Sri Lankan student wins Capital prize
Promila Jayarajh beat off over 700 other students from India and Sri Lanka to win a Facebook competition run by the University that asked entrants to design a new product.
Promila’s solar-powered wheelchair won her a week in Scotland and the chance to pitch her product to a Dragons’ Den-style panel from Edinburgh Napier’s Institute for Product Design & Manufacturing.
The Spectrum Institute of Science & Technology student also visited the Scottish Parliament to present her ideas to Mike Russell MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning.
And she also explored Edinburgh Napier’s Degree Show 2012 – a showcase for the work of final year students in the University’s School of Arts & Creative Industries.
The innovation competition was launched to raise awareness of Edinburgh Napier University in India and Sir Lanka – and has seen over 20,000 Indians become fans of the institution on Facebook.
Promila said she was “really looking forward” to her time in Scotland and the chance to showcase her invention to staff.
“I am also proud to work with the University to build the Edinburgh Napier and Scottish community back in India and Sri Lanka,” she said.
Michael Russell, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning said: “International markets are increasingly important to universities and I am encouraged to see Edinburgh Napier University using social media in such an innovative way to promote its brand in India, Sri Lanka and beyond.
“Education has been identified as a priority in the Scottish Government’s India Plan and it is important that the sector does as much as it can to raise awareness of the unique benefits of studying in our dynamic capital city and Scotland as a whole.”