GIT in the news

Calling all innovative students

Source: NST online
2009/10/16

KUALA LUMPUR: A flash of creativity could win you a trip to China on an AirAsia X flight, with a personal tour of the low-budget carrier by its chief executive officer, Azran Osman Rani.

For the first time, Malaysian students will take part in the Stanford Global Innovation Tournament (GIT) which starts today.

The competition, which is part of the Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) from Nov 16 to 22, will see local students coming up with creative solutions to common problems.

Alpha Catalyst Consulting founder Azim Pawanchik, who is the host of GIT, said he hoped to take Malaysian talent global through the competition.

Bank Rakyat general manager of human resource Ahmad Fuad Mohd Amin (right) handing a mock cheque for RM30,000 to Warisan Global Sdn Bhd director B. Dhakshinamoorthy during the Stanford Global Innovation Tournament’s cheque-presentation ceremony at Sooka Sentral yesterday. With them is Alpha Catalyst Consulting founder Azim Pawanchik.

"The collective solutions from GIT will hopefully offer pragmatic and creative solutions to common issues in Malaysia," he said in a media briefing at Sooka Sentral yesterday.

The GIT is divided into two -- the Malaysian Challenge which starts at 5pm today, and the Global Challenge on Nov 4.

Past GIT challenges included Post-It notes and plastic bottles.

B. Dhakshinamoorthy, director of Warisan Global Sdn Bhd, the official host of GEW, said he was excited about the prospects of the GIT and GEW. He added that Malaysia did not lack innovative talent.

So far, 700 participants from 12 schools and universities have signed up for the challenge.

Participants only need to log on to gitmy.blogspot.com to find out the "challenge". They are given 10 days to solve the Malaysian Challenge and eight days for the Global Challenge.

Teams must record a three-minute video of their solutions, upload it to www.youtube.com and also send it to the organiser.

Sponsors of GIT include Bank Rakyat, AirAsia X, Microsoft, Nomad Adventure and Teras Teknologi Sdn Bhd.