Sustainability Hackathon: Bridging the Gap between Higher Education and Society

Abstract

In the transition towards a circular economy, chemists and engineers are no longer just technical experts; they are the architects of sustainable value chains. Equipping students with the necessary sustainability competencies to navigate these responsibilities is essential. Yet, traditional curricula often struggle to translate abstract sustainability goals into practical, professional skills. This contribution highlights how the 'Sustainability Day', an interdisciplinary hackathon organized at UHasselt, bridges this gap by transforming theory into hands-on, responsible innovations.

This Sustainability hackathon is a key output of an ongoing VLAIO-funded project that aims to embed the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into educational programs. The project focuses on building a structural 'Sustainability' learning line within the programs of Industrial Engineering (KU Leuven/UHasselt), Chemistry, Physics, and Materiomics (UHasselt). By making implicit sustainability elements explicit and integrated, we increase their visibility and foster a systematic development of our students' professional identity as responsible societal actors.

The 'Sustainability Day' is a practice-oriented learning initiative that makes sustainability competencies tangible. Structured as an intensive hackathon in collaboration with industrial partners and Vlajo, the event challenges master students to analyze actual sustainability cases and develop feasible solutions within interdisciplinary teams, hereby simulating a professional R&D environment. Teams are guided by expert coaches from both industry and academia, ensuring that solutions are grounded in current professional expectations. The trajectory encompasses the entire innovation cycle: from deep-dive problem analysis and collaborative brainstorming to a final pitch for a professional jury. This authentic learning context stimulates students to bridge theory with skills such as systems thinking, critical analysis, creative problem-solving, and effective communication.

This contribution presents a practical approach for educators to move beyond theoretical SDG instruction. By sharing our experience with this model, we provide insights into how high-impact learning environments can effectively bridge the gap between higher education and society.