Students get involved with our Sustainability Challenge

University Place hosted almost 800 first year students taking part in Sustainability Challenge 2015, part of our Ethical Grand Challenges programme for students.

The aim of the Challenge was to develop students’ understanding of the complexities of sustainability by immersing them in a highly interactive simulation activity, based around the fictitious city, and university, The University of Millchester.

Faced with an evolving situation, interdisciplinary groups of students worked against the clock to develop plans for the University of Millchester’s new campus, juggling budget cuts, carbon caps, and diverse stakeholder requirements.

A massive 83% of the students thought they had a better understanding of the complexity of sustainability after taking part in the Challenge. Students also highlighted the benefits of meeting and working with students from other courses and 75% of them told us the Challenge improved their team working skills.

The Sustainability Challenge is part of our socially responsible graduates signature programme and was developed by the Student Development & Community Engagement Division, working in collaboration with academics from Manchester Business School, the School of Environment, Educations and Development and the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research.

Staff from across the University volunteered their time to support the development of the learning materials and to work with students on the day. 43 staff facilitators worked with student groups. For more information about the Sustainability Challenge and our other Ethical Grand Challenge programmes, visit the Ethical Grand Challenges website.