AUS organizes Hult Prize competition on campus

More than 50 American University of Sharjah (AUS) students, divided into 15 teams, participated in a special competition held on campus to select a team that will qualify for the regional round of the Hult Prize Challenge. Engineering students Farah Mujahed, Mais Al Atallah, and Layla Khanfer came in first and will attend the regional round expected to be held next year. Winners in the regional competition will qualify for the final international round.

The aim of the international competition this year is to give university students an opportunity to present ideas for enterprises that would provide employment to 10,000 youth by 2025. Students were given five minutes to pitch their ideas before a jury, and three minutes to answer their questions.

The winning model is a subscription-based application that allows small business owners and people to sell their products through the platform. Consumers can purchase the products and subscribe to receive them as often as they wish. It helps sellers predict their product’s demand based on consumer subscription.

Speaking about the competition, Paula M. Doyle, Executive Director of Human Resources and Acting Dean of Students, said:

"A job well done to all of the participating teams that took part in the competition. This is the fourth year that AUS has organized the competition on campus and we are pleased with the creative ideas from the participating teams. Congratulations to the winning team. I strongly encourage all participating teams to pursue their ideas even further and turn them into reality.”

The judging panel consisted of six prominent individuals from various industries: Eisa Al-Za’abi, Senior Vice President, Institutional Support Sector, Dubai Chamber, and Chairman of the Panel; Dr. Majd Naji, Cosmetic Dentist; Mahmoud Ghaith, Project Management Consultant and AUS alumnus; Haneed Al Maidat, Human Resources Coordinator at L’Oreal; Mudather Nagaria, Learning and Development Specialist at Emirates Airlines and AUS alumnus; and Omar Ghanem, CEO and Co-Founder of U-Light— winner of Hult Prize last year and AUS alumnus.

“Students get an opportunity through international competitions such as Hult Prize to think about world issues and come up with innovative solutions. These competitions also strengthen their leadership and presentations skills, especially as they have limited time to make their pitch, and learn to work within a team. Some students participated for the first time this year and just by this experience alone, I am sure they have gained a lot,” said Haifa Ismail, Director of the Student Leadership Program at AUS.