Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP), part of Qatar Foundation (QF) recently organised a three-day programme to introduce university students to tech innovation and entrepreneurship. Comprising a series of workshops focused on AI-based product development, the craft of pitching, as well as one-on-one mentorship, the programme concluded with a first-of-its-kind ‘pitching’ competition held on a moving tram around QF’s Education City.
The first edition of the ‘QSTP Ride and Pitch’ programme - open to QF partner universities - drew participation of students from Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar, Northwestern University in Qatar (NU-Q), Weill Cornell Medicine - Qatar (WCM-Q), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) and Texas A&M University at Qatar, representing different countries including Qatar, Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, India, Kazakhstan, Japan, and the US.
Throughout the programme, students learned about ways to develop and enhance their entrepreneurial ideas under the guidance of nine mentors, including business founders, professors, senior researchers and consultants. Among some of the mentors were Bashar Hudhud, co-Founder of QSTP-incubated startup, Class Tap; Mohammed Zebian, acceleration programme manager, QSTP; and Rayane Fodil, head of Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Innovation Cafe Consultancy.
On the final day, the students competed in a two-minute pitch in front of a panel of judges, three of whom were with the participants on the tram while two were watching live. The one-hour tram ride familiarised students with the thrill, unpredictability, and agility that startup founders often face as part of their journey.
One of the judges, Hamad al-Hajri, founder & CEO of Snoonu, appreciated the initiative, saying he thoroughly enjoyed the pitching competition. “In the world of innovation, everything has to be innovative. The pitching competition inside a tram is reflective of how startups are in real life. The constant movement including the shaking and bumping and students trying to balance themselves - this is what the startups experience on a daily basis”.
“I think most of us as judges came in thinking that we would inspire the participants but they actually inspired us. They have given us hope that there are many intelligent ideas from young people just waiting to be discovered. It is important that these young people have the resources and support they need not just from the government but also from the private sector to be able to flourish and benefit the local tech innovation ecosystem.”
Dr Jack Lau, president of QSTP, said: “This was the most innovative pitching event that I have ever been to, taking advantage of what is indigenous to Qatar, QF, and Education City. Pitching their ideas in an unconventional environment was part of the challenge participants had to face.
"We wanted this experience to be as near realistic as possible with unexpected and uncertain occurrences. For instance, there might have been an unstable internet connection or a noisy atmosphere but these were meant to be that way in order to throw a bit of a curveball at the participants, and they all did a wonderful job. We have received amazing feedback and are already preparing for the next, bigger edition of the program which we plan on opening up to all universities in Qatar.”
The first-place winner of the competition, Shugyla Karshygakyzy, a sophomore student from NU-Q, hailed the programme as an ‘eye-opening experience.’ “People around me were very supportive and encouraging. I truly appreciate the guidance I received from the mentors during the mentorship workshops as well as the opportunities to network and build connections.”
Shugyla’s idea is to leverage AI in a way that helps tackle the issue of low engagement, views and likes on Instagram and TikTok for content creators. She aims to create a platform that combines various AI tools that help with everything from content strategy and content editing to posting content on platforms. “For someone who doesn’t come from a strong tech background, it was amazing to learn from experts and see the possibility of turning my idea into reality." said Shugyla.
HBKU student Muhammad Saad and WCM-Q student Lujain Al-Emadi won second and third place, respectively.
In addition to free mentorship hours with QSTP experts and a special booth at QSTP’s upcoming AI Week 2024, winners receive the opportunity to fast track to QSTP Innovation Programmes to launch their startups and find relevant support. The first-place winner walked away with an iPad Pro while the second and third place winners received AirPods, a statement added.
