Wittenborg’s End-of-Year Project Week: Winners Present Solutions for Quality Education

Wittenborg’s End-of-Year Project Week: First-prize Winners Present Solutions for Quality Education

Wittenborg Students Innovate for Quality Education

From 16 to 18 December, over 220 students from Wittenborg gathered to explore creative solutions for ‘Quality Education’ aligned with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) #4. The theme, chosen by both students and staff earlier this year, will continue to shape Wittenborg’s focus throughout the academic year 2025.

In recognition of their innovative ideas, the first-prize winners received vouchers. Second and third-place teams were also rewarded with vouchers for their outstanding contributions.

Bachelor’s First-prize Winning Group: Transforming Education in Iran

Bachelor’s student Arshia Baharloueiyancheshmeh and his team focused on Iran, tackling the country’s educational challenges by proposing a new approach to teaching. Arshia’s team, including Alireza Asgari, Armina Sanaeimovahed, Hilal Bafrali and Paniz Rahimpourhesary, aimed to improve early childhood education through research-based methods and inclusive child development theories.

“We wanted to address the need for up-to-date teaching methodologies and practices in Iran’s education system,” Arshia explained. “Our solution focuses on applying child development theories and inclusive practices to create an environment where every child has the opportunity to thrive.”

“We're trying to change the way we teach by focusing on the early years,” he added. “These are the most critical years for development, and applying modern, research-backed approaches can make a huge difference in shaping the future of Iran’s youth.”

Together, they won first prize for their poster presentation.

Master’s First-prize Winning Group: Enhancing Education in Iraq

The team, which consisted of Michael Demi, Lombe Mumba, Tony-Opara Nyebuchi, Minoo Iravanimahabadi, and Dalkhoosh Azeez, tackled the educational challenges in Iraq. Their goal was to introduce new, tech-driven solutions.

“We wanted to innovate the curriculum in a way that not only teaches basic skills like reading and writing but also includes vocational training,” said Demi. “By the time a student finishes their education, they should already have soft and hard skills, like coding and graphic design, which make them valuable assets to the workforce.”

Their solution, the Everybody Learns (ELI) app, aims to provide accessible, cloud-based education across Iraq. "Education has gone beyond classrooms now," said Demi. "We need to teach without walls. Technology, data, and mobile apps are the future of education."

“Classrooms are not the future,” added Lombe. “We believe in using technology to reach even the most remote areas. We want to improve literacy rates and improve employability across Iraq, empowering the next generation of learners.”

Nyebuchi emphasised, “Collaboration was key in our project. We all brought unique ideas to the table, and our diverse perspectives really helped us develop a well-rounded solution.”

Azeez highlighted the practicality of their approach: “The solution is simple, and all it needs is a mobile phone. No need for additional devices or money – this app can overcome literacy challenges in Iraq.”

Key Takeaways from the Project Week

For Demi, the most enjoyable aspect of the project week was teamwork. “I was the only male in a group of four women, and I was proud to be part of such a diverse team. I always thought it would be difficult to work with women, but it turned out to be my best group experience at Wittenborg.”

Nyebuchi shared her thoughts: “It was fulfilling to brainstorm ideas and learn about Iraq’s education system. The real highlight was seeing how quickly our diverse team came together to create a cohesive plan.”

Lombe added, “What I really enjoyed was the research phase. We were able to narrow down what’s most relevant to Iraq’s educational challenges and come up with an innovative solution.”

Dalkhoosh, who is studying International Management, reflected on how her studies influenced her approach: “Being creative and competitive in the digital era is what we taught in our studies. We had to find new skills within ourselves to manage the project within a short timeframe, and it paid off.”

“We came up with a solution that’s practical and can be implemented easily. The best part? It benefits millions of people and only requires a mobile phone to work,” Dalkhoosh said.

Inspiring Others Through Education

For Arshia, his hope is that others at Wittenborg will take away the importance of education as a tool for social change. “I hope people see the value of innovation in solving global challenges. Education is not just about teaching – it’s about empowering people to make a difference.”

Demi echoed this sentiment: “I hope our project inspires others to think creatively about education and the role technology can play in transforming the future. It’s a powerful tool for social change.”

Lombe added, “Through this project, we’ve shown that collaboration, research, and confidence are key to solving real-world problems. I hope that Wittenborg students will continue to value these qualities.”

Dalkhoosh concluded, “The key to success is teamwork, focus, and self-reflection. We need to keep pushing the boundaries of innovation and collaboration to achieve meaningful results.”