ELEVATOR PITCH COMPETITION

Üsküdar University Students Continue to Compete with Their Ideas: The 2nd Elevator Pitch Competition Held Successfully

As we bid farewell to 2024, the second "Elevator Pitch Competition" was held within the scope of the course "BEN354 Special Topics in Bioengineering" given by Dr. Ayla Arslan, a faculty member of the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics (English), on December 30th at the Kuleli Hall, Central Campus.

The competition drew attention as an important event aimed at encouraging students from the Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences to adopt entrepreneurial culture in high-tech fields, as well as sustainability goals. It also helped students develop their project ideas by addressing the components of the 4th industrial revolution and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, raising awareness, and improving their communication and teamwork skills. The moderation of the competition was handled by İrem Olgun, Research Assistant in Molecular Biology and Genetics. The jury members included Prof. Dr. Osman Çerezci, Dr. Shirin Tarbiat, Dr. Nazmiye Kopacak, and Dr. Gamze Uslu. Students participated in the competition in 7 teams, with each group having only 1 minute to present their innovative solution proposals, which were expected to address problems, goals, and high-tech solutions related to Sustainable Development Goals discussed in the course.

In the jury evaluation, the mobile application idea for cancer patients, HopeLinkApp, took first place, while PTA-MED, focusing on enzyme-powered motors for drug delivery and targeted therapy, took second place, and the mobile application idea for laboratory management, LabLinker, came in third. HopeLinkApp, which aims to address the challenges of early diagnosis, treatment management, and access to support for cancer patients, supports SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. According to the Ministry of Health, General Directorate of Public Health, more than 210,000 people are diagnosed with cancer in Turkey every year. The application aims to connect users with healthcare professionals by providing personalized treatment plans and offering fundraising options to alleviate financial burdens. Additionally, by supporting SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities, the app aims to increase equal access to healthcare regardless of patients' geographic locations or financial situations. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals enables the app to foster innovation in cancer treatment and care by collaborating with healthcare providers, researchers, and communities.

The members of the first-place HopeLinkApp team (Kunzul Sikandar, Ahmad Badran, Erdem Bayraktar, Mumtaz Abdikadir, Hala Alashqar), the second-place PTA-MED team (H. Kübra Payza, Ekin Baş, Muteber F. Şenocak, Eren Baltacı, Yavuz Selim Akıllı), and the third-place LabLinker team (Ferhan M. Yılmaz, Şeyma Kurt, Zehra Kaymaz, Nurefşan Artar, Afra Sümeyra Gülmez, Meryem Doğan) received their awards from the jury members. At the end of the competition, all the students who took the course and participated in the competition immortalized the event by taking a group photo.