Even during O Week, when many might expect university students to relax and take it easy, UNSW students were buzzing with activity at the Michael Crouch Innovation Centre. The UNSW Founders Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Challenge 2024, held in partnership with the Poverty and Inequality Partnership, showcased that UNSW students do not just sit back during O Week—they innovate for real-world solutions, tackling urgent global challenges like sustainable urban development and social equity.

Challenge Focus: Sustainable Urban Housing

As rent affordability hits a 17-year low and the cost of living soars, we challenged participants at the SDG Challenge to find innovative solutions. Tasked with ensuring access to adequate, safe, and affordable housing by 2030, in line with SDG 11's targets, ten dynamic teams from various academic backgrounds rose to the occasion. This year’s event, in partnership with the Poverty and Inequality Partnership, demonstrated the power of innovative minds coming together to tackle some of the most pressing urban development challenges of our times.

Among the standout solutions were:

🥇 **First Place: Team VITAL**

Team VITAL proposed connecting vacant houses to people in need, aiming to reduce homelessness and optimise existing urban infrastructure. **Members include:** Khen Enriquez, Dea Cahya Nyaubit, Boromey Siek, Thi Duoc Lo, and Maria Camille Louise Chen..

🥈 **Second Place: Team Birds In The Nest**

This collaborative group focused on adapting unoccupied homes to meet the needs of people with disabilities and those in insecure housing. **The team members are** Tianyi Angela Lin, Dhekanegara Endang Suprapto, Jiwon Hu , Yuji Mao, Arkansh Maheshwari, and Niklas Schorrer.

🥉 **People's Choice Award: Team Ora Urus**

Team Ora Urus took a unique approach with their proposal to "Send the elderly population to Bali!" This project explored cost-effective, culturally enriching living solutions for the elderly. **Team members include** Muhammad Iqbal, Mutia Fairuz, Vita Arfiana Nurul Fatimah, Leslie Denilson, and Ida Made Hrisikesa Wiweka.

Mentorship and Collaboration

The SDG Challenge benefited immensely from a diverse group of expert mentors, including Chris Martin, Cathy Callaghan, John Engeler, Andrew Kos, Carla Treloar, Stephen Rutter, Yenni Tim, and Yuvisthi Naidoo. Each mentor brought a wealth of experience from various fields, providing valuable guidance and inspiration to the participants throughout the event.

Participants engaged deeply in workshops where they developed their projects under the mentorship of these industry leaders. The event culminated in a series of 10 pitches where each team presented their innovative ideas to a panel of esteemed judges. This panel included notable figures who brought a rich mix of expertise and perspective to the evaluation process:

Chris Martin, a Senior Research Fellow at the City Futures Research Centre, specializes in rental housing and housing affordability. His extensive background in tenancy law and policy provided critical insights into sustainable housing solutions.
Cassandra Goldie, CEO of ACOSS and Adjunct Professor at UNSW Sydney, is an expert in public policy concerning economic, social, and environmental issues. Her advocacy for social justice and human rights enriched the discussions, focusing on the societal impact of the proposed solutions.
Kylie Valentine, Director of the Social Policy Research Centre and the Centre for Social Research in Health at UNSW, applies her deep understanding of social policy and inequalities to evaluate how effectively projects could address complex social challenges.