London:A 20-year-old architecture student from India, who invented low-cost portable housing for COVID-19 quarantine and shelter from extreme weather such as earthquakes and floods, is among 15 worldwide winners of this year's Commonwealth Innovation for Sustainable Development Award.
Kaif Ali, who is pursuing Bachelor of Architecture from New Delhi-based Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) university, was awarded for designing prefabricated sustainable shelter SpaceEra, which can not only help reduce transmission of the deadly virus but also house refugees worldwide in the future.
As one of the winners, Ali wins a trophy, GBP 3,000 and the opportunity to scale up his innovation in collaboration with partners and mentors across the Commonwealth.
“Winning the Commonwealth Innovation Award lifts my confidence to a greater level and motivates to me work even harder than yesterday and innovate unprecedented solutions to achieve a sustainable future,” said Ali, who has pledged to follow the Commonwealth award motto of “be the change”.
“I plan to conduct mentorship programmes for grassroot innovators to enrich their knowledge and motivate them to work towards social and environmental issues. In the upcoming year, I wish to pursue a Masters in Architecture and harness my future career towards STEM (science, tech, engineering and mathematics) innovations and youth leadership in the multilateral domain,” he said.
The awards are divided along five thematic categories – improving the lives of People; boosting Prosperity; protecting the Planet, promoting Peace; and building Partnerships for development in the Commonwealth, Kaif Ali's invention under the People category.