by Vrushali Gaurkar, Ejaaz Ahmed, Meghna Susan Kurien, Maisha Ahmed, Abhimanyu Pathak and Priyal Tale
Loren Eiseley once famously said: “If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water.”
The third day took off with an introductory keynote by an expert in climate design and the founder of SunGlacier: water out of the Air initiative Mr. Ap Verheggen. Learning about SunGlacier: water out of the Air initiative by it’s very founder made us realise this magic today. All the participants were pretty much intrigued by the futuristic and aesthetically magical designs.
The SunGlacier device wrapped in a 20-foot container on the roof of the Dutch Pavilion at the Expo2020, Dubai
The initiative focuses on sunshine, gravity, and air, utilising these three elements to their maximum potential. He talked about the water and environmental concerns we will face soon. The idea was to embrace the problem instead of fighting it. The simplicity and ease of maintenance make it a very feasible technology for now and the future. Then he walked us through how the technology worked; they have installations in various places globally and are producing fruitful results. The whole presentation was very inspiring and insightful.
We learned the lesson of how basic elements and processes in the environment could be utilised if we keep our eyes and minds open to creative thinking. We are sure many of us have been motivated by this keynote to contribute to the environment and sustainability.
This was then followed by a talk about working together as a team and the different roles each team member plays. It was a new experience for all of us to know about Belbin’s guide to team roles and how each role plays a crucial part as the project or the team’s success totally depends on it. We are glad that we got little insight on each member’s strengths and weaknesses and its significance in creating a well oil system.
We then proceeded to take a quiz that enabled us to figure out our key roles in a group setting based on our personalities. The results of the quiz were pleasantly surprising and indeed eye-opening.
The next portion of the day was spent brainstorming with the group about solutions to the case at hand and discussions with experts provided.
On day three itself, the excitement was at an all-time high, and participants certainly looked forward to the rest of the competition.
