A student of International School Dhaka, Aditya Varshney, has recently secured third place in a global competition titled Global Change It Challenge 2025.
The competition, hosted by Australia鈥檚 Monash University, encourages young people to create innovative solutions to tackle significant global issues, with a primary focus on sustainability and the environment, said a press release on Monday.
The competition featured six teams from Bangladesh, China, Indonesia, South Korea, Thailand and India, who showcased remarkable presentations, research, and innovative solutions to address some of the world鈥檚 most pressing issues.
Regional rounds took place in each country where local schools participated, with the 12 finalists traveling to Melbourne, Australia, for the final round.
In Bangladesh, 11 teams from 13 schools participated in the regional round. Aditya鈥檚 project was selected as the country鈥檚 finalist.
Competing against students from five other nations in the grand finals, he secured third place globally by developing an innovative solution for the problem of water hyacinth鈥攁n invasive plant that poses a serious environmental threat.
Through his project, 鈥榃eed to Wealth,鈥� he transformed this challenge into an opportunity by creating eco-friendly products like paper and baskets.
Aditya Varshney said, 鈥榃e often discuss climate change but overlook equally impactful issues that are easier to see and address. Through 鈥淲ater Hyacinth 鈥� Weed to Wealth鈥�, I aimed to repurpose water hyacinths from an environmental challenge into a community-driven solution.鈥�
Steve Calland-Scoble, director, International School Dhaka, said, 鈥楥ongratulations to Aditya Varshney for his remarkable achievement in getting to the finals in Australia, with a fantastic innovation that can transform an environmental threat into a fantastic opportunity. His dedication and hard work exemplify the spirit of innovation and global collaboration the competition represents.鈥�
