Nearly 500 students responded to the call to action for the Aga Khan University’s second edition of its ‘President’s Challenge for Climate Solutions’, an ideation challenge sponsored by the AKU President.
The theme for the 2023 Challenge was ‘Cooling our Cities’ in recognition that the cities in which AKU operates, whether in Pakistan or East Africa, are amongst the largest, fastest urbanizing, and some of the most poverty stricken, thereby providing a fertile ground for climate change to amplify and act as a threat multiplier of already dire conditions.
AKU students across four countries (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Pakistan) engaged in multiple steps of engagement. They learnt about climate change and its causes and impacts, many of which are closely related to their areas of studies ranging from health to communications to education. A weekend-long ideation workshop for over 70 groups of students supported their ideation by deeply engaging in the human centered design methodology, thereby designing solutions that are not only tailored to real needs but also responding to local opportunities. Finally, after availing mentorship with AKU experts in their fields, 16 selected groups presented their final pitches to a team of diverse jurors across the four geographies in December 2023.
In parallel to the AKU-based competition, students from 66 high schools in Karachi submitted ideas to a schools’ competition on the same theme. 25 school teams presented their final pitches, aweing the jurors with their innovativeness and dedication.
The closing ceremony, held simultaneously in a hybrid format across the four countries on 15th February 2024, celebrated the dedication and diversity of ideas put forward by all students. Here are the details of the winners of the 2023 President’s Challenge for Climate Solutions:
- Winner: AKU Pakistan, School of Nursing, (Mustafa Saiyoum, Sabeen Mansoor, Saqlain Haider Mirza) with the idea “Ecobreeze, Climate Craft Creators”
- 1st runner-up: AKU Kenya, Medical College (Brian Mbũrũ Maina, Michelle Wanjiru Mwasha, Teresa Wairimũ Ndũng'ũ) with the idea “River Albedo Enhancement Project”
- 2nd runner-up: AKU Kenya, Medical College (Brian Weru Komu, Sarah Wachuka Wambugu, Ciano Wanyoike Ng'ang'a, Peter Micha) with the idea "“Eco Cool Bin to solve waste management issues”.
- Other categories:
- Most impactful idea: AKU Pakistan, School of Nursing
- Most Innovative idea: AKU Tanzania, Medical College; AKU Pakistan, Faculty of Arts and Sciences
- Most Feasible idea: AKU Uganda, School of Nursing
Winning ideas included topics around affordable cooling of houses, waste management, fashion, eco-friendly paint, and education, with more ideas around urban design, transportation management systems, and of course green spaces. These ideas deeply represent the multiplicity of benefits to not only ‘cooling our cities’ but to make them more equitable, resilient, and livable.
AKU President Dr Sulaiman Shahabuddin commented: “One of the biggest reasons to be hopeful is you and your peers around the world. The most important obstacle to addressing climate change has never been technical. It has always been a lack of will. And I believe your generation has the will to deal with this problem.”
Beside educating and engaging students, AKU along with the Aga Khan Development Network, is committed to net zero emissions in operations by 2030, thereby aligning with science-based targets and looking to lead by example in lower-middle income contexts.
