RIT’s inaugural GSQ India chapter culminates in Mumbai with Rs. 1,00,000 cash prize and USD 50,000 scholarship pool; Grade 11-12 students compete on innovation, problem solving and original thinking

MUMBAI, NATIONAL, 24 AUGUST 2026 | GPN, SACHIN MURDESHWAR: Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) has concluded the inaugural India chapter of Global Scholar Quest (GSQ), its first global student innovation program, with a Grand Finale at Sofitel, BKC, Mumbai. The winning team received seed capital of USD 50,000 RIT scholarship pool along with a cash prize of Rs. 1,00,000, to serve as seed capital for their ideas. Three Rising Star Awards were also presented in recognition of standout student contributions.

Conducted through nomination only, the program brought together high-potential Grade 11 and 12 students from leading International Baccalaureate (IB), Cambridge and Indian board schools for a four-level journey that assessed how they identify problems, develop ideas and build solutions rather than how they perform in examinations.

The inaugural chapter ran from May to August and culminated in live presentations at the Grand Finale in Mumbai before an RIT-led jury comprising Kathleen B. Davis, VP, Enrollment Management & Associate Provost, RIT; Elizabeth Sullivan, Associate VP, Enrollment Marketing & Global Strategic Initiatives, RIT; Dan Kopperud, EdD, Assistant Director, Global Enrollment Management, RIT; and Dr. S. Manian Ramkumar, Dean of the College of Engineering Technology, RIT.

Spanning multiple months, the journey began with an online screening, followed by team submissions across ten diverse innovation tracks (such as Al, Climate, and Healthcare). Shortlisted teams then underwent mentorship with Dr. M. A. Rehman (TIFR) and industry specialists to refine their ideas. At the Grand Finale, top national teams presented their concepts and prototypes to an RIT and industry jury, which evaluated them on originality, feasibility, and real-world impact.

“In the mentorship sessions, the strongest students were not necessarily the ones who arrived with the most polished idea. They were the ones who were willing to take it apart when a question exposed a weakness, go back to the problem and rebuild their thinking. We saw students move from saying ‘this is a problem’ to asking why it exists, who is affected, and whether their proposed solution could work outside a presentation. That shift from having an Idea to learning how to test an idea is where real innovation begins,” said Dr. M. A. Rehman, physicist at TIFR and founder of Creator International School.

The program’s emphasis on thinking beyond academic scores also reflects the way RIT approaches student potential and learning, with the spirit of innovation at the core of RIT’s philosophy. As a research university with a strong focus on experiential learning, technology, creativity and applied problem solving, RIT designed GSQ to give school students an opportunity to demonstrate capabilities that may not be fully captured through conventional academic evaluation.

“Universities often encounter students after years of academic evaluation have already shaped how they see themselves. GSQ allows us to meet students earlier and see a different dimension of their potential: how they respond when there is no textbook answer, how they work through ambiguity and whether they can turn curiosity into something tangible. For RIT, that is particularly meaningful because the qualities we look for in students are closely connected to the kind of learning they will encounter here, where making, experimenting and solving real problems are integral to the educational experience,” said Kathleen B. Davis, Vice President for Enrollment Management and Associate Provost, Rochester Institute of Technology.

The inaugural India chapter builds on RIT’s existing engagement with Indian classrooms through Tiger STRIPES, which brought its hands-on learning approach to students across different school settings. GSQ extends that engagement by creating a structured platform through which students can demonstrate how they think, build and respond to real-world problems.

“GSQ is not simply about finding students with the best idea on a particular day. It creates a relationship with young people around the way they think, the questions they care about and the problems they want to solve. Bringing the program to India first also gives RIT an opportunity to listen to that generation directly rather than viewing India only through the lens of university recruitment. The ideas students brought to GSQ give us a much richer understanding of what young people here are curious about and where they believe technology, creativity and innovation can make a difference,” said Elizabeth Sullivan, Associate Vice President for Enrollment Marketing and Global Strategic Initiatives, Rochester Institute of Technology.

The decision to begin GSQ in India also reflects the country’s expanding role in the global higher education landscape and the growing importance of engaging students around their interests and aspirations at an earlier stage. For RIT, the program provides a platform to connect those interests with an international academic and innovation ecosystem.

[EVENT DETAILS]:

RIT Rochester Institute of Technology

GLOBAL SCHOLAR QUEST

Grand Finale | Press Conference

Aug 24, 2026 Sofitel Mumbai BKC

Event

Press Conference: 2:00 PM 2:30 PM, Sofitel Mumbai BKC

Grand Finale: 3:00 PM–9:00 PM

Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), a nearly 200-year-old American university ranked No. 88 nationally by U.S. News & World Report, hosts the Grand Finale of its inaugural RIT Global Scholar Quest (GSQ) in Mumbai. 14 finalist teams from across India present live innovation solutions to a jury featuring RIT’s senior leadership. A press conference precedes the event.

RITs Esteemed Panel: 

Kathleen B. Davis

Vice President for Enrollment Management and Associate Provost, RIT

Leads RIT’s global enrollment strategy. Can speak to RIT’s nearly 200-year history, its long-term India commitment through 2035, the U.S. visa landscape, Global Pathway to Dubai, financial aid and scholarships, and experiential learning.

Elizabeth Sullivan

Associate Vice President for Enrollment Marketing and Global Strategic Initiatives, RIT

Oversees RIT’s strategic global programs including GSQ. Can speak to what GSQ is, how it connects to RIT’s mission, what students have built, the $50,000 scholarship pool, and why India is the inaugural chapter.

Dr. S. Manian Ramkumar

Dean, College of Engineering Technology, RIT

RIT alumnus, originally from India (PSG College of Technology). Over 35 years at RIT. Can speak to faculty engagement, the RIT teaching model, what RIT expects from students, applied engineering, Al in education, and career outcomes.

Dan Kopperud, EdD

Assistant Director, Global Strategic Initiatives, RIT

Experienced global enrollment strategist. Can speak to school-university partnerships, on-ground engagement in India, the IB and Cambridge school landscape, and how programs like GSQ build innovation ecosystems.