In the Covid Challenge, student teams created innovative non-repressive solutions, in order to limit the negative impacts of Covid-19 in the daily lives of citizens. The proposed solutions combined medical, technical, political, behavioural, economical and sustainability disciplines.
The Covid-19 pandemic imposed a new reality in the everyday lives of people around the world. The municipality of Utrecht was looking for solutions for its citizens. The aim was to deal with the restrictions due to the pandemic, AND to minimize the health, social and economic burden of the people of Utrecht. Certain target groups were more at risk of both the effects of the disease and the effects of the measures to avoid infection.
“For me, it was also an enormously educational process, especially by reflecting myself and involving the students in this. I wish everyone the opportunity to participate as a student or client in an EWUU challenge. Truly a rich learning environment.”
─ Tamara Rosenbach from the Municipality of Utrecht
Details
The course was open for participation to third year Bachelor’s and all Master’s students from all academic and scientific backgrounds from TU/e, WUR, UU and UMCU. Students worked in multi-disciplinary teams on this real-life challenge for which finding a solution required the creative co-creation of new knowledge across the boundaries of existing practices. During the challenge students were supported with experts on the content (e.g. from epidemiologists to policy makers, from sociologists to economists, and others) and coaches supporting the process. The challenge was completed with the presentation of the concepts that the teams had developed. The Municipality of Utrecht seriously considered these concepts in relation to their policy and vision towards the Covid measures.
This was a 3.5 EC elective course that ran from 19 April to 11 June 2021, with a student total course load of about 12 hours per week.