TWO bright minds from the Philippines emerge as the Top 2 winners at the Next Generation Innovations international student competition. The third came from Indonesia.

The three winners were awarded scholarships worth over P1.5 million. The competition hosted by leading international education specialist Study Group, concluded its finale at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, with eight students from schools across Southeast Asia.

Next Generation Innovations, Study Group’s inaugural international student competition, aims to provide opportunities for driven students to secure scholarships for their higher education in the United Kingdom (UK).

Students were required to create a 5,000-word project proposal showcasing how they plan to use their higher education to make a difference in the world. The projects spanned topics from engineering to health sciences and business.

The winning project, Divorce Dialogue, by Stephanie Jane Magbitang from the Philippines, captivated all judges with its innovative fusion of business and advocacy to benefit her local community.

She expressed her excitement after being proclaimed champion. “It’s a dream-come-true,” said Stephanie. “I’m grateful for the judges’ feedback. I can’t wait to use this scholarship to further my studies at the University of Sheffield.

“I’m so grateful that applying through Study Group has given me access to scholarships like these to help me study in the UK.”

With the scholarship, Stephanie will be attending her international foundation year at Study Group’s University of Sheffield International College this September before progressing to her first year taking up Law at the University of Sheffield in 2025.

The second runner up project, Superheroes Need Saving Too: Innovative Dual Chip Tracker and a Cross-Border Protection System for Overseas Workers by Crescia San Angel from the Philippines, creatively merged modern engineering with advocacy.

The project was meant for protection of overseas foreign workers. Crescia will be entering her international foundation year this November at Study Group’s Durham University International Study Center.

That will make her progress towards her first year in International Relations at Durham University in 2025.

The third runner up project, Pangestu, by Vanessa Shannon Suryandi from Indonesia, inspired wellness with an innovative approach towards revitalizing wellness tourism in Indonesia.

Ethically, Vanessa will be entering her international foundation year at Study Group’s University of Sheffield International College this September to progress towards her first year of studying Business at the University of Sheffield in 2025.

The next generation innovations competition serves as a platform that increases student‘s access to top-notch academic opportunities on a global scale.

International student competitions have a rich history of establishing environments where students can engage with peers and mentors from diverse locations, to broaden their perspectives and build valuable networks.

By creating those opportunities for students, Study Group advocates for accessible global higher education, while fostering a culture of inclusivity and collaboration.

The competition officially launched on April 22, 2024 and students were required to submit their project proposals by June 30.

The panel of judges that included professors and industry experts, selected the Top 8 finalists who were invited on a sponsored trip to Malaysia for the finals event.

The finalists pitched their ideas in a 15-minute presentation followed by a riveting question and answer portion.

The first, second and third place winners were then awarded scholarships. First place took home 8,000 pounds (roughly P600,000), second place won 7,000 pounds (roughly P500,000) and third place got 6,000 pounds (roughly P450,000).

Following the success of Next Generation Innovations, Study Group is committed to hosting the competition annually as part of their mission to create more opportunities for students to achieve their academic goals.

Prof. Elena Rodriguez Falcon, chief academic officer of Study Group, said “We are thrilled with the outcome of this year’s competition. It is inspiring to witness the creativity and passion of these young minds.

“We at Study Group remain committed to ensuring that students around the world have increasing opportunities to access global higher education with our renowned partner schools.”

Meanwhile, Study Group is a leading international education specialist and a trusted strategic partner to more than 50 universities around the world.

Committed to a better world through education, Study Group delivers high quality international education solutions that drive success for its partners and students – from outstanding teaching to innovative approaches to international recruitment and student support.

Its digital learning platform, insendi, helps institutions deliver high impact transformational online and blended education using the most pedagogically powerful digital tools available.