AUT - New 'Team New Zealand' heads to Berlin World Cup
- ArionWhere applying and enrolled students can access AUT course information, check your enrolment status, make fee payments, update your personal details and view your academic results.
- AUTOnlineOnline access to course resources and learning activities through AUT's central learning management system.
- UnicentralUniCentral is the AUT University Student Portal. Here you will find useful information about you as a student and quicklinks to all the important online systems you will need to use while studying at AUT University.
New 'Team New Zealand' heads to Berlin World Cup
23 Jul 2009
 |
SIFE AUT presenter Akbar Makani with the 2009 SIFE National Competition Cup |
And like four AUT teams before them, SIFE AUT now takes on the heavyweight title of ‘Team New Zealand’.
SIFE
comprises tertiary students from more than 1800 institutions worldwide.
SIFE teams aim to improve the success and well-being of their
communities by creating and implementing ethical business enterprise
projects locally, nationally and sometimes, internationally.
SIFE
AUT’s past projects have included mentoring low income families on how
to gain wealth through health, a successful pilot blood donation
campaign targeting 18-25-year-olds for NZ Blood, and providing work
skill seminars and support for young mothers seeking to return to the
workforce.
Masters of Business student and SIFE AUT president
Clare George says this year working with global group ‘Ooooby’ was the
team’s most relevant project yet.
“Ooooby, which means Out of
our own backyards, is so right for the times,” she says. “It’s a
networking website that links people who grow food with people who want
to trade or buy food. It’s about making sure that excess lemons that
could be left to rot on lawns, for example, have a welcome home to go
to,” she adds.
“So jumping on board to review Ooooby’s New
Zealand business plan and help its creators make the project successful
here made our job easy.”
SIFE AUT was tasked with increasing
Ooooby’s exposure in Auckland. George says the most satisfying measure
of success was hearing about communities swapping food over fences
because they now know who has what and who wants what.
The
National Cup Competition was held at KPMG’s Viaduct premises. The
judging panel included business professionals from HSBC, Progressive
Enterprises Ltd, the Department of Justice, the EMA, Olsson &
Zigliani Consultants Ltd., KPMG
Cryovac, Conceive Advertising, Korn Ferry and BIC.
SIFE
NZ CEO Tony Price says he was impressed with the high level of
competition and diversity of projects that all New Zealand’s SIFE teams
had undertaken.
SIFE AUT academic mentor Dr Mark Le Fevre says
the judges commented that AUT’s team had successfully identified needs
in their communities, outlined tangible, measurable impacts and shown
that its projects were sustainable. George adds it’s a huge honour and
responsibility to represent New Zealand at the SIFE World Cup.
“Kiwis
have long made an imprint on the world and while we might be the little
guy, we intend to represent New Zealand with a strong, clear voice.”
SIFE
AUT comprises around 80 AUT students and supporters from across the
university but mainly those studying for a Bachelor of Business degree.
This is the fourth national win for SIFE AUT. In 2005 they took home
the top trophy and placed 20th in the world competition. In 2006 they
placed second in the national competition, and in 2007 and 2008 SIFE
AUT twice represented New Zealand in New York – placing in the top 16
out of more than 1800 teams worldwide – and then Singapore.
The
team of eight will represent New Zealand in Berlin this October. It
includes five presenters, two IT support people and two academic
mentors. They are: SIFE AUT president Clare George, vice president
Ekaterina Melnikova, Akbar Makani, Nina McHardy, Aimee Barnes, with
Rayvin Wong and Sandy Sebastian on IT, and Dr Mark Le Fevre and Helene
Wilkinson.
Notes for Editors:
For more information and interviews, please contact:
Clare George | SIFE AUT President | +64 9 921 9999 ext. 6327 | +64 21 119 7372 | sifepres@aut.ac.nz | www.sifeaut.org.nz
For more information about Ooooby, please go to: http://ooooby.ning.com/
Or please contact:
Belinda Nash | Communications Manager | AUT University | +64 9 921 9911 | +64 21 303 480 | belinda.nash@aut.ac.nz | 021303480@txtmail.co.nz | www.aut.ac.nz | www.aut.ac.nz/news/media-contacts