SNU College of Engineering (Dean Cha Kook-Heon) announces on the 5^th that the joint Korea-Tanzania Innovative Technology and Energy Centre (iTEC) led by Professor Ahn Sung-Hoon (Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering) has hosted the first International SMART (Startup Mission for Art/Design, Responsibility and Technology) Competition in Africa.
 
The competition featured 83 teams consisting of students and startup corporations. The 24 teams qualified for the finals delivered their last presentations to have their startup contents be assessed on the categories of technology, societal contributions and design.
 
The Grand Award went to NM-AIST (Nelson Mandela African Institute of Science and Technology) & Institute of Accountancy Arusha Team that suggested a plant-based pest control method. The team was awarded 1000 USD and an all-expense-paid trip to USA for the participation in the annual Business Plan Competition hosted by Washington State University (WSU).
 
The Second Place went to SNU & University of Waterloo Team that came up with an online educational program that allows elders from developed countries to teach English to children from developing countries.
 
Mr. Mrisho Gambo, the Arusha Regional Commissioner who participated in both the opening ceremony and the award ceremony, stated, “We highly praise Korea’s outstanding science, technology and economic development. We hope Korea will also show interest in Tanzania’s education and tourism industry.”
 
iTEC is a ODA (Official Development Assistance) project that is run by SNU and sponsored by the Ministry of Science and Engineering and the National Research Foundation of Korea. This project assists Tanzania in areas including energy, water, agriculture, healthcare, education, and startups. This competition, co-hosted by SNU iTEC, NM-AIST, University Industrial Technology Force (UNITEF), and E3 Empower, is the first to be held in Africa.