ROLEX FOSTERS NEW IDEAS IN THE NEXT GENERATION

First  Young  Laureates  to  receive  their  Awards  at  the  Rolex  Learning  Center  at  a  leading  Swiss   technology  institute  –  the  EPFL  –  in  Lausanne.

News Release –  Some  of  the  world’s  foremost  scientists,  explorers,  environmentalists,   will converge to celebrate winners  of  the  Rolex  Awards  for  Enterprise:  Young  Laureates  Programme in Geneva.

The   Young   Laureates   Programme   seeks   to   foster   a   spirit   of   enterprise   in   the   next   generation  with  innovative  projects. The   Awards   ceremony  will take place on   11   November   2010   at   the   new   Rolex   Learning   Center   at   the   Ecole   Polytechnique   Fédérale   de   Lausanne   (EPFL),   one   of   Europe’s   leading   science   and   technology   universities.

Polymath  Brian  Eno,  the  British  record  producer,  composer,  singer,  multimedia  artist  and  a  noted   technological  innovator,  will  be  the  keynote  speaker  at  the  ceremony.  Long  concerned  with  the   future  of  society  and  the  global  environment,  he  will  talk  about  the  relationship  between  science   and  the  arts.

The   Young   Laureates,   all   aged   between   18   and   30,   are:   Jacob   Colker   from   the   United   States,   Reese  Fernandez  from  the  Philippines,  Nnaemeka  Ikegwuonu  from  Nigeria,  Piyush  Tewari  from   India  and  Bruktawit  Tigabu  from  Ethiopia.  Their  projects  range  from  transforming  volunteering   for  the  21st  century  to  enabling  impoverished  women  to  create  eco-­ethical  fashion  goods,  from   developing   interactive   radio   in   order   to   promote   sustainable   farming,   to   training   volunteers   to   provide  rapid  care  to  road  accident  victims  and  developing  TV   programmes  to  improve  children’s   health.

“On   the   occasion   of   the   Awards   ceremony,   Rolex   is   taking   the   opportunity   to   showcase   both   the   winners   and   their   visionary   projects   and   to   foster   intellectual   exchange   between   them   and   some   of   the   best   thinkers   from   Switzerland   and   abroad,”   said   Rebecca   Irvin,   head   of   the   Rolex   Institute,  the  company’s  philanthropic  and  educational  arm.  “Our  ultimate  goal  is  to  encourage  an   enterprising  spirit  among  under-­30s  worldwide  and  to  stimulate  innovation  in  the  region  in  order   to  help  ensure  a  better  future  for  the  next  generation.”

An  inspiring  programme

To  coincide  with  this  celebration,  from  9  to  11  November,  Rolex  and  the  EPFL  are  co-­hosting  a   series  of  presentations  encompassing  the  theme  of  innovation.  All of  these  activities  are  designed   to  facilitate  the  exchange  of  ideas  among  the  Young  Laureates  and  international  guests,  including   more  than  40  former  Rolex  Awards  Laureates  and  Jury  members,  as  well  as  the  22  Young  Laureate.

As  part  of  the  interaction  between  the  young  Rolex  entrepreneurs  and  the  EPFL  community,  visits   are  being  organized  to  two  of  the  university’s  groundbreaking  research  labs:  the  Blue  Brain  Project, in  order  to  understand  brain  function  and  dysfunction;;  and  the  Global  Health  Institute,  created  to   contribute  to  the  understanding,  prevention  and  treatment  of  infectious  diseases.  In  addition,  there   will  be  presentations  of  the  university’s  landmark  research  in  areas  such  as  health  and  diagnostics,   and  water  and  sustainability.

“We   are   honoured   to   co-­host   the   ceremony   and   to   welcome   the   young   innovators   and   other   Rolex  guests  to  our  campus,”  said  Adrienne  Corboud  Fumagalli,  vice  president  of  Innovation  and   Technology  Transfer  at  EPFL  and  a  member  of  the  2010  Young  Laureates  Jury.  “The  EPFL  wants   to  stimulate  entrepreneurship  among  students,  and  the  Rolex  Young  Laureates  Programme  is  a   great  match  for  us.”

Rolex Young  Laureates  Programme

An expansion  of  the  long-­standing  Rolex  Awards  for  Enterprise,  the  Young  Laureates  Programme,   launched  in  January  2009,  honours  men  and  women  between  the  ages  of  18  and  30  with  inventive   ideas  to  solve  tomorrow’s  challenges  in  science  and  health,  applied  technology,  exploration,  the   environment  and  cultural  preservation.  Each Young  Laureate  receives  US$50,000  over  the  course   of  two  years,  giving  the  winners  time  to  focus  on  their  pioneering  projects  and  move  forward  in   implementing  them.  The Rolex  Awards  international  network  of  innovators,  comprised  of  former   Laureates  and  Jury  members,  is  available  for  guidance.

The  Young  Laureates  Programme  complements  the  original  Rolex  Awards  for  Enterprise,  which   will  be  held  again  in  2012  and  for  which  applications  are  already  open  (rolexawards.com).

FACT SHEET

The   Young   Laureates   Programme,   an   expansion   of   the   Rolex   Awards   for   Enterprise,   fosters   innovation  in  the  next  generation.  Launched  in  2009,  the  initiative  supports  visionary  young  men   and   women   at   a   critical   juncture   in   their   careers,   enabling   them   to   implement   inventive   ideas  exploration,  the  environment  and  cultural  preservation.

Criteria

Candidates  must  be  between  18  and  30  years  old  when  the  Award  is  presented.  Their  projects   should   demonstrate   originality,   feasibility,   potential   for   sustained   impact   and,   above   all,   each   candidate’s  own  spirit  of  enterprise.

Selection Process

Rolex   invites   a   range   of   institutions,   organizations   and   individuals   worldwide   to   nominate   exceptional  young  pioneers  around  the  globe  as  potential  candidates.  A  rigorous  screening  process   follows  in  which  the  candidates’  projects  are  examined  in  detail  to  choose  those  that  best  meet  the   criteria.  A  former  Laureate  or  Jury  member  interviews  these  applicants.

History

The  Rolex  Awards  recognize  extraordinary  and  often  unacknowledged.  With  the  Young  Laureates  Programme,  Rolex  is  focusing  on  a  younger  generation  of  achievers   who  are  tackling  today’s  biggest  challenges  with  a  similar  spirit  of  enterprise.

The  Young  Laureates  Programme  and  the  original  Rolex  Awards  for  Enterprise  alternate  every  nationality  can  apply.  Application  details  can  be  found  at  rolexawards.com.

Rolex Philanthropic and Educational Activities

Driven   by   an   unwavering   spirit   of   enterprise   since   its   beginnings   over   a   century   ago,   Rolex   is   renowned   for   its   many   technical   innovations   that   have   made   it   the   leader   of   the   luxury   watch   industry   and   a   symbol   of   excellence   around   the   globe.  The   company   brand   values   of   quality, sponsorships  and  philanthropy.

The   Rolex   Institute   embodies   this   philosophy.   Comprising   the   company’s   philanthropic   programmes,   educational   initiatives   and   patronage,   it   aims   at   recognizing   those   who   make   a   The  Rolex  Mentor  and  Protégé  Arts  Initiative  is  the  second  international  philanthropic  programme   created  and  run  by  Rolex.  Launched  in  2002  to  complement  the  Rolex  Awards  for  Enterprise,  it   brings  emerging  artists  from  around  the  globe  together  with  great  artistic  masters  in  six  disciplines  supporting  excellence  in  the  next  generation  as  the  Young  Laureates  Programme.

Through   the   Rolex   Institute,   Rolex   similarly   underwrites   educational   activities   in   the standing  relationship  with  EPFL  in  research  into  materials  science  and  microtechnology  for  watch   design.  In  addition,  Rolex  sponsors  the  “Universe  of  Particles”  exhibition  at  CERN  (the  European professional  watchmakers  for  the  most  demanding  requirements  of  the  industry.

Under  the  auspices  of  the  Rolex  Institute,  Rolex  also  supports  the  charitable  activities  of  many   of  its  brand  ambassadors  and  other  cultural  and  sports  personalities  associated  with  the  company.

Website: young.rolexawards.com

The five Young Laureates in the inaugural Rolex Awards for Enterprise: Young Laureates programme are:
Nnaemeka Ikegwuonu, 27, Nigeria – intends to boost the living standards of millions of Nigerian farmers through his interactive, mobile radio network. Hundreds of thousands of rural listeners are already receiving and exchanging information on sustainable farming practices and health issues.

Jacob Colker, 26, United States – is changing the way people get involved in community service. His internet-based programme allows volunteers to use their smartphones to donate spare minutes to charitable and scientific organizations.
Reese Fernandez, 25, Philippines – is committed to alleviating poverty by training people to become social entrepreneurs. Her Rags2Riches enterprise has already empowered hundreds of women to earn a living by turning scrap materials into elegant fashion accessories.
Piyush Tewari, 29, India – has set up a foundation to train a network of police officers and volunteers to respond quickly to road accidents and administer rapid medical care. By providing immediate assistance to victims, he hopes to stem the thousands of fatalities that occur on Indian roads each year.
Bruktawit Tigabu, 28, Ethiopia – is building on the success of a television programme on health that she and her husband are producing for preschool children and their parents.

For further information, visit: young.rolexawards.com, or contact:

Anne-Sophie de Guigné The Rolex Awards for Enterprise, P.O. Box 1311, 1211 Geneva 26 Switzerland Tel. +41 22 302 7688, Fax +41 22 302 2585.