Investing in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education produces remarkable economic and social benefits for students themselves and society at large.

The potential impact of this investment is enormous, especially for youth in Peru. Over their lifetimes, Peruvians with only a secondary school degree will earn almost two and a half times less than those with a college degree. That lost income reverberates throughout Peruvian society in the form of low productivity, slow economic growth and a smaller pool of experts in science and technology available to work on lowering the social and economic barriers facing marginalized populations.

To strengthen STEM education in Peru, Deutsche Bank formed a problem-solving partnership, the Deutsche Bank Challenge, with Peru’s Universidad de Ingeniería y Tecnología (UTEC) and Harvard University’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences in the US. The partnership gave undergraduate students valuable hands-on experience, adding richness and relevance to their studies and making them more career-ready. Additionally, the partnership illustrated the power of higher education to: 
-   Increase income and social mobility
-   Grow the nation’s economy
-   Enlarge the pool of scientists and engineers
-   Develop innovative ways to improve living conditions among the poor

How it works

Teams of undergraduate science and engineering students—consisting of two students from each university with supervision from faculty advisors—were invited to submit proposals showing how the tools of 21st-century technology could improve quality of life for Peru’s poorest populations. The winning team received US $20,000 for travel, materials and other expenses related to implementing the proposed solution.

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Discover more

utec.edu.pe

seas.harvard.edu

In demand

Peruvians with college degrees earn 2.3 times more than secondary school graduates.

50% of Peruvian companies say there is a deficit of engineers in the country.

Each proposal addressed one of the following challenges:

- Low-cost food supplements
- Water purification systems
- Devices that engage children in STEM
- Efficient home insulation
- Remote diagnosis for isolated patients

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