DCU Team represent Ireland in SIFE World Cup

01/10/2012

The first Irish team to take part in the prestigious SIFE (Students in Free Enterprise) World Cup has headed to Washington D.C. to represent their country. The DCU team will compete with university teams from 39 countries all over the world for the title of SIFE World Champion 2012. The team is comprised of Daithí de Buitléir, Ronan O Dálaigh, Sallyanne Downes, Evelyn Boyle, Hannah Dobson and Paul Gillick. During the competition the students will also meet with US Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton.

Founded in the United States in 1975, SIFE is an international, non-profitable organisation which encourages university students to make a positive difference to their communities, while developing the skills to become socially responsible business leaders of the future.

DCU SIFE won the inaugural SIFE (Students in Free Enterprise) Ireland competition last May. Competing against teams from NUI Galway, Trinity College Dublin and University College Dublin, the DCU's win was based on its 'social enterprise outreach projects', which are designed to equip whole communities with skills and tools to transform themselves. Their projects included:

• RAG - engages, equips and empowers students so that they can influence the future of society in a positive and meaningful way by volunteering their skills and time to people and organisations in need

• Operation Paint Ballymun – through the medium of the creative arts and by acting as suitable role models the students seeks to inspire and empower early

The SIFE World Cup is a showcase of the impact that SIFE teams are achieving around the world and brings together an international network of over 3,000 student, academic and business leaders, where they present the results of their community outreach projects to a prestigious group of International leaders. Through a written annual report and live audio visual presentation, teams will be evaluated based on how successful they were at using business concepts to improve the quality of life and standard of living for people in need.

SIFE Ireland is supported by Arthur Cox, Chartis, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, The Ireland Funds, KBC Bank, KPMG, Unilever, McDonald's Restaurants of Ireland, Gibney Communications and The Irish Times.

For more information on SIFE, visit.