2018 Tsinghua-Santander World Challenges of 21st Century Program

Program Introduction
Tsinghua-Santander World Challenges of 21st Century Program (TSWC) 
is an international interdisciplinary innovation competition and workshop that brings together young people who aspire to make real impacts on truly important issues that we are facing today. The competition is themed with "Innovation makes the world better – urban sustainability", to address topics in areas such as urban life, education, environmental protection, climate change, energy, health, and sustainable development. Participants are encouraged to develop innovative products and services prototypes, including Internet and mobile technologies, wearable computing, cloud computing, and other open source software and hardware.
Participants are invited to form a team with two to four members, define the challenge they would like to find solution to and submit their initial proposals and videos online. After evaluation by the judging committee, six to eight teams are invited to the two-week workshop at Tsinghua University. During the two-weeks workshop, finalists need to complete their products - whether it is a mechanical prototype, an electrical device connected with software applications, or an integrated system, with guidance from multidisciplinary experts during a two-week workshop at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China, and eventually pitch their ideas and products to both online audience and the panel of judges in the forms of exhibition and presentation.
Host Department
Academy of Arts and Design
Who can apply?
Sophomore
Junior
Senior
Postgraduates
Doctoral Students
Start Date
2018-07-30
End Date
2018-08-10
Basic Requirements
Theme: "Innovation makes the world better: URBAN SUSTAINABILITY". Innovation on areas of urban planning, environmental protection, energy–saving and other related areas of sustainable development. 

Challenge: Develop innovative products and services prototypes, highlighting technologies on mobile Internet, wearable computing, robotics, AI and cloud computing, and other open source hardware on the theme of the competition. 

Participants: Teams of 2 to 4 undergraduates & Graduates students of the University from the following fields of study: product design, industry design, IT, engineer, art and any interdisciplinary studies departments related.
Application Procedure
Phase 1. Submission of initial proposal. Participants submit their initial proposals (inculde team information, project proposal, introduce video and images) by E-mail (please send to juezhong1127@tsinghua.edu.cn or maxiaotian@tsinghua.edu.cn) in English. Deadline: 15 April, 2018.

Phase 2. Selection of the finalists. Eight to ten teams will be selected to further develop their proposals and products in Beijing. Announcement of the finalists: May 2018. 

Phase 3. Workshop at Tsinghua iCenter in Beijing and final competition(2018.7.30-8.10). Eight to ten finalists teams complete their proposals, prototypes, during a 10 days workshop at Tsinghua iCenter in Beijing, and pitch their ideas and products to the panel of judges in the forms of exhibition and presentation.
Application Deadline
10 May, 2018
Contact Details
Dr. Zhiyong Fu (Director)
fuzhiyong@tsinghua.edu.cn
+86 (010) 62798892
Ms Jue Zhong (Executive)
 juezhong1127@tsinghua.edu.cn
+86(010) 62795568
Ms Xiaotian Ma (Executive) 
maxiaotian@tsinghua.edu.cn
+86(010) 62795568