The idea of an employee motivation calculator has won a group of high school students from India a trip to Sydney.
The three students from Dhirubhai Ambani International School in Mumbai have been announced the winners of the UTS International – IT Competition 2015-2016.
Students from high schools across India were invited to enter the competition and develop a concept for a commercial product that draws upon expertise in India, can be exported to other countries and has information technology at its core.
Team members Navya Mehta, Nakul Goenka and Ahan Sahu developed the concept for Calcu-Vator, a motivation calculator to help large organisations manage employee motivation and productivity. The product would incorporate a "motivation algorithm" to help organisations identify employees considering resignation.
The competition winners will be rewarded with four night's accommodation in Sydney and a tour of UTS and its facilities to experience life as an international student at UTS.
Dhirubhai Ambani International School was one of five finalists for the Judges' Choice Awards. All five finalists presented their concepts to a panel of judges at a presentation in New Delhi.
People's choice winner D.A.V. Public School Ludhiana, picture supplied
The competition was judged by Dr Wayne Brookes Deputy Head of School (Teaching and Learning) School of Computing and Communications at the UTS Faculty of Engineering and IT, Dr Jamshed Siddiqui UTS Country Director (India) and Professor TV Vijay Kumar Associate Professor, School of Computer and System Sciences at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).
Dr Brookes said the innovative product ideas for this year's competition were very diverse.
"Students offered IT solutions across health, manufacturing, sustainability and education industries," Dr Brookes said.
"We really wanted students to consider what skills and expertise they have in India and how they could export this knowledge to the world."
Encouraging students to think creatively and critically to solve real-world problems with IT inspires them to explore new career paths by forming start-ups, creating new industries and becoming the entrepreneurs of the future.
"UTS has always had an innovative approach to teaching and learning, and this competition is one way we can introduce students in India to the collaborative and practical style of learning they would experience at our university," Dr Brookes said.
A team of students from Delhi Public School Vasant Kunj were awarded second place and will receive a desktop computer for their school. The team developed the concept for Vicinta, a mobile app that monitors stress levels, mood and physiology.
The other finalists included L.P. Savani Vidhyabhavan Surat School, which developed Technojewel City a website that enables customers to design custom gold jewellery; Vidyashilp Academy for The Indian Solution an online service offering traditional Ayurvedic remedies for everyday ailments; and D.A.V. Public School Ludhiana for Ecotopia Innovation an online service helping people to design eco-friendly homes.
Ten entries were also shortlisted for a People's Choice Award which attracted over 10,300 votes on the UTS India Facebook page. D.A.V. Public School Ludhiana won the award for Ecotopia Innovation.
- Three students from Dhirubhai Ambani International School in Mumbai have won a trip to Sydney in this year's UTS International – IT Competition
- Students from high schools across India were invited to enter the competition and develop a concept for a commercial product that draws upon expertise in India