The Oak Ridge and Knoxville areas will be participating in a fast-paced, eight-day competition where student teams around the world attempt to solve a common global issue and convey their results in a short video.

The competition, known as the Global Innovation Tournament, started at Stanford University four years ago and now is an official activity of Global Entrepreneur Week, which runs Nov. 16 to 22.

[GEW] is aimed at inspiring young people to explore their potential as self-starters and innovators while supporting the next generation of entrepreneurs. GEW Web site

According to a UT document, the competition encourages students to work in teams, challenge assumptions, seize opportunities and be creative.  Most importantly, students gain entrepreneurial experience by creating value while working with constraints, such as limited time and resources.

"Entrepreneurs and small businesses are the backbone of communities across Tennessee," said Matt Kisber, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development. "They provide a firm foundation on which further economic development and growth are generated. We are proud to support the efforts of Global Entrepreneurship Week, and we look forward to spotlighting entrepreneurs throughout our state."

According to their Web site, Global Entrepreneur Week is a week-long movement with more than 24,000 events in more than 77 countries aimed at inspiring young people to explore their potential as self-starters and innovators while supporting the next generation of entrepreneurs.

The issue will be announced Nov. 4 and videos must be posted to the official tournament Web site by Friday, Nov. 13.

The Innovation Valley Tech Council will select the local winners at the monthly Valley Tech Council luncheon on Nov. 18 and submit them to Stanford University for global judging.