First INGENIUM Hackathon on Sustainable Development Goals at Campus Level

Online, 17-18 April 2024

We are thrilled to announce the first INGENIUM Hackathon focusing on the integration of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into university campuses. Students from all 10 INGENIUM member universities across Europe will attend over two days to explore, reflect, and create new initiatives to make campus life more sustainable.

Hackathon overview

Over two days (8am to 5.30pm), students from varied linguistic, cultural, and academic backgrounds will collaborate to address a topic of their choice related to the economic, environmental or social pillars of sustainable development on university campuses. The Hackathon is an opportunity for students to collaborate, learn and demonstrate integrated problem-solving and interpersonal competencies in the planning and implementation of sustainable development solutions on campus. Each team will present their innovative solutions in a virtual setting to representatives from local authorities affiliated with the INGENIUM alliance.

Judging criteria and process

  • The winning team will be invited to Rouen during the 10 days of INGENIUM from 27-31 May 2024 for a ceremony.
  • Project will be included in the INGENIUM Sustainable Development Goals and European Green Deal Agenda for a long-term implementation.

Teams will demonstrate learning across the following areas:

  • Discipline specific knowledge, interdisciplinary, creativity and implementation plan.
  • Sustainable Development Competences: Systems Thinking, Futures Thinking, Values Thinking, Strategic Thinking, Self-awareness, Critical thinking, Integrated Problem Solving and Inter/intra personal Competencies.
  • Alignment of Innovation with the Following Dimensions:
    • Cognitive: Understand sustainability challenges and their complex interlinkages, explore disruptive ideas and alternative solutions.
    • Social and emotional: Build core values and attitudes for sustainability, cultivate empathy and compassion for other people and the planet, and motivate to lead the change.
    • Behavioural: Take practical action for sustainable transformations in the personal, societal and political spheres.

Who will participate

The INGENIUM Hackathon call for application was open to all students from the 10 INGENIUM universities from their 1st year of studies to PhD. Students from diverse disciplines, backgrounds, and nationalities were encouraged to apply. The next step now is to form mixed teams post-application with students coming from different universities.

Team Formation:

  • Each student will choose a topic of interest. Depending on the number of applicants, a random national selection may occur.
  • Students will then be sorted into teams according to their favourite topic. Please note that if there are not enough people in one topic to create a team, students will be sorted into their second favourite topic.
  • Each team will be composed of 5/6 students from across the INGENIUM alliance. Each team will have a mentor, a teacher or member of staff who will guide them and help them if needed.
  • The students selected will participate in a first meeting online to meet their teammates and mentor.