Two Filipino students, as part of the top three of the competition, were awarded scholarships for higher education in the United Kingdom. 

Two students from the Philippines landed in the top three at the Next Generation Innovations international student competition. The prestigious competition is the inaugural international student competition of Study Group, an international education specialist.

Stephanie Jane Magbitang won the top prize with her project DivorceDialogue, which fuses business and advocacy in order to educate and support individuals dealing with divorce. Through DivorceDialogue, Magbitang hopes to help create a more informed and safe environment when it comes to dealing with divorce. 

Crescia San Angel, on the other hand, landed in second place with her project Superheroes Need Saving Too: Innovative Dual-Chip Tracker and a Cross-Border Protection System for Overseas Workers. This project seeks to merge modern engineering with advocacy in order to provide necessary protection for overseas foreign workers.  

Scholarships Awarded 

As part of the top three winners of Next Generation Innovations, the students were awarded scholarships for higher education in the United Kingdom. Being the grand winner of the competition, Magbitang won a scholarship amounting to GBP 8,000 (approximately PHP 601,000). 

She will be attending her International Foundation Year at Study Group’s University of Sheffield International College this upcoming September. After this, she will move on to her first year studying Law at the University of Sheffield in 2025.

“It’s a dream come true,” Magbitang said of her win. “I’m grateful for the judges’ feedback and can’t wait to use this scholarship to further my studies at the University of Sheffield.”

San Angel won a scholarship amounting to £6,000 (approximately PHP 451,000). She will be entering her International Foundation Year this upcoming November at Study Group’s Durham University International Study Centre. She will then move towards her first year in International Relations, which she plans to pursue at Durham University in 2025.

Next Generation Innovations 

The Next Generation Innovations international student competition aims to increase the access of students to top-notch academic opportunities on a global scale. The inaugural competition officially launched on April 22, 2024, and invited students to submit their proposals until June 30. 

From there, the proposals were reviewed by a panel of judges. The top eight were then selected and invited to the finals event, which was held in Malaysia. It was during this event that the top eight pitched their ideas in a 15-minute presentation, which was followed by a Q&A session. 

Magbitang and San Angel are the latest additions to the list of Filipinos who have shown excellence with their innovative projects that seek to make a difference in society. The success of these two young Filipinos in this competition highlights the great potential of Filipinos to shine on the global stage with their ideas and innovation.