Intensive Week as part of the Circular Economy–Sustainability Hackathon | Faculty of Management and Economics at the Gdańsk University of Technology

The team mentors were representatives from the participating institutions: Nicoletta Messerschmidt from Hochschule Niederrhein, Melanie Kirwa and Simona Chilba from HAMK, Elżbieta Karwowska from Gdańsk University of Technology, and Aivars Timofejevs from Stockholm School of Economics.

The first, virtual part of the course started in February 2024, where students analyzed market situations, consumer behavior, and the potential applications of the latest technologies in practical solutions to the problem. The meeting in Gdańsk allowed for an intensification and finalization of work on the projects and their presentation during a pitching session on the last day of the meeting.

Special honors were awarded to two teams: "Pack team" received an award for the best idea for ecologically protecting fruit from spoilage, while the "Freshiees" team was recognized for the best presentation of their project on visual indicators of bread's suitability for consumption.

Throughout the week, in addition to working on projects, students also participated in workshops and lectures. "Pitching Workshop" was led by Melanie Kirwa from HAMK, and Sarah Henrietta Keeler from Hochschule Niederrhein presented a lecture titled: "Raising Cultural Awareness & Bridging the Culture Gap." There was also time for exploring Gdańsk, discovering culinary traditions during a pierogi-making workshop in the traditional Gdańsk Bowke, and joint singing of Polish songs during karaoke.

"It was a very intense but also energetic week of meetings for students and mentors within the framework of international cooperation conducted by our faculty, supported by the Erasmus+ program. These types of blended learning courses contain both a virtual component and direct work by students from different universities, allowing for practical development of skills in international and intercultural teams, and equally importantly, building relationships with peers from foreign institutions. And this is the main idea of the Erasmus+ program," summarizes Katarzyna Stankiewicz, the Faculty's Erasmus+ Coordinator.

"The Sustainability Hackathon is a great initiative that develops intercultural competencies of students and mentors," says Elżbieta Karwowska. "In this group that I supported alone, there were individuals from Nigeria, Russia, Poland, Finland, and Latvia. It was a wonderful mix of talents but also cognitive and cultural conditions. It taught me a lot, and watching these young people pursue their goals with enthusiasm brought me much joy. Thank you to Katarzyna Stankiewicz for the organization, and to Professor Jacek Rumiński from WETI for hosting the students for consultations on AI applications. Gdańsk University of Technology has been remembered as a beautiful and friendly place for work and study. I invite you to collaborate in the next edition of the Sustainability Hackathon!" adds mentor Elżbieta Karwowska.

Preparations for next year's edition of the Circular Economy project will begin soon. Anyone interested in such activities is invited to contact the faculty's Erasmus office (erasmus@zie.pg.gda.pl).