Introduction
GIX Innovation Competition is an annual event with a specific theme every year. It is a unique opportunity for students, inventors and entrepreneurs to bring forward innovative ideas, projects and prototypes and be evaluated and mentored by world-renowned thought leaders in industry and top universities.
The first GIX Innovation Competition was successfully held in Beijing in 2016. It attracted hundreds of teams and contestants. The winning projects provided insights into solutions addressing some of the world’s most pressing challenges such as air pollution, navigation difficulty of the blind, and renewable energy.
Competition Theme
Year 2017’s competition continues the theme of Connected Devices, in alignment with the first GIX dual master degree track. We seek projects that are original, technologically inventive, covering areas such as the Internet of Things, wearable devices, intelligent hardware, VR, AR, ubiquitous computing, intelligent sensors, natural interactions with potential applications in various fields (such as education, environment protection, healthcare, transportation, fitness, entertainment and Information Accessibility, etc.).
A Unique Mentor-Program
First for GIX Innovation Competition, a mentor-program is introduced this year whereas a technical expert will be assigned to each team reaching the final round. The mentor and the project team will work closely together on the project during the final stage of the competition, to bring a complete and polished prototype and/or presentation for the final judgment. This provides tremendous values to the team members, as they will have the opportunity to learn and benefit from some of the most experienced industry leaders.
Qualifications
Candidates are teams with up to three members who are either currently enrolled in a college degree program or have graduated from such a program within five years. The chosen project by the team should be original and not financed yet. The team should ensure that the project they submit has no conflict and intellectual property disputes with other inventions. The team must be willing to travel to Seattle, Washington State, U.S. for the final competition if it reaches the final round.
Each project will be judged by the level of innovation, teamwork and application potentials.
In the final round, the prototypes of the products (functional hardware) need to be presented.
Competition Schedule
The Launch of the Competition
On April 13th, 2017, the second GIX Innovation Competition was announced in Seattle, Washington State.
Submission of Applications
The submission of applications opens from April 13th to May 31st, 2017.
Presentation and Evaluation of Projects
The first round: 50 outstanding teams selected from all qualified applications (by June 21th, 2017)
The second round: 50 teams will make live presentations and Q&A via video conferencing. Final 6 teams will be selected among them (by July 12th, 2017. Further details will be released.)
Final Round
The final round is a live road show held in Seattle, Washington State on September 15th, 2017. The prototypes of projects need to be presented in the final round. The judges will select one first-prize winner, two second-prize winners, and three third-prize winners from all 6 teams.
Team Requirements
l Up to 3 members each team
l All members must be currently enrolled in college degree programs or graduated within 5 years
l Willing to travel to Seattle for the final round on September 14th through September 16th.
l Willing to work with a mentor/coach in the July and August time frame to prepare for the final round.
How to apply:
To participate in the competition, simply complete the Application Form and the Information List in English.
Instructions to complete the forms:
The Application Form and the Information List are crucial for you to participate in the competition. Please complete them carefully.
The Application Form contains three parts. Part A is about the team's general description. Part B is for your project proposal. Part C is for the information of team members.Each question with an asterisk is required to complete.
As for the Information List, please make sure that the information you provide is accurate.
Please rename both files using your team name and send it to gixcompetition@tsinghua.edu.cn by 5:00pm, May 31st, 2017, U.S. Pacific Time (which is 8:00am, June 1st, 2017, Beijing Time). Please do not send a duplicate application.
Any application that failed to follow the instructions will not be accepted.
Should you have any further enquires, please contact us by gix@tsinghua.edu.cn.
Have fun and good luck!
About the Global Innovation Exchange (GIX)
The Global Innovation Exchange (GIX) is a global partnership between major research universities and innovative corporations to develop thought leaders in innovation. Tsinghua University and the University of Washington are the first two academic partners, with initial support from Microsoft. GIX pioneers new forms of teaching and learning by connecting world-class learners and faculty with research-led companies and non-profits to collaborate on solutions to global challenges. GIX is located in Bellevue’s Spring District, a new urban development east of Seattle, and is scheduled to open in 14th September 2017.