HRUC Unveils Judges for National Innovation Challenge 2026

(Clockwise from top left: Thiloshini, Sarwar, Steve, Pally, Helen and Iqbal)

HRUC (Harrow, Richmond and Uxbridge Colleges) has announced the judges for this year’s National Innovation Challenge (NIC).

Led by HRUC in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Industrial Liaison Program (MIT ILP), the competition aims to empower young people from across the UK to tackle some of the world’s most pressing issues.

Using their significant expertise and extensive global experience, the judges will assess the students’ submissions. The chosen winners will enjoy a trip to MIT to collaborate with world-leading researchers.

Thiloshini Ellary-Bachu is Senior Chief Engineer at Amazon. With a background in electrical engineering and business, her current role involves developing strategy, building technical teams, and bridging the gap between engineering and business.

She said,

“I am thrilled to represent Amazon for this amazing competition and look forward to the exciting entries from students this year.”

Sarwar Khan has worked as Sustainability Director at BT for the last six years.He has been responsible for developing digital products, propositions and services that help business customers across the globe turn sustainability into a competitive advantage.

Steve Whitaker is Program Director for MIT ILP. With a background in computer science and AI, he focuses on building sustainable relationships between MIT researchers and global industry.

As Chief Executive of The Education Space, Iqbal Vaza leads an organisation that supports over 400 schools and works to remove the barriers that stand between young people and their potential.

Helen Walker is Vice President UK and International Qualifications at the global education company Pearson plc. Her career spans teaching, advising, senior civil service and the edtech industry. She previously worked as Chief Technology Officer for the Department of Education.

Pally Randhawa, Director of One Care IT, is an IT leader and entrepreneur with 27 years’ experience.While continuing to expand One Care IT Limited since founding the company at the age of 24, he now also runs a hands-on apprenticeship programme with HRUC to give young people real-world IT experience.

Entries have now closed for the 2026 NIC competition and the winners will be announced in late June 2026 at a prestigious awards evening in central London.

In 2025, nearly 200 schools and colleges took part in the inaugural NIC. Winning students travelled to Boston, USA, where they collaborated with MIT researchers. It was an unforgettable experience which gave the winners unprecedented opportunities to gain new technical skills, work across borders, improve their personal thought processes and develop international networks.