Sustainability Challenge: Thinking Outside of the Box

A university program that doesn’t just talk about change but makes it happen.

Climate change, resource scarcity, social inequalities – the great challenges of our time can’t be solved with theories from the lecture hall alone. We need people who think outside the box, work across disciplines, and develop sustainable solutions. This is precisely where the Sustainability Challenge comes in.

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For 15 years, this inter-university teaching format has been bringing together students from a wide range of disciplines to develop sustainable solutions to real-world problems. Each year, 60 to 80 master’s, PhD, and advanced bachelor’s students are selected to spend two semesters working on a variety of innovative projects.

Two tracks are available to choose from: In the Service Learning Track, students work with businesses, NGOs, or public institutions to develop solutions for specific SDG challenges. Students who want to develop their own sustainable business idea can do so in the Start-Up Track. Supported by experienced coaches, participants work on viable business models that combine economic success with social and environmental responsibility.

The results speak for themselves: More than 1,100 students have already taken part in the challenge so far, implementing 192 projects. A total of 120 businesses, NGOs, and public institutions have supported the teams in their endeavors. This has resulted not only in clever concepts but also in innovative solutions with long-term added value for the economy, society, and the environment.

The Sustainability Challenge is coordinated by RCE Vienna and implemented together with seven universities: WU Vienna, the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), the Vienna University of Technology (TU Wien), the University of Applied Arts (Die Angewandte), the University of Vienna (Universität Wien), the University of Graz (Universität Graz), and Montanuniversität Leoben. The program offers students a unique mix of academic expertise, entrepreneurial thinking, and direct practical experience.

The goal? To not only talk about sustainability but to put sustainability into practice. Working on concrete solutions already during their studies will help the students to change the world later on – step by step, project by project.

"Collaboration across organisational and disciplinary boundaries, open opportunities for encounters and an exchange at eye level form the basis of the Sustainability Challenge. This gives the participants the chance to realise their self-efficacy and contribute their expertise and experience!"

Christian Rammel, Head of RCE Vienna

"‘think outside the box’ - in my experience, these are the words that best describe the Sustainability Challenge. Students from a wide range of disciplines come together, are assigned a practice-orientated project and spend a year working together on a sustainable solution. A change of perspective, growth - both personal and project-related - and fun are guaranteed!"

Student enrolled in the Sustainability Challenge

Key Facts

  • 60-80 students annually, of all fields of study implement specific sustainability projects in interdisciplinary teams

  • 15 projects on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are being implemented with practice partners / service-learning partners or as start-ups, each year

  • 7 universities provide theoretical input and supervise the project teams: WU Vienna, BOKU, TU Vienna, University of Vienna, University of Graz, the University of Applied Arts Vienna and Montanuniversität Leoben

  • 15th year of running

  • 192 projects & start-ups

  • 120 non-academic partners

  • more than 1.100 participants

  • active alumni network

SDGs