If you’re a college student and want to do something about the environmental challenges facing our world, here’s a great opportunity! You could even win an all-expenses-paid internship in New Zealand.

Education New Zealand (ENZ), in association with The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and three New Zealand universities, has announced the New Zealand - India Sustainability Challenge. The competition is open to undergraduate students who are 18 to 22 years old, from recognised colleges in Delhi NCR, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Maharashtra.

The Sustainability Challenge seeks to bring together Indian and New Zealand university students to solve pressing environmental and sustainability challenges, and will raise awareness of education and research in areas such as conservation, ecology, environmental science, and sustainable energy.

Through the Sustainability Challenge, Indian students will have an opportunity to work alongside their New Zealand counterparts to develop scalable, sustainable solutions to problems facing the environment and society.

How to participate

The challenge is a four-stage process: registration, regional rounds, finale, and the winners’ visit to New Zealand.

In the first stage, you need to form a team of two students and a faculty mentor from your institution. Choose a theme, and identify a sustainability issue from your campus or the surrounding community. Register your team name and submit your proposal by August 8, 2017.

In the second stage, you will learn (August 16-21) whether you have been shortlisted for the regional rounds. If yes, you will present a comprehensive report at regional rounds to be in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru in September.

In the third stage, two teams from each region will be chosen for the finale. If your team is among the six finalists, an undergraduate student from a New Zealand university will join you and work with you to finalise your project in India. The finalists will be guided by not only their Indian team mentors, but also by faculty members of participating New Zealand universities, and other experts in the field of sustainability, environment and conservation. Teams will be judged by an international panel of judges at the finale in Bengaluru on December 8.

And finally, the winning team will go for a three week all-expense paid internship to the New Zealand partner universities – University of Canterbury, University of Otago, and University of Waikato – in February/March, 2018.

The organizers

Education New Zealand is New Zealand’s government agency for international education. Mr John Laxon, its Regional Director – India, South East Asia and Middle East, said at the launch of the Sustainability Challenge: “Indian students are increasingly choosing to study in New Zealand, as our education system provides global and fulfilling career opportunities, as well as a progressive learning experience. New Zealand’s universities are leading innovations in our societies and demonstrating sustainable principles across their campuses. We are delighted to partner with our New Zealand universities and TERI to find solutions for challenges like climate change, energy and food security, sanitation and water quality.”

Dr Ajay Mathur, Director General, TERI, said, “The challenge aims to engage students with real-life problems around them and help create a multicultural environment for problem-solving as well as a crew of aware and informed young people who will carry the sustainable development agenda forward.” TERI is a leading think-tank dedicated to conducting research for the sustainable development of India and the Global South. Its key focus is on promoting clean energy, water management, pollution management, sustainable agriculture and climate resilience.
 
For more information about the New Zealand India Sustainability Challenge, and to register, click here.