part of a learning experience different from that of the classroom.
“The Social Ideas Challenge gives our students the chance to learn about different cultures and think about problem solving from a global perspective.”
The contest has also made it possible for the UC Chile to get to know and collaborate with other universities in the continent, including those that will participate in this version, namely:
- University of Miami
- Universidad San Francisco de Quito (Ecuador)
- Tecnológico de Monterrey (Mexico)
- Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia (Peru)
- Universidad Andrés Bello (Chile)
“This collaboration will allow us to share experiences and complement capabilities to enhance our programs and objectives.”
For Gabriela Gerón, executive director of the Hemispheric University Consortium, this is an opportunity for students to generate ideas to solve global problems using local solutions.
“We are jointly preparing a new generation of social entrepreneurs who will transform our society. It is very inspiring to be part of this great initiative," she concluded.
According to Melissa Medina, president of eMerge Americas, the contest gives "opportunities to early-stage entrepreneurs, to students in the hemispheric consortium, and this is really part of our main purpose at eMerge.”
Moreover, the technology fair is great exposure for the exhibitors in terms of outreach and the generation of collaborative networks, as she explained.
“If these entrepreneurs are successful, whether or not they stay in Miami, it still helps the ecosystem as a whole because they were here, they told their story, they connected with a partner or with a global brand that helped them expand in Latin America, Europe or Asia. At the end of the day, it boils down to the connection made at eMerge.”
Contest Stages and Application
The HUC Social Ideas Challenge launch took place on Wednesday, September 28, with the participation of a panel of experts on socio-environmental issues from different parts of the world, such as:
- Melissa Medina, president of eMerge Americas
- Felice Gorordo, CEO of eMerge Americas
- Rodolfo Ulloa, co-founder of Myco Bites
- Magaly Blas, director of Mamás del Río
- Juan Diego Vásquez, co-founder of Payphone
- Susan Amat, founder of Venture Hive
At the end of the event the guidelines were made available and applications were opened. The deadline is October 31.
On November 4, each of the universities will hold a pre-selection process for ideas and the best initiatives will be developed through workshops to be organized between November 7 and 11.
Afterwards, local finals will be held to determine the winning idea of each institution.
The prize will be to participate in the global finals, which will be organized at the 2023 eMerge Americas technology fair in Miami, on April 20-21.
The finalists will also be able to participate in Green Awards activities and events that will also be held at the University of Miami during Global Earth Week.
