Lahore: Today’s student entrepreneurs, creators and innovators are the force that will disrupt the status quo and drive positive change in the future. And now, a call to action gives students in all areas of study a chance to fast-forward the development of their ingenious ideas. The journey begins when they apply for Red Bull Basement by 24 October 2021. In this global program, young changemakers are empowered to find their voice, showcase their skills and ambitions, and use technology to make tomorrow’s world a better place. Students can tap into resources such as mentoring, workshops, networking events and more – all leading up to a Global Final where thought leaders, entrepreneurs and visionaries from around the world collaborate with student teams representing each of the 44 participating countries. In the last two years, both winners from Pakistan were IBA graduates. In 2019, Zain Reza and Hasan Zafar pitched an innovative idea in an app called CampAssist and went to the Global Workshop held in Toronto, Canada. In the 2020 edition, Hira Siddiqui and Warisha Farhat digitally transformed the current educational ex perience with the idea to solve a decades-long issue faced by the students in their 16+ years of education. Their application – UniThink – was selected to represent the country at the global stage. Hira Siddiqui from IBA, Karachi commented, “Any entrepreneur with a groundbreaking idea will find all these key elements to make their idea successful through Red Bull Basement.” To apply for the 2021 edition, 18+ years old and currently enrolled students simply need to visit the Red Bull Basement website and upload a video that clearly and concisely explains their team idea. The public will be able to give online “shout-outs” to their favourite ideas, and those shout-outs will be part of the criteria that judges consider – along with feasibility, creativity, and impact – to determine the national finalists. Then the national teams will have about five weeks to further develop their ideas with the help of resources including an international mentorship program before attending an immersive, three-day Global Final in Istanbul, Turkey, where teams will pitch their projects to a panel of experts. Our Correspondent
Innovation never stops, but the window to apply for Red Bull Basement can be only for a limited time. With an application deadline of 24 October 2021, now is the moment for students to seize their chance and submit their videos at redbullbasement.com.
