On Friday 15 April, a number of young Lebanese students gathered to share, compete and scale up SDGs action through innovative entrepreneurship projects in the yearly “Young Entrepreneur Contest”, jointly organized by the United Nations Information Centre in Beirut (UNIC Beirut) and the Modern University for Business and Science (MUBS) in Beirut since 2013.
The event was throbbing with innovative project ideas and groundbreaking advancements in various fields of technology, environment, business, arts and design, to help advance and implement the SDGs through small but innovative youth-led projects.
High School students from thirteen schools across Lebanon, got together with business leaders, UN officials, media and academics for a day of innovation, creativity and stimulating ideas towards the SDGs. The jury was composed of Director of UNIC Beirut Margo Helou, Chairman and General Manager of Kafalat Khattar Abi Habib, President of Association of Lebanese Business People in the World Fouad Zmokhol, Vice Governor of the Banque du Liban Saad Andari, Director General at Ministry of Education Fadi Yarak, President of El Khalil Foundation Cheikh Farid El Khalil, and the Founder and Director of Nawaya Network and Co-Founder at SE Factory Zeina Saab.
The First prize went to “Detect’N’Push” project by IRFAN Secondary School, which consists of a solar system-functioning machine that separates garbage to ensure timely and efficient recycling of waste. The second place went to the “Smart Student System” project by AMJAD High School that aims to find a ‘smart solution’ to the classical lengthy method of taking students’ attendance through introducing a special RFID wristbands/bracelet codified for each student. In the third place was the “Smart Spiral Dough Mixer” by the Institut Technique de Choueifat, which featured an innovative and simple use design of dough mixer with energy saving tools and sensors.
Highlighting the relevance of youth entrepreneurship in addressing youth unemployment and contributing to sustainable development and the SDGs, Helou called on fostering entrepreneurship and innovation across different educational and academic programs. She also recognized young people broad-based adoption of technology and highlighted the need to capitalize on this asset to help nurture new innovative economic opportunities and sustainable solutions.
