Winners of the University of Auckland’s United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Business Case Team Competition were announced on Saturday, 20 August, at the New Zealand High Commission in Delhi. A team from Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai took first prize with a proposal to promote sustainable farming and conscious living through hydroponic farming.
Their initiative focused on developing small-scale greenhouses in residential complexes to take healthy and fresh salad greens to consumers and to the markets on the same day produce is harvested.
In total, 20 teams from universities and colleges across India submitted business cases addressing at least one of the 17 SDGs in their local area, proposing creative, innovative, and feasible solutions to bring about transformative change.
New Zealand’s High Commissioner to India, David Pine, said that as New Zealand had recently reopened its borders to international students, post Covid-19 restrictions, it was a very suitable time to be celebrating in person the finalists and winners in the University of Auckland’s SDGs Business Case Team competition
“I have been impressed by the calibre of this year’s submissions and their innovative approach to addressing some of the biggest challenges of our time, “ he said.
“Our students and future leaders need to be incorporating sustainable development in all of their thinking; there are worldwide implications if that doesn’t start now.”
Members of the three top teams, which also included SRM Institute of Science and Technology and Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi, were awarded a place in the University of Auckland virtual micro internships programme with a New Zealand business. The winning Narsee Monjee Institute team also each received a NZ$5,500 grant towards a programme of study at the University of Auckland
University of Auckland Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Strategic Engagement, Dr Erik Lithander, said, “We salute the commitment of all the student teams for finding creative, innovative, and viable solutions to bring about transformative change in people’s lives and the world,” he said.
“This is particularly important area for the University of Auckland, which puts sustainability at the heart of what we do and champions positive social impact through our research, teaching and learning, operating practices, partnerships, and capacity building.”
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