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BE OPEN's Commitment to Sustainable Development

The BE OPEN Foundation recently concluded its sixth international competition, the Designing Futures 2050, aimed at students, graduates, and young professionals. This competition was inspired by the need to foster creativity and innovation around the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As sustainability becomes a pressing global issue, this initiative encourages young minds to conceptualize and present their solutions geared towards creating a better future.

Competition Overview

The Designing Futures 2050 competition sought submissions that reinterpret the SDGs amidst contemporary challenges. Participants had the liberty to choose from three central themes: Battling the Problems of Today, Creating the Visions of Tomorrow, and Adjusting the SDGs. The goal was to inspire actionable, scalable strategies to address real-world issues.

Elena Baturina, the Founder of BE OPEN, underlined the importance of such competitions: "For six consecutive years, BE OPEN has championed the UN SDGs through global student design and innovation challenges. Every year, we receive hundreds of remarkable, insightful, and imaginative submissions from young creatives across the globe. This continuous engagement confirms our belief that educating and inspiring youth is the most effective route toward impactful change. Our mission is to nurture a generation capable of addressing future challenges through creativity, knowledge-sharing, and collaboration."

Winners Announced

After careful consideration, the foundation announced the winners of the two prestigious awards: the Founder's Choice Prize and the Public Vote Prize. Each has not only received financial grants but will also gain access to invaluable educational opportunities and a chance to present their projects at a significant sustainability-oriented event.

The Founder's Choice Prize worth €3,000 went to Jeanne Begon-Lours and Lucy Dain-Williams, MSc students in Environmental Technology at the Imperial College London. Their project, titled Tera Mira, proposes a bio-based, biodegradable alternative to elastane extracted from seaweed. This innovative solution mimics traditional elastane's stretch capabilities while eliminating reliance on fossil fuels and significantly reducing toxicity and microplastic pollution.

On the other hand, the Public Vote Prize worth €2,000 was awarded to the CALMs Computer Aided Learning Management Suite developed by Komborero Victor Kangai and Tinotenda Chrispen Makoni, both physics, maths, and computer science students at the High Achievers Coach International Academy of Zimbabwe. This cloud-based educational platform addresses Zimbabwe's digital divide by leveraging Television White Spaces technology to ensure uninterrupted learning access, even in regions with limited connectivity. The platform promotes offline capabilities, ensuring continuous educational engagement.

The Future is Bright

The BE OPEN Foundation's effort to promote sustainability through innovation and creativity among youth is vital in an era where climate change and resource scarcity pose immense challenges. By empowering students with a platform to voice their ideas and solutions, BE OPEN is not only enhancing individual capacities but also fostering collaborative efforts aimed at tackling global issues.

Both award-winning projects stand as exemplary representations of how young innovators can contribute to the overarching goal of sustainable development. As the world moves towards 2050, initiatives like Designing Futures 2050 inspire hope, showcasing a future driven by sustainability and innovative thinking. The commitment displayed by these young talents offers a promising outlook for achieving the SDGs and generating meaningful change across the globe.

Through workshops, access to educational resources, and opportunities for direct engagement with global decision-makers, participants of this competition are set to become leaders in their fields, potentially ushering in new eras of sustainable practices. The BE OPEN Foundation's ongoing mission highlights that young creators are indeed the architects of tomorrow, wielding creativity and collaboration as tools for progress in the quest for a sustainable planet.