Student Teams from Uganda and Brazil Named Co-winners of the 2025 CIEE UNHCR Student Challenge at CIEE’s 13th Annual Global Internship Conference in Singapore

Winning teams will be awarded CIEE summer global internships.

At the 13th Annual CIEE Global Internship Conference (GIC) in Singapore, history was made as two student teams, Team Unstoppables (Uganda) and Team Path Seekers (Brazil), were named co-winners of the 2025 CIEE UNHCR Student Challenge, marking the first tie in the Challenge’s history. 

Now in its third year, the CIEE UNHCR Student Challenge is a global competition co-sponsored by CIEE and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, with support from District C. The Challenge invites students to design actionable solutions that support refugee inclusion in higher education and workforce development.

In Round One, 123 teams—comprising 435 students from 143 colleges and universities across 63 countries—submitted 500-word proposals outlining their ideas. From that group, 36 semifinalist teams were invited to refine their proposals and present them virtually before a panel of expert judges. The three teams with the best proposals were chosen as finalists and invited to present their proposals live at the Global Internship Conference in Singapore.

Each eligible member of the winning teams will receive a CIEE global internship in summer 2026, and both teams will have the opportunity to share their ideas with UNHCR and their networks.

Meet the Winning Teams

Team Unstoppables (Uganda). All members from Makerere University:

• Shalom Nyirimana Ishimwe (Team Captain)
• Sasha Achola
• Rhinah Akankunda

The team’s winning proposal – a seven-day mobile camp called “Re Platform” – brings together education and apprenticeships, empowering displaced youth by connecting them to opportunities in their communities.

Team Path Seekers (Brazil):

• Júlia Kamata de Castro (Team Captain), Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP)
• Henrique do Bomfim Braga Chaves, Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais (PUC-MG)
• Giulia Kaori Nagao, Paulista University (UNIP)
• Bianca Serighelli, Technological Federal University of Paraná (UTFPR)

The team’s winning proposal, “Borderless Apprentices,” features a 4+1 apprenticeship model with onboarding and supporting components that include vocational guidance, micro credentials, and community engagement. 

“This challenge gave us the opportunity to innovate with purpose and advocate for the issues faced by refugee youth around the world,” said Henrique do Bomfim Braga Chaves, team member of Path Seekers (Brazil) and student at the Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais (PUC-MG). “After four years at university, I often felt frustrated by how few opportunities there were to turn academic learning in the Human Sciences into real-world action. But this experience gave us the chance to contribute to real solutions for refugee youth around the globe. We won, and this is just the beginning.”

Team Aspan (Kazakhstan) was named runner-up for their proposal advancing access to jobs through an innovative digital health apprenticeship program.

Team Aspan included:

• Aisana Issabay (Team Captain) and Aruzhan Shakirkhozha,  Semmelweis University
• Alina Serik and Makhabbat Ibraimova, Lingnan University

Finalist teams were evaluated by a distinguished panel of leaders from refugee advocacy and higher education, including:

• James P. Pellow, President and CEO, CIEE
• Laura Brege, Senior Advisor, BridgeBio and CIEE Board Chair
• Wendy Ong, Philanthropy and Partnership Lead, UNHCR, Singapore 

“The Student Challenge offers an opportunity for students to thoughtfully engage with some of the world’s most pressing issues and to teach us through their presentations,” said James P. Pellow, President and CEO of CIEE. “Through this process, students deepen our understanding of the challenges refugees face, developing impactful, solutions-oriented proposals while building critical skills like creative thinking, collaboration, and cross-cultural communication that are central to future global professional careers.”

About the Organizers

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency
UNHCR protects the rights and well-being of people forced to flee conflict, violence, and persecution. With over 122 million people displaced worldwide, the organization believes youth must help shape the future of refugee inclusion.
https://www.unhcr.org

Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE)
For over 75 years, CIEE has connected people and cultures through transformative study abroad, internship, and exchange programs that empower global citizens.
https://www.ciee.org

Media Contact:
Meghan Sowersby
media@ciee.org