From March 2 to July 19, 2020, the British Council in cooperation with London Metropolitan University of the United Kingdom held the Creative Spark Big Idea competition in the South Caucasus, Central Asia and Ukraine. About 500 business ideas from 110 higher education institutions and creative institutes were accepted for the competition.
The competition provided an opportunity for young people aged 18-35 to develop business ideas and entrepreneurial skills. The platform also encouraged young people to develop their profiles and enhance their career opportunities at a time when youth unemployment is a concern, and the Covid-19 pandemic is hitting the global economy. Young entrepreneurs competed in three categories: digital technology, social impact and creativity.
Khazar University students also participated in the competition. Ayten Hajiyeva, Hasan Safaraliyev, Miryagub Babayev, third-year students from the School of Economics and Management, majoring in tourism and hotel management, prevailed with the idea of G2G Hotel; and Zaman Karimov and Elnur Valikhanli, third-year students from the School of Science and Mechanical Engineering, majoring in computer science, gained a victory with the idea of “Mealman” (Order your meal before arriving to the restaurant!).
It should be noted that the winners were selected by the experienced local and foreign judges on business education and creativity. More than 50,000 people voted for the winners to choose their favorite “People's Choice” idea.