Discovery Japan

Fostering resilience and a flexible and problem-solving mindset in high school students

UQ Ventures Discovery program supports high school students to think and act with an entrepreneurial mindset. All of our workshops have been designed with an experimental learning approach, leveraged by UQ's research strengths and entrepreneurial ecosystem. 

The Ventures Discovery Japan Incubator is delivered over two consecutive weeks and comprises of four two-hour live virtual sessions with experts followed by recorded sessions and team-based activities. The workshops give a comprehensive understanding of the different steps involved in an entrepreneurial journey. 

This program is most suitable for students from grade 11 and 12, and requires participants to have an intermediate level of English. Teachers are welcome to attend, however, no active involvement is required. 

Program structure

Module 1: Problem and Customer Discovery

Event Details:

Date: Tuesday 29 March, 2022
Time: 10am - 12pm JST


Identify users, segment customers and find problems that are worth solving. 

Milestone: 

  • Create a clear and concise Problem Statement (1 sentence).

Module 2: Empathising, Ideation and Creativity 

Event Details:

Date: Wednesday 30 March, 2022
Time: 10am - 12pm JST


Design Thinking concepts, problem identification, brainstorming solutions, and creative thinking to generate different and new possibilities. 

Milestones: 

  • Create an empathy map.
  • Create a solution to clearly address the problem. 

Module 3: Solution Design - Business Models and Prototyping

Event Details:

Date: Thursday 31 March, 2022
Time: 10am - 12pm JST


Understanding product value for customers and how prototyping can help gather fast feedback.

Milestones: 

  • Produce a Business Model Canvas.
  • Produce a clear sketch of how a prototype would be developed. 

Module 4: Pitching and Storytelling

Event Details:

Date: Monday 4 April, 2022
Time: 10am - 12pm JST


The importance of telling the story of your product and your impact. Understanding how to develop it and how to condense your narrative into an impactful presentation ready to pitch. 

Milestone: 

  • Develop a pitching deck. 

Pitch event

Event Details:

Date: Friday 15 April, 2022
Time: 6 - 8pm JST


Teams will be invited to pitch in the final competition. The top team will feature on the UQ Ventures website and in other communication collateral.

To be eligible for the final pitch, teams must first submit an online pitch video for judging.

All teams that take part in all sessions will receive a certificate of completion. 

The Ventures Discovery Japan Incubator has received grant funding from the Australia-Japan Foundation, of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. 

Australia-Japan Foundation of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Discovery International

Ventures Discovery is creating a network of high schools to bring the best innovation and entrepreneurial tools to students. Learn more today.

Contact

For further details or enquries please contact Tomas Piccinini, Ventures Program Officer.

venturesdiscovery@uq.edu.au