Become a changemaker, contributing to innovative sustainable solutions. Get outside your comfort zone and work on real-life problems in an interdisciplinary programme for master students.
The Da Vinci Programme offers students an immersive learning experience aimed at educating a new generation of changemakers, connectors, and innovators. In collaboration with private and public partners, interdisciplinary student teams will tackle sustainability-related challenges. During the programme, students from Eindhoven University of Technology, Wageningen University & Research, and Utrecht University work several days a week in interdisciplinary teams on their challenge at the partner’s site.
Practical Information
- You can choose either the long track, with a study load of 30 EC,
or the short track version, with a study load of 15 EC. - The program will start on February 2nd, 2026, and end on June 26th, 2026.
- The short track version will end on April 17th, 2026.
- The program is open to Master’s students from all disciplines at Utrecht University, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Eindhoven University of Technology, and Wageningen University & Research.
- The course will be taught in English.
- It is especially suitable for students who want to develop personal skills and competencies such as:
- Learning how to apply design thinking to sustainability challenges
- Collaborating and communicating across disciplines
- Working with real stakeholders (20 hours of direct contact)
- Receiving personal guidance from a challenge-based learning coach
During and after this programme, you will:
- Be equipped with the knowledge, soft and hard skills, and mindset needed to tackle sustainability challenges
- Gain experience in interdisciplinary research, stakeholder management, and other leadership skills
- Practice creative thinking, prototyping, and critical reflection
- Discover how you can contribute value in an interdisciplinary environment to solve complex problems
- Acquire in-depth knowledge on a specific sustainability issue
During this programme you will work on a challenge:
REACT Challenge – A dive into the world of counterfeited goods
Have you ever wondered what happens to the fake handbags, sunglasses, and shoes that are confiscated at the border? While these goods can still be used, they are usually incinerated, causing unnecessary pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
The non-profit organization React has over 30 years of experience in combatting counterfeit goods, aiming to make anti-counterfeiting actions affordable. The React Sustains program aims to recycle counterfeit goods instead of burning them, resulting in significant CO2 reductions. However, these confiscated goods may contain harmful substances that could have a negative impact on both the environment and human health. To prevent these compounds from ending up in the environment or in recycled goods, a process should be designed to be able to detect and dispose of them within the European framework.
This is where you and your team come in! React needs your help in finding a suitable method to detect toxic chemicals that do not adhere to the European REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation, and Restriction of Chemicals) guidelines. Considering the counterfeit goods that come in can be anything, from Pókemon cards to plush toys to clothing items, the method should be versatile, and able to detect compounds including heavy metals, asbestos, and toxic organic materials. Furthermore, the developed process should be cost-effective, implementable in the current system of React, and adhere to the EU regulations. Last, but certainly not least, a plan should be developed in case harmful compounds are detected in the goods React received. How should these compounds be handled, stored, and disposed of properly? All in all, there are many complex questions to work on in which React could use expertise from a scientific, engineering, legal, economic, and sociological point of view!
The preregistration is open! Click on the icon below and fill in the form.
