A Brisbane innovator determined to break down the digital divide between cities and remote regions is the first to receive an Indigenous scholarship to the prestigious MIT Global Entrepreneurship Bootcamp at QUT.
Troy Casey joins the world’s brightest global minds to be schooled in an intensive one-week entrepreneurial course to be held at QUT’s Gardens Point campus this month (March 26-31).
Watch his video pitch here.
With a background in Indigenous employment, education and communications, Mr Casey is a strong advocate for helping create a digitally-inclusive Australia and providing affordable access to the Internet.
“Access to the internet is a basic human right in the 21st Century and Indigenous communities should have the opportunity to be part of a reliable digital economy.”
“The gap in digital capability between the cities and regions is huge and it shouldn’t be,” he said.
As part of the partnership between QUT and the Queensland Government, three scholarships were offered for participants of the Bootcamp.
Minister for Innovation, Science and the Digital Economy Leeanne Enoch said the Queensland Government worked with QUT to secure Australia's first MIT Entrepreneurship Bootcamp.
"MIT ranks as the number one university in the world in the recent QS World University Rankings 2016-2017, and is regarded as a leader in entrepreneurship education," Ms Enoch said.
"Having MIT come to Queensland to run an intensive, one-week learning experience for budding entrepreneurs will drive innovation and entrepreneurship across the state.
"The MIT Global Entrepreneurship Bootcamp aligns perfectly with our Advance Queensland initiative, bringing together entrepreneurs, industry, universities and government to collaborate and turn ideas into commercial products and businesses that create jobs."
Fellow scholarship recipients include QUT Science and Engineering PhD student Rodney Persky, an energy specialist with a focus on solar thermal power and a passion for entrepreneurship, resource management and renewable technology.
Watch his video pitch here.
“The MIT Bootcamp will empower me to work with bright entrepreneurial minds from around the globe,” Mr Persky said.
“I am ready to develop innovative solutions to address the greatest challenge of our generation, renewable energy.”
QUT Engineering PhD Alumnus Dr Alexander Malaver is another scholarship recipient, with research interests on developing solar aircraft for environmental monitoring.
He currently works as a pre-service science and physics teacher at Kelvin Grove State School as he studies a QUT diploma in Education.
His video pitch can be viewed here.
The world’s leaders in entrepreneurial education, MIT's alumni, have launched more than 30,000 companies, created 4.6 million jobs and generated US$1.9 trillion in annual revenue, as outlined in the institution’s annual report.
Queensland is an ideal location for the MIT Global Entrepreneurship Bootcamp given Advance Queensland’s efforts to further stimulate the state’s vibrant business culture and cultivate a high-tech, knowledge economy.
More than 6000 people have applied to the MIT Entrepreneurship Bootcamp in Brisbane, 122 people were chosen from 38 different countries.
The MIT Bootcamp starts on March 26 and runs for the week at the QUT Gardens Point campus in Brisbane.
More high-res images of Troy Casey are available upon request.
Media contacts:
Debra Nowland, QUT Media, 07 3138 1150 (Mon/Wed/Thurs) or media@qut.edu.au
After hours: Rose Trapnell, 0407 585 901
