Computer club showcases student creativity

By Mary Bolling

A student-led initiative for tech-savvy creative connection is gaining ground at CQUniversity, with a new event putting skills in the spotlight.

The Initiation & Innovation (I&I) Computer Club at CQUniversity Sydney campus has hosted its inaugural Innovation Showcase and Networking Night, bringing together students, alumni, staff, and industry guests for big evening on Wednesday 12 December.

The event turned the city campus into a lively space for students to share their projects, while alumni offered real-world guidance, and industry guests opened doors to new possibilities.

The night began with hands-on demonstrations in Raspberry Pi, machine learning, artificial intelligence-based gesture recognition, game development, and web applications.

President of the I&I Club and CQU Bachelor of IT student Sahisa Sunuwar said each piece of technology was built by students who had learned independently, experimented boldly, and supported one another through every challenge.

“We don’t need the perfect moment or perfect environment to innovate. We just need to get started, and that’s exactly what our students did,” Sahisa explained.

“Watching students confidently stand behind their work and explain their ideas was genuinely inspiring,”
Vice-President Loojaw Manandhar said. “It showed how much they’ve grown and reminded us why creating spaces like this matters.”

A highlight of the evening was the industry and alumni panel discussion, where guests shared grounded, practical advice about:
• entering the tech industry
• building confidence as a beginner
• crafting a strong portfolio
• finding opportunities
• learning from early setbacks
• navigating job applications
• growing through curiosity and consistency.

Event co-organisers were also Bachelor of IT students, Sahil Basnet and Neha Thanait. 

"The event reflected a unified effort from the organising team and showcased the potential of a student-led initiative done with purpose and heart," Sahisa said. 

The Sydney-based club has recently expanded to CQU regional campuses in Rockhampton and Bundaberg. 

Sahisa said the Innovation Showcase reinforced the mission of the I&I Club, to give students a space to build confidence, experiment with ideas, and connect with industry mentors and alumni.

Looking ahead, the I&I Club is preparing:
• fortnightly practical workshops
• advanced Raspberry Pi + AI projects
• deeper alumni and industry collaboration
• an Advisory Committee of teachers, alumni, and professionals.

“Innovation grows through action, and our students have already shown that once you take the first step, everything else becomes possible,” Sahisa said.

Explore tech and computing pathways at CQUniversity's Information Technology website.