Sign up to compete in the Falling Walls Atlantic Canada Lab by August 10.
Dalhousie University wants to send a student or alumnus to the Falling Walls Lab pitch competition in Berlin, Germany on November 7. The global contest provides a platform for students and early-career professionals to share solutions to pressing global challenges and draws contenders from academic institutions in close to 90 countries around the world.
Win your ticket to go global
Dalhousie’s Falling Walls Atlantic Canada Lab, one of two in the country, is inviting applications from potential student and alumni competitors from Dalhousie and other universities. To determine the regional winner to travel to the finals in Berlin, Dalhousie will host a regional pitch competition in-person in Halifax on September 21. To take part, prospective competitors need to apply to the Falling Walls Atlantic Canada Lab by August 10.
Apply to the Falling Walls Atlantic Canada Lab by August 10th
In addition to the flight to Berlin and accommodation, the winner of the Atlantic Canada competition will be registered to attend the Falling Walls Science Summit 2022, where they will rub shoulders with Nobel Laureates and other global thought leaders. The winner will also receive professional pitch training and $500 from the European Union’s research collaboration initiative, EURAXESS North America, to travel to the European lab of their choice while in Germany.
Are you up to the competition?
Is there something that you’ve discovered in your research or work that you think would make the world a better place? Then Falling Walls Lab is for you.
“Students and alumni from Atlantic Canada are among the most innovative and nimble thinkers in the world. They dream big and strive for change. Falling Walls is our chance to prove it,” says Dr. Alice Aiken, Dalhousie’s vice president research and innovation.
“Do you have a policy that could help address climate change? An initiative to make society more equitable? A business idea to revolutionize the way we consume? An insight that could improve our health and longevity? A scientific innovation that might transform the way we interact with the world? If you do, we want to hear from you.”
Three minutes is all it takes
It’s about inspiration. You only have three minutes to present your solution to a pressing global challenge, so you don’t have time to demonstrate a detailed plan. But you do need to persuade a high-calibre jury from academia, media and business, as well as an audience that your idea or innovation has the potential to make a positive change.
You will be judged on three criteria:
· Breakthrough factor: How innovative is your proposed idea?
· Potential impact: How relevant is the idea to your discipline and beyond?
· Performance: How convincing is your presentation?
Last year’s finalists in Berlin presented on a wide range of topics, from ‘Breaking the Wall of Battery Recycling’ and ‘Breaking the Wall of Wastewater Treatment’ to ‘Breaking the Wall of Access to Justice’ and ‘Breaking the Wall of Eductaion’. You can watch all the 2021 finalists make their pitches online.
What awaits you in Germany
At the global finale, as the winner of Falling Walls Atlantic Canada, you will compete to become the Breakthrough Winner in the Emerging Talents category of the Falling Walls Science Summit 2022. You’ll get the chance to take home the title and prize money, and receive the opportunity to pitch your idea once again on the Falling Walls Breakthroughs of the Year stage, which hosts leading experts, changemakers, and luminaries, including Nobel laureates and Leibniz Prize winners.
At the summit, you will also attend an exclusive program, including an introductory session and networking dinner, expert workshops on a broad range of topics such as career development, entrepreneurial skills, and academic publishing, and events hosted by German research organisations such as the German Research Foundation.
So, are you ready to start breaking down walls?