TUIASI’s Students get rewarded for their creativity in the Ingenious Ideas Projects Competition

Five winning student project proposals got rewarded, on Friday 10 January 2025, at the Awards Ceremony for the Ingenious Ideas Competition organized by the “Gheorghe Asachi” Technical University of Iasi (TUIASI), as a partner in the INGENIUM Alliance.

The competition was officially launched on November 22, 2024 at TUIASI university level and was aimed at developing students’ creative and entrepreneurial skills, encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration and active involvement in the academic community, in the wider context of the INGENIUM Alliance.

Participants were invited to contribute with project proposals in five key areas of interest for INGENIUM:

  1. Entrepreneurship
    • “Sustainable Start-up for the Future” – innovative business models addressing major global challenges such as waste management, renewable energy, or sustainable urban mobility.
    • “Hack the Campus: Entrepreneurial Solutions for Students” – start-up ideas dedicated to improving student life, such as a digital platform, campus services, or educational solutions.
  2. Pedagogical Innovation
    • “Courses of the Future: Interactive and Collaborative Learning” – teaching methodologies integrating digital technologies (virtual reality, interactive simulations, or artificial intelligence) to transform the educational experience.
    • “Education Without Borders” – platform concepts or programs facilitating international collaboration among students, with an emphasis on cultural diversity and academic exchanges.
  3. Social Inclusion
    • “Mentoring for All” – initiatives creating equal opportunities for students from vulnerable groups, such as mentoring programs or dedicated scholarships.
    • “Campus for Diversity” – solutions to transform universities into more inclusive and diverse environments, promoting acceptance and integration of students from different cultures, social backgrounds, or with disabilities.
  4. Sustainable Development
    • “Campus for a Healthy Life” – projects reducing the ecological footprint of the university campus, including resource-saving solutions, waste management, or promoting green transportation.
    • “Education for Sustainability” – course plans or educational activities developing entrepreneurship and relevant skills for the labour market.
  5. Additional Theme: Increasing the Visibility of the INGENIUM Alliance – strategies or creative campaigns to boost the awareness and attractiveness of the INGENIUM Alliance among students and external partners.

The Road to Success

The competition gathered 16 project ideas proposed by teams of students from the Ingenious Minds group, each presenting an original idea. After a first evaluation stage, 11 finalist teams were selected and showcased their innovative project ideas during Pitch Day, held online on December 12, 2024.

Winning Projects of the Ingenious Ideas Competition

After careful deliberation, the jury selected 5 winning ideas, each standing out for their originality and the professionalism with which they were presented:

  1. Compost for a Green and Sustainable Campus – Sustainable Development: Education for Sustainability
  2. Cultural HUB – Social Inclusion: Campus for Diversity
  3. Skill Exchange Platform for INGENIUM Alliance Students– Pedagogical Innovation: Courses of the Future – Interactive and Collaborative Learning
  4. TUIASI Thrift Student Store– Entrepreneurship: Hack the Campus – Entrepreneurial Solutions for Students
  5. TUIasi Talks – Additional Theme: Visibility and Promotion of the INGENIUM Alliance

At the Awards Ceremony held on Friday, each of the winning teams got the chance to present their project proposals to the TUIASI Community and were also awarded a prize in the value of 1000 Euros each, inspiring them and other students to get involved and bring their ideas to life.

Projects Proposals, just the first step

During the Awards Ceremony, the winning student teams were also invited to test and put their ideas into practice by entering a pilot project implementation phase with the guidance of staff mentors and the support of TUIASI project coordinators.

More so, other students that didn’t get a chance to enroll in the competition, but are still interested in getting involved in these initiatives, were invited to join the winning teams in the next phase of implementation, set to start in the upcoming months. This will encourage collaboration and networking among students, and at the same time, will get them actively involved in producing real change in the INGENIUM community.