Uttam Kumar beat 37,000 students from around the world to win a year of free study in Australia. The 22-year-old from New Delhi has chosen UNSW, where he'll undertake a Masters degree in materials science.
A digital postcard designed by young environmentalist Uttam Kumar has won the New Delhi student a year of free study at UNSW.
The 22-year-old student was announced yesterday as the winner of the global Austrade competition Win Your Future Unlimited, which invited international students to design a digital postcard explaining how an Australian education will set them up for the future.
Kumar plans to study for his Masters degree in materials science, focusing on the development of environmentally friendly fibres.
Kumar’s design was chosen from 37,000 entries from 190 countries. The prize includes 12-months study at UNSW, return flights, accommodation, a stipend and the opportunity for an internship.
Studying at UNSW will be life-changing for Kumar, a gifted student who grew up in a village in the north Indian state of Haryana and won a place at the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi.
“I’m really worried about environmental degradation and pollution,” says Kumar. “Pursuing research in material science, I want to develop nature friendly materials that will replace harmful material and help alleviate the problem of environment pollution.”
The Win your Future Unlimited campaign, the first global competition to market Australian higher education to an international audience, culminated in a ceremony in Sydney yesterday where the seven competition finalists were congratulated by Federal Trade and Investment Minister Andrew Robb.
"Mr Kumar in particular impressed the judges with the clarity, honesty and creativity with which he made his case,” said Mr Robb.
"The immense international popularity of this competition shows that Australia's educational reputation is up there with the best."
UNSW was a Gold sponsor of Future Unlimited along with NAB, Qantas, Telstra and TOEFL.
More information on the finalists is available on Facebook.
Prospective international students can find out more about studying at UNSW here.
Media contact: Fran Strachan, UNSW Media office | 9385 8732 | 0429 416 070
Uttam Kumar is congratulated by Trade and Investment Minister Andrew Robb
