Global Challenges

The Global Challenge

Our planet and communities are facing consistent threats and challenges which to many may seem insurmountable. It is the solutions to these challenges that may well occupy the majority of future generations and is absolutely vital to bring together experts from across different disciplines to try and find real solutions. The University of Exeter is dedicated to achieving a sustainable, healthy and socially just world, and try to inspire our students to work towards the same goal, whether that is through our current undergraduate students or simply students looking to explore their potential.

Our Global Challenge is a project based on this idea of interdisciplinary innovation to solve the world's greatest crises. Each student will have the choice of which project to take part in across different pathways and will work together with the help of a project leader to test themselves against these issues and try to solve them. It is incredible the solutions and bright ideas that can come from a group of students from all over the world with different interests but work together to find a solution to a theme they are passionate about. 

Each group will be asked to propose two potential solutions that could be taken up by either local people, national or even international communities and will work together over the course of the two weeks to generate ideas, research theories and showcase their ideas, much as researchers at institutions such as the University of Exeter are involved in on a daily basis. 

As well as learning about causes and potential solutions to global issues, students will also have the chance to develop their team working skills and other soft skills over the course of the project, with the help of the project lead and other experts brought in. 

The end result is to create a presentation which will be watched by a select panel from across the university and prizes awarded based on ideas, thoroughness of research, and presentation quality amongst other factors. 

Our Global Challenge is an opportunity for everyone to challenge themselves and each other to be creative, empathetic and practical whilst building or improving a wide range of skills and knowledge.