CSII Students Set the Bar High with Stellar Performance in Startup Contests

Students of the Chulalongkorn School of Integrated Innovation (CSII) continue to dazzle global and regional startup communities with their talent and innovation prowess. Enrolled in the Bachelor of Arts and Science in Integrated Innovation (BAScii) program, these young minds have consistently achieved extraordinary success in myriad competitions. Among other triumphs, BAScii students won first prize in the fiercely competitive Banpu Hackathon Thailand in 2022 and 2023. Additionally, they reached the finals of the Asia Pacific Youth Startup Contest 2022 and were semifinalists at the prestigious Hult Prize International Summit Taipei 2023 and the SCG Bangkok Business Challenge Thailand Competition 2023. 

In the Banpu Hackathon in 2023, which focused on Decoding Sustainability Innovation, the winning team bagged first prize with a presentation of an application targeting corporates. Officials were encouraged to track, reduce, and offset their waste by raising their awareness and educating them about waste separation through a playful and enjoyable application. Among the five members of the winning team, four were BAScii students – Suwapat Kongchan, Airada Songpatthanayuth, Issaree Srilekarat, and Phimpawi Kovitkanit, along with Natnicha Daraneerut.

                                    

A year earlier, the theme of the Banpu Hackathon 2022 was “Automated Process Documentation and Employee Work-Life Engagement.” The winning team from BAScii came up with an innovative idea: a social network platform designed specifically for business process teams and employees. This platform aimed to facilitate seamless communication and documentation of their work journey within the organization. The all-BAScii team, which comprised Suwapat Kongchan, Natakorn Harnkul, Boonyara Akrapreedee, and Keeratiya Lelchaoom, successfully developed and presented this innovative solution.

In the Asia Pacific Youth Startup Contest 2022, which was organized by the Seoul Campus Town and Dongguk University Seoul Campus, team TasteMap emerged as a finalist. Their primary objective was to create a centralized platform that would facilitate the connection between vendors and market owners with foreign visitors. This platform aims to provide the right marketing and analytics tools to enhance their interactions. The six-member team had four members from BAScii – Airada Songpatthanayuth, Suwapat Kongchan, Kawisara Saikaew, and Benedict Boisclair along with Neeranuch Pantumas and Tanatat Khuttapan.

The same team, TasteMap, also achieved the status of a semifinalist in the SCG Bangkok Business Challenge Thailand Competition 2023. This competition was organized by the Sasin School of Management and revolved around the theme of “Planting the Seeds of Innovation.” TasteMap’s innovative ideas and solutions earned them recognition and a place among the top participants in the competition.

In addition, BAScii students achieved the significant feat of becoming semi-finalists in the Hult Prize Competition, which stands out as one of the largest student contests for social impact. The event took place in Ming Chuan University Taipei in June of the current year. The two-member BAScii team dedicated their efforts to creating a social media platform that facilitates the trading and sharing of used clothing, emphasizing the combination of style and utility. Among the team members, both Suwapat Kongchan and Issaree Srilekarat are BAScii students, who seized the opportunity to showcase their talent and commitment to driving positive change through innovation.