RI STUDENTS WIN GLOBAL ENTERPRISE CHALLENGE 2009 TOP PRIZE

Jakarta, June 26 (ANTARA) - A team of 6 Indonesian high school students has claimed the top prize in Global Enterprise Challenge (GEF) 2009, defeating last year's winner from New Zealand, according to an official report.

The conception was also participated in by teams from such countries as the US, Germany, Australia, Japan, South Africa and Singapore.

The news on Indonesia's victory was announced by NASA astronaut Sandra Magnus on a live web stream last Tuesday (June 23), according to a press statement of the Surya Institute and "United in Diversity' here on Friday.

When it joined the GEF 2008 for the first time, Indonesia defeated Singapore in being ranked sixth. By getting the first prize in 2009, Indonesia is the first Asian country to win the GEC since its it was first held in Scotland in 2002.

Meanwhile, Korea again won The Creativity Award in the GEC 2009, after winning a similar award the previous year.

The Indonesian team consisted of Wismaya Adi Purnama (Taruna Nusantara High School in Magelang), Lita Gunawan (Yahya High School in Bandung), Rizki Satrio Nugroho (Madania High School in Bogor), Evelyn Antoinette (Bina Bangsa School in Jakarta), Asyraf Firas Abdurrasyid (State SMAN 1 High School in Bandung), Christa Yona Twedrian (Regina Pacis High school in Bogor).

Previously called the Enterprise Olympics, the inaugural event was launched from the International Space Station in 2002, and the following year the then British Chancellor of the Exchequer and now Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced the challenge in a live web stream. As many as 5,000 young people from 200 schools and colleges around the world now take part each year.

GEC was hosted by Careers Scotland for the first five years, by the Welsh Assembly Government in 2007 and by Australian Business Week in 2008.
In 2009 it was hosted once again in its country of origin, at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, which is appropriate in the year of Homecoming Scotland 2009 celebrating not only the 250th anniversary of Robert Burns' birth, but also some of Scotland's great contributions to the world: golf, whisky, great minds and innovations and Scotland's rich culture and heritage.

GEC enjoys the support of NASA and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), with the latter awarding a gold medal to the winning team and individual certificates to each team member.

Fifteen countries from five continents took part in this year?s Challenge, namely Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, Germany, Norway, Poland, England, Scotland, Wales, and the USA.