PrestonUniversity organized”Preston Entrepreneurial Challenge (PEC 14)”. The mega inter-university competition was held at the Islamabad Campus of Preston University. Eminent public and private universities from across the country participated. The program encompassed Business Plan Competition, Elevator Pitch Competition, Launch Pad Competition, Business Quiz Competition, surprise activities and workshops. This competition showcased the entrepreneurial prowess of students in major areas of ICT, Health Care, Education, Live Stock and Dairy, Agriculture, Environment, Energy, Food, Chemical, Mechanical Engineering, Textile and Garments, Media and Communication, Disaster Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction, Sports, Tourism etc. The organizers tagged the event with the Slogan”KHUD PEY YAQEEN”.
Universities which participated in the Grand Finale included Quaid-e-Azam University Islamabad, Lahore College for Women University, Lahore, Preston University Islamabad, EME NUST, Rawalpindi, SZABIST Islamabad, International Islamic University, Islamabad, IBA Sukkur, KITE Karachi, COMSATS Abbotabad, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Islamia University Bahawalpur, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, University of Gujrat Lahore Campus, Sargodha University, Institute of Space Technology, Islamabad, NUML Islamabad and others who qualified out of the total of 75 teams registered from across Pakistan.
After a hard-hitting and nail-biting competition, team Plasto from COMSATS Abbotabad Campus lifted the coveted winners trophy and cash prize of Rs.100,000 beating their counterparts. Second position was grabbed by team Innovation from IBA Sukkur. It was awarded a trophy and cash prize of Rs.75,000. The third position went to team Emergineers from EME-NUST, Rawalpindi. It was awarded a trophy and cash prize of Rs. 50,000.
Dr. Bilal Aslam Sufi, Former Chairman Pakistan Flour Mills Association (PFMA) and Director SUFI Wheat Products, was the Chief Guest at the closing ceremony of PEC 14. Dr. Abdul Basit Chancellor Preston University graced the occasion as Guest of Honor. On the occasion, they immensely appreciated the entrepreneurial skills of particularly the teams of the universities which won trophies and cash prizes for standing first, second and third in the competition. They said that the youth of Pakistan are extremely talented and they must be encouraged in every possible manner to employ their talents and energies in constructive co-curricular activities like Entrepreneurial Challenge 2014. Later, they distributed prizes among the winners.
Dr. Abdul Basit expressed his profound gratitude to the strategic partners and sponsors of PEC 14 for their generous moral and financial support to the event. The Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), Rawalpindi
Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) and TIE Islamabad Chapter were the strategic partners of PEC 14. Eminent among the sponsors of the event were Habib Bank Ltd, Naimat Pvt. Ltd. Zia Steel and Re-rolling Mills and Eventie Event Management, Rawalpindi.