Innovation Competition is the Breeding Ground for New Initiatives
The Global Health Case Challenge launches for the fifth time with new initiatives. This year, the public is invited inside and a new collaboration with EIT Health creates new opportunities to work further with the ideas after the competition has ended.
Last year saw a great demand for the places at the Global Health Case Challenge – 33 teams applied for one of the coveted 15 seats in the innovation competition, where, after a brief introduction, the participants have 24 hours to develop a solution to a health challenge.
'Bending the Curve of Obesity' is the headline for this year's competition, which the School of Global Health is organising together with a number of internal and external partners (see list below).
The Finale is Part of the Culture Night in the Maersk Tower
During the intense 24 hours, the teams will get help and advice to develop and concretise their ideas so that after 24 hours, they can present them convincingly at the finale. For the first time, the finale is held in the Maersk Tower in the evening of the Culture Night, and it is thus open to the public.
'This year, we have chosen to make the finale a public event because we know that a lot of great ideas and solutions are coming out of the Global Health Case Challenge – and it is important to communicate that to as broad an audience as possible. And then there is always a really good atmosphere during the finale. You cannot help but to feel affected and inspired', says project manager Bjørg Elvekjær, who works as a special consultant at the School of Global Health.
She hopes that again this year, many teams will apply for a place in the competition prior to the application deadline on 10 September. If you ask Bjørg, there are many reasons why the Global Health Case Challenge is a good and educational offer to the students:
'It is a really intense and educational experience, where the student is given the opportunity to use his or her theory in practice. And as it is a cross-curricular competition, it is facilitating friendships and contacts across disciplines and between UCPH students and students from other universities from Denmark and the rest of Europe'.
EIT Health Finances New Challenge Track for Students
Although the Global Health Case Challenge culminates at the finale during the Culture Night, this year there is special focus on the time following the finale, as the students should be able to continue working on their ideas and solutions. This is done in a special Challenge Track, organised by SUND Hub and funded by EIT Health.
If you ask innovation consultant Camilla Krogh Christensen from EIT Health, there is no doubt as to why EIT Health has chosen to support the Challenge Track:
'EIT Health supports projects that promote innovation within the healthcare field. Therefore, it is an obvious choice to support Challenge Track, as it helps to provide students with a better framework for idea development and entrepreneurship – especially during the delicate project phase, where many drop out. We have chosen to launch it in continuation of the Global Health Case Challenge and exploit the momentum that has been created, by giving students the opportunity to continue working on their ideas after the finale in the Maersk Tower'.
Up to 50 students can participate in the Challenge Track at the same time, and the course has several stages. Here, students are given the opportunity, amongst others, to interview different target groups and stakeholders and to build and test prototypes.
Read more about EIT Health and funding opportunities here
Read more about SUND Hub and Challenge Track here
Read more about Global Health Case Challenge 2019 and the finale in the Maersk Tower here.
Global Health Case Challenge Cooperation Partners 2019:
- School of Global Health (main organiser)
- EIT Health
- SUND Innovation Hub
- UCPH Global Development
- Master's in Global Development
- Cities Changing Diabetes
- Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen
News story from School of Global Health