ARUSHA, TANZANIA/MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA – March 2, 2017 – Singularity University (SU), a global community with a mission to educate, inspire, and empower leaders to apply exponential technologies to address humanity's grand challenges, has partnered with the East African Community (EAC) and the Information and Communication Technology Authority, Kenya (ICT, Kenya) to launch a Global Impact Challenge (GIC) in East Africa. This challenge is an open call to innovators, entrepreneurs, scientists, and technologists to propose moonshot innovations to address climate change.
“One of our aspirations for the East African Community is to build our region’s ICT capacities to encourage innovation and increase competitiveness. Singularity University’s GIC has therefore come at an opportune time when we are seeking to take advantage of accelerating technologies to grow our region,” said Ambassador Liberat Mfumukeko, Secretary General of the East African Community.
The SingularityU East Africa Global Impact Challenge is open to all residents and citizens of East Africa over the age of 21. Winner(s) will receive a full sponsorship to attend SU’s Global Solutions Program (GSP) at SU’s campus at NASA Research Park in Mountain View, California. Within the GSP, participants are provided with SU’s core curriculum on exponential thinking, technologies, and leadership, in addition to access to SU’s extensive global network of alumni and participating companies to further develop and commercialize their innovations. Finalists will benefit by having access to a cadre of mentors and coaches from SU, EAC, and ICT, Kenya to engage with them during the startup phase of their projects.
Winner(s) will be selected on 23 March 2017, by a panel of judges consisting of representatives from SU, EAC, and ICT, Kenya, as well as senior representatives from the business and entrepreneurial communities in East Africa. Finalists will be judged on their expertise and experience, as well as the sustainability, scalability, and potential impact of their proposed solutions.
“This is our first SU GIC in East Africa and our goal is to inspire innovative thinking within the region to solve local problems and create prosperity,” said Regina Njima, Director of Global Impact Challenges at SU. “This GIC is also a great opportunity to create a bridge between Silicon Valley and East African innovation ecosystems.”
"The new SU partnership with EAC and ICT creates a powerful catalyst to ignite innovation and the entrepreneurial spirit throughout East Africa," said Nicholas Haan, VP of Impact, Singularity University. "We look forward to a long collaboration that will bring sustainable development and growth to East Africa."
“Kenya is recognized the world over for its appetite to innovate and adopt transformative solutions to everyday challenges. Collaboration on this GIC with the support of SU and the East African Community will play a significant role in helping to solve regional social, economic, and political challenges, and we hope to expand these opportunities beyond our boundaries,” commented Eunice Kariuki, The Kenya ICT Authority's Director of Partnerships, Innovation and Capacity.
For more information, and to enter the Global Impact Challenge in East Africa, visit: http://giceastafrica.info/.
For more information about Singularity University GICs, visit: https://su.org/gic.
ABOUT SINGULARITY UNIVERSITY (SU)
Singularity University is a global learning and innovation community using exponential technologies to tackle the world’s biggest challenges and build an abundant future for all. SU's collaborative platform empowers individuals and organizations across the globe to learn, connect, and innovate breakthrough solutions using accelerating technologies like artificial intelligence, robotics, and digital biology. SU was founded in 2008 by renowned innovators Ray Kurzweil and Peter H. Diamandis and is partnered with leading organizations including Google, Deloitte, Genentech, and UNICEF. For more information, please visit su.org.
ABOUT GLOBAL IMPACT CHALLENGES
Global Impact Challenges (GICs) are annual competitions created by Singularity University and held in partnership with sponsor organizations worldwide to find solutions to global grand challenges. GICs serve as a platform to identify outstanding entrepreneurs, leaders, scientists, and engineers with the most innovative ideas for positively impacting millions of lives locally and globally within the next 3-5 years. Since 2010, Singularity University has worked with partners to host 94 Global Impact Challenges in 38 countries, awarding 121 winners with fully sponsored seats at the Singularity University’s Global Solutions Program (GSP) in Silicon Valley.
ABOUT EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY
The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organization mandated by the Governments of the Republics of Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania to spearhead the East African economic, social and political integration. The objectives and the scope of cooperation among the Partner States are stipulated under Article 5 of the Treaty for the Establishment of the East African Community signed in November 1999 and entered into force since July 2000.
As one of the fastest growing regional economic blocs in the world, the EAC is widening and deepening co-operation among the Partner States in various key spheres for their mutual benefit. These spheres include political, economic and social.
At the moment, the regional integration process is in full swing as reflected by the encouraging progress of the East African Customs Union, the establishment of the Common Market in 2010 and the implementation of the East African Monetary Union Protocol.
The East African Community (EAC) headquarters are in Arusha, Tanzania.
ABOUT ICT, KENYA
The Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Authority is a State Corporation under the Ministry of Information Communication and Technology. The corporation was established in August 2013. The Authority is tasked with rationalising and streamlining the management of all Government of Kenya ICT functions. Our broad mandate entails enforcing ICT standards in Government and enhancing the supervision of its electronic communication. We also promote ICT literacy, capacity, innovation and enterprise in line with the Kenya National ICT Masterplan 2017.
PRESS CONTACT
Singularity University: Diane Murphy (diane.murphy@su.org)