ECIU University Spring Challenges
As an ECIU University member, DCU students will have an opportunity this spring to be part of international teams to tackle real-life problems and make an impact.
ECIU University challenges are provided by business companies and public partners and include problems that communities and organisations face at this very moment. ECIU University challenges mostly concern United Nations Sustainable Development Goal no. 11 “Sustainable cities and communities”.
Challenges
Challenges are courses that engage diverse teams to solve real-life problems using a novel and practical method of challenge-based learning (CBL). More than two hundred students have already participated in ECIU challenges. Their lessons learned? A new and different set of skills, an international network, and a new way of working and learning. Get to know the first-hand experience of participants.
Business and public partners provide real-life problems and are involved in the learning process. Themes circle around UN’s Sustainable Development Goal No. 11 Sustainable cities and communities. “Prevention of textile waste”, “Future Energy Hack”, “Developing an energetically autonomous building” to name just a few examples.
Micro modules
Micro-modules support learners and help them fill the knowledge gaps, for example, widen their knowledge on strategic planning or sustainable development. Part of micro-modules also help foster entrepreneurial, inter-cultural communication, foreign language and other skills.
Explore ECIU challenges and micro-modules offered in 2022.
Why participate?
- Experience the practical side of learning. Working in the ECIU challenge is similar to the experience in a real job: working in teams, using innovative models and tackling real-life problems. During the process, participants exchange practices and ideas, develop problem-solving, team-work, communication skills, and, of course, practice English language.
- Expand connections. During challenges, students work with other learners, teachers, experts, representatives from business and public companies. All participants come from different backgrounds and areas of expertise, so it gives a unique opportunity to grow a network of connections. The experience could even resolve into a real job offer, who knows?
- Be free to develop your ideas. Challenge-based learning (CBL) is unconventional: there is no pre-fix solution to a problem. Teams engage in the problem, investigate the situation and develop their own solution with a help of a team facilitator.
- Work in an international environment. ECIU challenges are international: for example, the problem comes from Hamburg municipality in Germany but students and experts gather from all over the EU to work together. After all, ECIU University is developed by 12 strong Universities in Europe.
- Get to know Europe. Though the majority of challenges are held online, some of them might have physical mobility options, providing the students the possibility to go abroad, brainstorm, create and experiment in person. If there is a physical mobility option, it will be included in the challenge description.
- Deepen the knowledge. The challenge theme might be new to you? No problem: learn together with a team and participate in the ECIU micro-modules. It will allow filling in the knowledge gaps in various thematic areas.
- Get recognition and develop ideas further. After successfully completing the challenge, receive a Certificate of Participation. You might have an opportunity to develop proposed solutions further, resulting in new services, products, research questions or start-ups and spin-offs.
- Make a real impact. Finally, working on a challenge means a tangible contribution to a societal change. ECIU University challenges are provided by business companies and public partners and include problems that communities and organisations face at this very moment.
Explore and apply to the challenges and the micro-modules.
Find out more about ECIU University for learners.