The German Jordanian University through its Program Innovation and Entrepreneurship (PIE) of the Office for Industrial Links (OIL), together with IBTECAR Consulting and Training and the Impact Week team from Germany organized the Impact Leaders Competition using remote communication technology. The event took place in cooperation with a number of Jordanian universities, schools and companies.
After a week full activities, in which a group of volunteering coaches supported the participants, the final online closing ceremony to announce the winning teams took place on April 20, to which all participants, organizers, coaches and the jury members were invited.
GJU President Prof. Manar Fayyad expressed her satisfaction in a recorded welcome note about the participation of a large group of university and school students and their enthusiasm to find solutions to the emerging challenges due to the spread of the Corona virus.
She appreciated the commitment of all the participants to finish their projects, confirming its importance in light of the current impacts experienced by Jordan and worldwide.
For his part, GJU PIE manager, Eng. Jamil Al-Khatib, indicated that more than 270 participants registered in the competition, who formed 35 teams of different age groups to find solutions for corona crisis related challenges in the field of (remote) education and in the society.
At the end, 28 teams qualified for the final stage who submitted their projects in form of a 3 minutes video pitch to an independent jury. Prizes included cash money value 600 JD and incubation opportunities.
Representatives of the organizer team announced the winners, although all participants who made it to the final stage of the competition were considered as “winners” in this new experience of participating in a remote competition.
The first place was awarded to team “The Optimizers”, who developed an app that allows teenagers to feel positive, happy and motivated, relieves them from depression and sadness in the current situation and provides a place for self-entertainment and exchange with peers.
The second place went to “Team Breakers” who presented an e-learning program that simulates a realistic classroom environment by designing avatar characters that allow the student to display the class features with pictures and sound and makes e-learning more interactive.
“Thinkers Team” won the third place with an application that uses satellite and motion tracking systems, and Bluetooth technology to achieve better controlled and supervised social distancing in public spaces.
Team “Nesma” won the special prize as “Top Community Achiever” with their virtual exams platform that allows fair and cheat free examinations and communication between students and professors.
Impact Leaders competition aimed also at spreading the culture of entrepreneurship and specialized trainers provided sessions for the participants in various skills related to Designing Thinking, like Ideation, Business Model Canvas, prototyping and testing as well as 3D printing techniques.
The event was implemented in partnership with the Saxeed.jet project funded by the DAAD, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Al-Balqa Applied University, Princess Sumaya University, Middle East University, the Jubilee School, the Bishop’s School, Ahliyya School, in addition to the Royal Health Awareness Society, the Queen Rania Center for Entrepreneurship, The Tank by Umniah, Pure Analytica, and Be Influential.
For more information, please contact: pie@gju.edu.jo
The closing ceremony in the press: