A student at Nottingham Trent University has been chosen to represent the UK in a Sri Lankan reality TV show which pits budding design entrepreneurs against one another across a series of challenges. Daniel Goy will take part in the third series of IDEATORS, which provides a platform for undergraduates from both Sri Lanka and the UK to showcase their innovative ideas and entrepreneurial skills.
The show, organised by the British Council, will focus on business tasks relating specifically to design and will take place across a variety of locations. Daniel (21) who studies product design, is one of six UK undergraduates who will compete as a team against six Sri Lankan counterparts – with at least one member from the losing team being voted off by judges after each episode. The winner of the final episode will receive THE IDEATOR challenge trophy, along with an internship at a leading Sri Lankan company.
It is hoped that the competition will create passion for enterprise among young people from both countries and promote the importance of entrepreneurship education. It also aims to provide opportunities for participants to interact, share ideas and develop networks, while experiencing real-life business challenges and expressing their innovation and creativity to a wide audience.
Daniel was selected for the competition based on feedback he gave organisers about himself and his design inspirations, the importance of technology in design, his knowledge of trends and his ability to develop ideas both visually and conceptually. He will spend September in Sri Lanka filming the series, which will then be broadcast on the Independent Television Network for three months from January 2012.
“This is such a great opportunity for me, it’s amazing really,” said Daniel, who is based in Nottingham Trent University’s School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment.
He said: “I’m really looking forward to the whole experience; meeting new people, getting the chance to visit a different country, the challenge of the competition, I’m so delighted that I’ve been chosen for this. I’m sure the knowledge gained during my course will come in extremely handy, and I’m hoping to bring a wide range of additional skills back with me too.”
The programme leader for product design at Nottingham Trent University, Alan Crisp, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for Daniel, a typical BSc product design student, who can work in a multi-disciplinary manner across art and science, integrating the design results with commercial acumen. It is this entrepreneurial aspect of design that the programme promotes and which Daniel, an excellent student and ambassador for the university, has taken maximum advantage of.”
The Country Director of British Council Sri Lanka, Tony Reilly, said: “We are very pleased with the group of UK contestants that has been selected for this year’s IDEATORS. With their impressive track records and heightened motivation, I have no doubt that they will put up a very good challenge. We are looking forward to welcoming them to Sri Lanka.”
