A COMPETITION that seeks to tackle climate challenges has been launched at the University of Limerick where students are being asked to come up with ambitious proposals to solve environmental issues.
The Sustainability Challenge evolved from a partnership between the Bernal Institute, Kemmy Business School and the Buildings and Estates department at UL to encourage students to contribute to sustainable development.
The Challenge seeks proposals from student teams to tackle climate change, with ideas or proposals to be applicable to either the campus, the city or wider Mid-West region or even further afield.
Minister of State Ossian Smyth, who launched the challenge last week as part of UL Research Week, said that achieving a circular economy requires a radical break with our current ‘take-make-waste’ model.
“New materials and products designed to maximise re-use within a close-loop system will play a vital role in this transition,” he said.
UL Bernal Institute Director Luuk van der Wielen said that the circularity of materials, renewable energy and emission reductions in transport and agri-food chain are likely career paths for our graduates.
“Innovative solutions will benefit from diversity and multi-disciplinary strategies,” he declared.
“We encourage diversity across the participating teams which will benefit quality of submissions and also prepare students really well for later careers. We are very happy with the initial support among the faculties to enable students to integrate the challenge in their programs, where appropriate.”
Dr Rita Buckley, Lecturer in Economics at the Kemmy Business School, said that taking part in the competition would expose students to challenges that will require research and entrepreneurial thinking .
“It also a unique opportunity to develop important skills that employers value, such as teamwork, communication, presentation skills, creativity and problem solving.”
The five most promising project proposals will be shortlisted, each will receive support, and up to €10,000, to prepare and deliver a working pilot or demonstration of their proposal by next March.
The winning team will be announced next April.
