KAMPALA- Makerere University has for the second year in a row been selected to host the annual Hult Prize Challenge – a brainchild of the 42nd president of the United States of America, Mr Bill Clinton.
The local Hult Prize edition at Makerere will see students answer the United Nations Challenge and go head-to-head for US$1M (about Shs3, 759,350,000)
The Hult Prize is a start-up accelerator for impact entrepreneurship which brings together the brightest college and university students from around the globe to solve the world’s most pressing issues through pitching ideas and launching companies.
Watum Patric, the Makerere Guild Minister for ICT and Research has confirmed the development.
“The guild ministry for research and ICT intends to promote innovations in the university with a vision to create innovations hubs at the different colleges to mentor and guide the innovators to come up with problem solving concepts beneficial to the university, country and the world. Thus, the Hult Prize,”
The event by the Hult Prize is hosted in partnership with the United Nations in search of the next game-changing start-up.
Silver Walugembe, the campus director, will be leading the Hult Prize at Makerere University On-Campus Program, and is confident that Makerere students have as good a chance as anyone to go all the way and with this year’s Hult Prize.
“More than ever, our generation is in dire need of innovations that address climate change, gender equity, equal health rights and a broad access to other social services” says Walugembe
The winner of the intra-campus event will automatically advance to compete in one of fifteen regional finals happening around the world.
One winning team from each host city will then move onto a summer business accelerator, where participants will receive mentorship, advisory and strategic planning as they create prototypes and set-up to launch their new social business.
The challenge presents an equal opportunity for all youths that are using startups to impact change in their communities and anyone can always register to take part.
If the judges are convinced that your innovation is the best there is, a grand prize of USD 1 million is up for grabs not to mention the other numerous cash prizes at the different stages of the competition and exposure.
