Monday 15 03 2021
Students from University of the West of Scotland (UWS) have been named as the only Scotland-based learners selected to participate in a prestigious international innovation programme.
The Demola Innovation Challenge brings together students from around the world to work on real-world problems set out by businesses from a range of different industries and backgrounds.
The latest round of Demola projects launched in October 2020. Out of hundreds of applications globally, only 7% were selected, including three UWS students – Sunny Wyrich, Ciaran Gara and Samuel Yerokun.
Professor Milan Radosavljevic, Vice-Principal of Research, Innovation and Engagement at UWS, commented: “I am exceptionally proud of Sunny, Ciaran and Samuel for each being selected to participate in the Demola Innovation Challenge.
“Innovation is key to all of our work at UWS, whether that’s in the research carried out in our laboratories or students developing ideas with the support of their tutors and peers. The Demola Innovation Challenge is a fantastic platform, upon which our students will flourish.”Professor Milan Radosavljevic, Vice-Principal of Research, Innovation and Engagement
Established in Finland in 2008, the Demola programme brings together leading brands and students from more than 700 universities and 74 different countries.
Students from a variety of backgrounds and academic disciplines apply to work on challenges set out by a number of leading businesses. The successful candidate are then put into teams, where they will work remotely, using different creative processes and tools, to find a solution to the problem set out by the business.
The process enables students to gain skills required in the world of work, while also retaining the intellectual property for the results they create.
This is the first year that UWS has been involved in Demola projects.
"The Demola Innovation Challenge fits perfectly with UWS’s focus on student innovation. We encourage our students at all levels to think outside the box, to push themselves and seize the opportunities that are open to them."Johnny Mone, Head of Enterprise Services
He continued: “The Demola Innovation Challenge is one such opportunity, and I am thrilled that the only successful applicants from Scotland in the autumn 2020 challenges were selected from UWS. This is real testament to UWS’s commitment to nurturing innovation amongst our students and encouraging them to get involved with all of the opportunities open to them to give a full university experience.”
Jere Wessman, Creative Director at Demola, said: “Demola projects are like an expedition journey. You have a global crew with a mission to discover something unexpected.
“This differs from traditional company-specific project work where pre-defined specifications determine the activities. Businesses engage with Demola acknowledging that they will face a team of young challengers with a desire to challenge the status quo.
“These types of opportunities to work in global teams in companies’ strategic foresight projects are valuable experiences for students. We emphasise curiosity, optimism and empathy which all builds a base for creative confidence, an important quality no matter where we work or what we do.”
Meet the Demola challengers
Sunny Wyrinch, who is originally from Germany, is studying on the University’s MA in Broadcast Journalism in Ayr. She has been working with students from institutions based in England, China and Australia to look at the future of freelance work, and what needs to be done to make freelancing a more attractive option across a range of industries.
Sunny, who also completed her undergraduate degree in Sports Journalism at UWS, said: “Having worked on a freelance basis myself, and looking to pursue a career in the media, this challenge really stood out to me. It’s a great opportunity.
“I’m looking forward to finding out more about the topic of freelancing, and being able to have communication with students from all around the world and to get their view on things. They have really interesting and different views on things, and I think I’ll learn a lot from that.”
Giffnock-based Ciaran Gara is a third-year Chemical Engineering student at UWS’s Paisley Campus. He and Samuel Yerokun, who is currently studying towards an MA in Creative Media Practice, were placed on the same team, along with students from Nepal, China and Finland to explore how artificial intelligence (AI) can be used in 3D modelling in the construction sector to eliminate human error and speed up the design process.
Ciaran said: “The idea of getting involved in new, exciting and innovative ideas really appealed to me – the Demola Challenge is different to traditional internships. It’s something brand-new that you’re working on, and it’s for a company so you’ll be making a difference.
“I feel like I’ve learned a lot already about how real businesses communicate and work. It’s been great too to work with people from different backgrounds, and see how different cultures work together and think. The whole experience is going to be really beneficial for me and my career.”
Samuel, who also has a BSc in Computer Animation Arts from UWS, said: “I like taking on new challenges and pushing boundaries, and the Demola Innovation Challenge looked like a great opportunity. My background is in architecture, combined with my degree in Computer Animation Arts, the challenge seemed like a good fit.
“I’m really excited to have been selected to take part. I’m looking forward to seeing what I can learn from people from different backgrounds and how we can work together to find a solution as part of the project."