All over the world, Governments are putting in great effort to encourage students in STEM. Research in Science is the only way nations can keep ahead and Pakistan is no different. Given the number of Engineers and Doctors that we produce every year, there is very little output that the country is reaping from its youth, which borders at a massive 60% of the total population. Whether it is because of the unavailability of resources, the deficiencies in our education system, the lack of proper training or the fact that most of our talented labor is exported to countries which have more to offer, the fact is that Pakistan hasn’t seen half as much development as it should have over the years. Even as the institutions producing electrical engineers continue to grow over the country, ironically enough, it is still power that remains to be our major problem.
In such a scenario, there is a need to actively encourage the youth of Pakistan to get inspired and innovate. We have seen it before, from Abdus Salam to Dr Samar Mubarak Mand, Pakistan has shown that it has talent which is as good as the best from the world. Pakistan Innovation Fund intends to mine the same talent and bring forward the gems of the country. Pakistan Innovation Fund, PIF, is a private, a political organization with the aim to promote innovation in the Pakistani Society. They undertake several initiatives to promote innovation and one of them is National Innovation Grand Challenge, NIGC, an event that The AppJuice is proud to cover.
PIF’s NIGC is an eight month long initiative which will inspire and energize Pakistani youth including students and professionals through competitions which will encourage them to find innovative solutions to the development problems that the country faces. The program is already underway and will run till August 2014 when the winners will be declared. The prizes include PKR 1,000,000 for Open Innovation Prize and PKR 500,000 for Dedicated Student Prize. The last date to register your innovation teams is January 31st, 2014.
We believe it is our responsibility to bring the best resources to our readers and if you have innovative ideas, now is your chance to shine. Come forward, help your country through your hard work, innovation and get a chance to win lucrative prizes. We would specially urge the students to apply for this as it is without a doubt, a one-of-its-kind opportunity! Don’t forget to apply!
