Today saw a special online event to recognise the 59 students from across Scotland who achieved the highest level of the Scottish Innovative Students Award (SISA) programme in the 2019-20 academic year.

The successful recipients of the SISA Level 3 award have earned the title SISA Innovation Champion.

The online event covered how to make the most of the competencies they developed during the programme and how they can apply them successfully in the future; in ongoing studies, as valuable employees, or as innovative entrepreneurs.

The challenge for the SISA 2019-20 programme was inspired by the United Nations Sustainability Goals (SDGs), which the Scottish Government has committed to since 2015. The SDGs encourage a sustainable future for all, recognising that tackling climate change and preserving natural spaces must go hand in hand with tackling poverty and deprivation.

Participating in the event were speakers from IBM, the Institute of Directors and Construction Scotland Innovation Centre, who all emphasised how the competencies the students developed through the programme are valued by employers. Students also heard from Stuart McNab, a graduate now working for Ernst & Young about his experience.

Speaking about their achievement, Fiona Godsman, Chief Executive of SIE, said:

“The students, and their universities, should be very proud of the hard work it has taken to reach the highest level of the SISA programme, and this is just the beginning for our new Innovation Champions. With their experience of tackling the UN SDGs, recognising their importance and the interconnectedness of global issues, they can take their new skills & ideas out to the wider world and act as a positive force for good. We look forward to seeing the impact they will have.”

The 2019 – 20 Student Innovation Champions in full:

Adda Ingemann Petersen	University of Strathclyde
Adrian Hernandez	University of Aberdeen
Adzfar Aziz	University of Strathclyde
Aleksandra Sonia Romanczuk	University of Aberdeen
Alexander Herrington	Glasgow Caledonian University
Alvaro Rafael Martinez Moreno	University of Aberdeen
Ashan Sasitha Abeyratne	University of Stirling
Austine Okolo Ogochukwu	Glasgow Caledonian University
Bartosz Grabski	Robert Gordon University
Cameron Moggach	University of Strathclyde
Chimezie Marvin Akuagwuagwu	University of Aberdeen
Connor O’Neill	University of Strathclyde
Davide Rendina	Robert Gordon University
Eilidh McDade	University of Aberdeen
Emily Paton	Glasgow School of Art
Emma Lawford	University of Aberdeen
Erika Pinto	Robert Gordon University
Erin Smith	Robert Gordon University
Fanechka Fernandes	Glasgow School of Art
Haishan Wang	University of Stirling
Hannah Rhodes	University of Aberdeen
Hermione Morris	University of the Highlands and Islands
Irina-Cristina Bogdan	Robert Gordon University
Ivana Dragicevic	Robert Gordon University
Ivana Krizova	Robert Gordon University
Jordan Sullivan	Glasgow Caledonian University
Keitumetse Mosweu	University of Stirling
Lauren Ferguson	Robert Gordon University
Lei En	University of Glasgow
Lewis Henderson	University of Strathclyde
Lindsay Gavine	Robert Gordon University
Lucia da Vinci	Robert Gordon University
Lucy McInally	Glasgow School of Art
Marlyn Yoselin Caballero Carvajal	University of Dundee
Megan Barr	University of Stirling
Monica Diaz Fraga	Robert Gordon University
Nghiep Lucy	University of Aberdeen
Oluwadamilare Opeyemi Aluko	University of Strathclyde
Omotara Lydia Fagbuyi	Robert Gordon University
Pedro Domínguez Balderas	University of Aberdeen
Robert Greig	Glasgow Caledonian University
Ryan Lenagh	University of Strathclyde
Ryan Mulholland	University of Glasgow
Sai Paresh Goklani	Glasgow School of Art
Sandy Barsoum	Glasgow School of Art
Sarina Kosewsky-Griffiths	University of Aberdeen
Sergio Castillo Morales	Robert Gordon University
Shaima Khaled Ebrahim Mohamed Ali Malalla	University of Dundee
Siddharth Kenia	Robert Gordon University
Sophie zur Wickern	Robert Gordon University
Stephen Smith	Glasgow School of Art
Sylwia Michalak	Glasgow School of Art
Temitope Ojewola	University of Aberdeen
Thomas Drescher	University of Strathclyde
Tilman Kratzer	Glasgow School of Art
Tylor Webb	Robert Gordon University
Usman Liaqat	University of Stirling
William Brownlie	University of the West of Scotland
Yumna Arif	Heriot-Watt University

SISA was developed by SIE in partnership with four of Scotland’s Innovation Centres; the Datalab, CENSIS, CS-IC, and the Digital Health & Care Institute. The programme will run again in Academic Year 2020/21.

For more information on SISA: www.sie.ac.uk/SISA

(Pictured: Students attending a SISA Level 2 workshop in Dundee earlier this year).