Student Innovators for Development
Program on Conflict and Development personnel encourage student innovators and entrepreneurs to design tools and techniques that can be used to highlight issues and solve problems in the developing world.
Human-Elephant Conflict Workshop in Botswana
In June 2016, Program on Conflict and Development teamed up with in-country partner Ecoexist and MIT’s D-Lab to bring together student and faculty innovators from around the world for a five-day workshop in Botswana to address human-elephant conflict. Get the full field report here, including the first-hand perspective of a student innovator!
Aggie Engineers Design Washing System
In addition, students from Texas A&M’s Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS) course conceived new technologies to improve the washing system for leafy vegetables in Guatemalan packing centers. Texas A&M student Madison Cooper was invited to showcase the team’s prototype at USAID’s TechCon Innovation Marketplace at MIT in November 2016.
High Schoolers Improve Cart Design for Guatemalan Farmers
And finally, Texan high schoolers designed an improved cart for flower growers in Guatemala’s central highlands. These students from Hebron High School worked on several designs for a cart to collect cut roses in greenhouses.
Aggies Invent
Program on Conflict and Development collaborates with Texas A&M University’s Engineering Innovation Center to bring together students from across the Texas A&M campus to develop innovative solutions for our field projects over the course of 48 hours. In October 2015, students designed a Pigeon Pea Desheller that can be used by Guatemalan farmers.
South African Youth Develop Community-based Business Plans
Program on Conflict and Development spearheaded a business plan development competition to encourage entrepreneurship among youth in Knysna, South Africa. The competition sought to integrate young people into the mainstream economy of Knysna, where unemployment and poverty are rife, especially amongst school leavers and youth.
