Within the framework of the international innovation and education project HEI-TRAIN – HEI Transformation for Entrepreneurship and AI-Driven Innovation, implemented with the support of the EIT Higher Education Initiative, students and PhD candidates of Dmytro Motornyi Tavria State Agrotechnological University (TSATU) took part in the international student start-up festival StudAI, which was held in an online format.
The festival brought together participants from various European countries and universities. Higher education institutions from Ukraine, Latvia, and Lithuania were involved in both participation and organization of the event, including Riga Nordic University, Mykolas Romeris University, TSATU, and other partner institutions. The international composition of experts and mentors ensured a multidisciplinary approach to the evaluation of start-up projects and provided participants with professional feedback.
Students and PhD candidates of TSATU actively engaged in the competitive program of the festival, presenting their own start-up ideas in the fields of entrepreneurship, digital services, education, creative industries, and artificial intelligence–based solutions. Among the presented projects were “Leftover X” by Yevhen Vladimirov, “AI BERRY:market” by Volodymyr Khlivetskyi, and “R&D School” by Albina Moskalenko. Participation in the festival enabled the students to demonstrate innovative thinking, teamwork skills, and the ability to publicly present their ideas.
The StudAI festival became an important platform for practical learning for TSATU participants, covering all key stages of start-up development—from idea generation and business model design to pitching in front of an international audience. This experience aligns with the objectives of the HEI-TRAIN project and contributes to the integration of the university into the European innovation ecosystem, the development of entrepreneurial competencies among young people, and the training of competitive professionals for the modern labor market.
