Uniting young leaders to tackle pressing environmental challenges, Curtin University recently brought together students from all six of its campuses around the Indian Ocean Rim for the inaugural Global Sustainability Challenge 2024, held in Singapore.
The unique, week-long, initiative saw 32 students collaborate across borders to address pressing environmental issues including climate change, resource management and ecosystem protection.
Professor Josh Byrne, Dean of Sustainable Futures in the Faculty of Humanities at Curtin University, said the Global Sustainability Challenge required students to develop innovative solutions to real-world problems being experienced on the Island of Pulau Ubin – on the northeastern side of Singapore, spanning waste management, energy security and nature conservation.
“We were thrilled by some of the inspiring ideas put forward, such as practical strategies for waste avoidance and resource recovery that would also reduce transport costs and emissions,” Professor Byrne said.
“Another team developed a concept to increase the utilisation of locally generated renewable energy by giving villagers access to real-time information on power supplied from the local micro-grid, while another clever solution was to transition to electric ferries, which could also be used as back-up energy storage during emergencies.
“The Global Sustainability Challenge provided a platform for Curtin students from across our campuses to apply their skills to global challenges and make tangible contributions to solving sustainability issues.
“It was an incredible opportunity for participants to develop leadership, teamwork and problem-solving skills, while building a network of peers committed to sustainability.”
Professor Byrne said unlike a traditional competition, the challenge focused on building a global community of young leaders equipped to tackle sustainability challenges through teamwork and cross-cultural collaboration.
“Through hands-on experience and mentorship, students worked towards creating sustainable solutions with real-world implications, driving innovation and inspiring a new generation of changemakers,” Professor Byrne said.
“This was much more than just an assignment – it was an opportunity to shape the future.”
Key industry partners that supported the event included the Singapore National Parks Board, Asian Detours, EDP Renewables, VFlowTech, Adobe, Cisco, WY-TO and Tigris.
