In a remarkable achievement, Australian engineering students have taken out first and second place in Land Rover’s 2016 4×4 in Schools World Championships.

Tasked with building a remote-controlled four-wheel-drive to set specifications, the 4×4 in Schools Technology Challenge gets students to design a vehicle that can emulate the capabilities of a full-size 4×4 to successfully traverse a set of obstacles in an off-road test that accurately replicates the real thing. The project’s aim is raise awareness, interest and enthusiasm in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) disciplines, and the practical application of engineering principles.

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The runners-up hail from Dubbo College’s Senior Campus. As well as occupying the second step of the podium, the five-member team picked up the award for the Best Engineered Vehicle while their event-winning compatriots claimed honours in the Verbal Presentation Award.

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At the national level, the Challenge is run by Reengineering Australia but both financial and logistical support was provided by Land Rover Australia to assist in the teams’ individual projects and outcomes, as well as to reach the world finals.

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This year marked the 18th running of the firm’s international education initiative which aims to encourage students to pursue careers in the automotive industry and is expected to engage with up to five million young people from around the world by 2020.