Preston University students clinch 1st position in ‘Agri-Preneurship’ category in ‘Invent 2012’ Entrepreneurial Challenge held at IBA Karachi. Also win 2nd position in ‘Other-Preneurship’ category

            A four-member team comprising of Preston students  Jawad Haider, M. Fahad Khan, Sadaf Khalid and Saira Saeed, led by Prof. Khalid Javaid Anwer, from Preston University, Islamabad participated in ‘Agri-Preneurship’ category of ‘INVENT 2012’ Entrepreneurial Challenge held at IBA Karachi, on July 14, 2012. The Preston University team beat their counterparts from other participating universities to win first prize of Rs.100,000 in this category. In addition to this, for winning first position, a seed money of Rs.500,000 will be given to the team of Preston University for establishing their enterprise in the ‘agri-preneurship’ category. This award was given to them for preparing an exhaustive plan for ‘Pak Stevia’, a business that will produce natural organic and non-toxic sweetener (powder) from stevia, a plant that is naturally 300 times sweeter than sugar.

            Yet another five-member team comprising of Preston students Hassan Nisar, Usman Ahmed, Anum Javed, Fakayha Salim and Fatima Aslam, led by Prof. Humayun Shuja, represented Preston in ‘other-preneurship’ category of ‘INVENT 2012’ Entrepreneurial Challenge and beat their counterparts from other universities to win second prize of Rs.75,000 (in addition seed money amounting to Rs.400,000 for the establishment of their enterprise). The prize was awarded to them for preparing an elaborate plan on ‘Butterfly Park’, a business proposed to be set up at Malpur, Islamabad.

            The Centre for Entrepreneurial Development (CED) of (IBA) Karachi organized the Entrepreneurial Challenge titled ‘INVENT 2012’. More than 5000 students from 130 public and private universities of Pakistan participated in this competition that was held between March and July 2012. The four categories in which business plans and presentations were made by the teams of the participating universities were ‘Agri-Preneurship’, ‘Techno- Preneurship’, ‘Social-Preneurship’ and ‘Other-Preneurship’. Preston University, Islamabad participated in the ‘Agri-Preneurship’ and ‘Other-Preneurship’ categories.

            The teams which won first, second and third positions in all the four categories of ‘INVENT 2012’ were awarded prizes and shields at a grand prize distribution ceremony held at IBA Karachi auditorium on July 14, 2012. Dr. Ishrat Hussain, Dean and Director, IBA Karachi distributed the awards among the teams of the winning universities.

            The Chancellor Preston University, Dr. Abdul Basit expressed his heartiest congratulations to both the teams for winning first and second positions in their respective categories. He particularly lauded the untiring efforts made by the team leaders Prof. Khalid Javaid Anwer and Prof. Humayun Shuja to groom and mentor their respective teams to the extent that they become capable to not only give a tough fight to their counterparts but also win positions in the contest. He further said that this is a landmark achievement and the university takes genuine pride in the outstanding performance of its students in ‘INVENT 2012’.