In this challenge we will take a global perspective on future campuses. The buildings, the facilities, the people and the surroundings of our diverse campus areas, they are all inter-connected. Together they offer a unique setting that is highly challenging and, at the same time, provides excellent opportunities for change. How could we drive sustainable change in relation to e.g. energy, circularity or behavior?

During the course both teachers and students from the alliance will collaborate and co-learn across disciplines, connected to the Nelson Mandela University (South Africa). In an inter-cultural setting we challenge you to work on out-of-the-box, scientifically sound solutions for sustainable campuses.

This inter-university collaboration enables you to meet people from other cultures and academic backgrounds and to benefit from the expertise and perspectives those other people offer in the role of peer, team-member, expert, teacher or coach. At the same time, this collaboration will help to reveal which knowledge, skills, perspectives and cultural aspects you will adopt to approach the project yourself.

This way of working requires you to take responsibility for the project. This includes being pro-acitve, coming up with ideas, and showing a positive attitude towards inter-/transdisciplinary collaboration.

Practical information

• Start on the 22nd of April 2026
• End on the 19th June 2026
• For 2nd and 3rd year BA students
• Live events:
  In week 1 (Friday, 24 April) and week 9 (Friday, 19 June), we invite all alliance students to one campus. These activities will be in the afternoon, but might require additional traveling time.
  All other activities will be hybrid (or fully online) and take place on Wednesday afternoon or Friday afternoon.
• Study load
  TU/e 5 EC
  WUR 6 EC
  UU 7,5 EC
• Language: English
• Hybrid

Teaching Method

Teams will be mixed across all involved universities with diverse backgrounds and disciplines together in one team. Most activities will be hybrid, with in-class presence at each university and connected online. On some occasions sessions will be fully online.

The final products will be a team presentation, a team report and an individual reflection. Note that this course also includes other (individual) assignments throughout, that count towards the final grade.

Registration

The registration (deadline) is dependent on your home institute.

TU/e
Students can register via Osiris from the 15th of November 2025 until the 4th of January 2026. Note that this challenge is embedded as one of the many projects within 4CBLW00. For questions about registration contact Lianne de Jong

WUR
Via Osiris from the 1st of June 2025 until the 8th of February 2026

UU
Via Osiris from the 26th of January 2026 until the 6th of February 2026
Late registration: the 30th of March 2026 09:00 until the 31th of March 2026