INTERNATIONAL students travelled thousands of miles to showcase their work at an interactive exhibition designed to help employers find the next generation of digital talent.

Mpho Ben Motsamai, from Botho University in Botswana and Michele Nuovo, from Prague College in the Czech Republic, were both invited to display work at Teesside University’s annual ExpoTees event.

ExpoTees, which this year took place over two days at the University’s Darlington campus, is a showcase of final year work by students in the School of Computing and acts as a gateway to meet and network with potential employers from the industry.

Mpho, who is studying a Teesside University accredited degree in computing, was invited to England after winning the first ever ExpoTees event held in Botswana.

The 24-year-old displayed his cloud management system, which is designed to gather information about schools in Botswana and keep it safe in one database.

He said: “This is my first time in the UK and it feels great to be invited over for such a fantastic event.

“ExpoTees has been really positive for me. There has been a lot of interest in my project and I think more opportunities will arise because of my time here.”

Michele, 32, who is also studying a Teesside University accredited computing degree, has developed a business data integration tool and was chosen by his lecturers in Prague to exhibit his project at ExpoTees.

He said: “It has been a really interesting experience at ExpoTees. I have been able to talk to a lot of people about my work and build contacts in the industry. I am grateful that my project was successful and I have had the opportunity to travel here to display my work.”

As well as Mpho and Michele, students from ESAT (School of Art and Technology) in Valencia, Spain, also showcased their work at ExpoTees this year. The students completed their final year at Teesside University working alongside UK students.

ExpoTees was first launched in 2005 to showcase the work of students in the University’s School of Computing. The School now delivers programmes in Malaysia, Botswana, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka and the Czech Republic, as well as enjoying partnerships with institutions in Spain and Norway.