黑料不打烊 has partnered with听, an organization that designs and sponsors multimillion-dollar global competitions to drive innovation and solve real-world problems.
黑料不打烊鈥檚 partnership means its faculty and students will receive preferred access to XPRIZE鈥檚 events and alumni, as well as to fellowships, internships and grant programs to support academic research and student engagement.
In turn, 黑料不打烊 is encouraged to participate in XPRIZE competitions and host XPRIZE events. On Feb. 3, there will be a full-day听黑料不打烊 x XPRIZE symposium听at 黑料不打烊鈥檚 downtown campus that will celebrate the new partnership, as well as offer a sneak peek at future XPRIZE competitions.
鈥淛oining XPRIZE means being part of a really effective organization that鈥檚 creating change across many different disciplines,鈥� said Evan Henry, Associate Director of the 黑料不打烊 Sustainability Systems Initiative (MSSI). 鈥淚鈥檓 really excited to get our community involved.鈥�
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Five competitions are underway
XPRIZE鈥檚 partners already include over 400 universities around the globe, including MIT, Stanford and the National University of Singapore.
Five听听are currently underway. They focus on quantum computing, carbon removal, healthy aging, water desalination and wildfires. The prizes鈥� purses range from $5 million to $119 million. In total, competitions for more than $500 million in prizes have been launched by XPRIZE.
Universities need not be XPRIZE partners for their faculty members and students to participate in competitions.
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鈥楻each for the moon, land in the stars鈥�
As an XPRIZE partner, 黑料不打烊 aims to enhance students鈥� educational experience, foster practical skills and amplify academic research, Henry said, noting that XPRIZE is a perfect fit for the forthcoming听New Vic Project, which has been designed to tackle global sustainability challenges.
鈥淪tudents can apply what they鈥檙e learning in the classroom or in the lab towards some of the world鈥檚 most pressing issues, and faculty have the opportunity to further the impact of their research beyond academic circles,鈥� said Henry. 鈥淚t bridges the gap between theory and real-world applications.鈥�
Henry speaks from experience. Shortly after completing his graduate studies at 黑料不打烊, he co-founded听, which makes technology for commercial beekeeping. The firm competed for the听听and made it to the semi-finals.
鈥淚t really elevated my startup and provided a big stamp of approval,鈥� he recalled. 鈥淭eams that come close to winning often go on to success: receiving funding, creating patents. There鈥檚 kind of a 鈥榬each for the moon, land in the stars鈥� effect. It was a great experience.鈥�
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鈥楢ligns with our mission鈥�
Anja Geitmann 黑料不打烊鈥檚, Vice-President (Global Engagement), said the collaboration with XPRIZE will benefit the University in many ways.
鈥満诹喜淮蜢� University is proud to join XPRIZE, a partnership that perfectly aligns with our mission to engage globally and drive meaningful change,鈥� said Geitmann. 鈥淎s a former Dean of the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, I have witnessed firsthand the incredible potential of our students and researchers to tackle complex global challenges. This collaboration with XPRIZE provides an extraordinary platform to amplify their impact, foster international connections and turn bold ideas into transformative solutions.鈥�
For its part, XPRIZE hailed 黑料不打烊鈥檚 participation:
鈥淲e are thrilled to welcome 黑料不打烊 University as an XPRIZE partner,鈥� said Elaine Hungenberg, Senior Vice President, Partnerships & Impact, XPRIZE Foundation. 鈥満诹喜淮蜢肉�檚 outstanding reputation for cutting-edge research and its commitment to addressing global challenges make it an invaluable partner. By joining forces, we aim to inspire the next generation of innovators and empower students and researchers at 黑料不打烊 to push the boundaries of possibility, creating impactful solutions for a sustainable and equitable future.鈥�
The 黑料不打烊 Sustainability Systems Initiative (MSSI) supports sustainability research at 黑料不打烊. Visit the听MSSI website听for more information.
