Greater 91直播 students lead the way to a sustainable future with Green Careers Mission event
Students from across Greater 91直播 gathered to address our region鈥檚 most important environmental challenges in the first event.
The groundbreaking collaborative initiative, pioneered by , brought together students from a variety of disciplines and levels to tackle real-world challenges set by industry partners, aligned with the Greater 91直播 Combined Authority (GMCA)鈥檚 Environmental Plan.
Hosted at 91直播 Metropolitan University, the Green Careers Mission invited students to work in teams to develop actionable solutions for the environmental challenges that threaten the future health and prosperity of our city region: mitigating climate change, improving air quality, sustainable production and consumption of resources, protecting the natural environment, and building resilience to the impacts of climate change.
These challenges were supported by employers including 91直播 City Council, Siemens, Thomas Kneale, and GMCA itself, providing students with real-world context for their work.
This was a glorious pedagogic experiment to bring students from all five Greater 91直播 institutions together to tackle challenges aligned with GMCA鈥檚 Environment Plan 鈥� and how truly powerful it was.
The event aligns with the commitment of Greater 91直播鈥檚 leading higher education institutions 鈥� The University of Manchester, 91直播 Metropolitan University, the University of Salford, the Royal Northern College of Music, and the University of Bolton 鈥� to drive social, economic, and environmental change across the city region through the Greater 91直播 Civic University Agreement.
Through collaborative action, the universities aim to support Greater 91直播鈥檚 2038 zero-carbon target by fostering green skills, promoting research and innovation, and preparing students to lead in a rapidly evolving green economy.
Professor Jennifer O鈥橞rien, Academic Lead of Sustainability Teaching and Learning at The University of Manchester, praised the initiative: 鈥淭his was a glorious pedagogic experiment to bring students from all five Greater 91直播 institutions together to tackle challenges aligned with GMCA鈥檚 Environment Plan 鈥� and how truly powerful it was.
鈥淲hilst the students enhanced their personal and professional skills, they contributed genuinely new insights to these challenges. All our external partners were so impressed by the talent, engagement, and sheer drive of our students. This interdisciplinary methodology could be applied to all sorts of civic challenges to really make a difference.鈥�
The event鈥檚 impact was evident in the reactions of students, who described the experience as transformative. Ana Gonzalez Palos, an MSc Operations, Project & Supply Chain Management student from The University of Manchester, highlighted the power of diverse perspectives: "It's incredible how all the insights from our universities made our ideas sharper and more actionable. I鈥檓 proud to be part of such a collaborative initiative for a greener future.鈥�
Adeel Chaudhry, a Software Engineering student at 91直播 Metropolitan University said: 鈥淧rojects like these are essential for bridging theory and practice, giving us hands-on experience in creating actionable sustainability strategies.鈥�
Neva Mowl, Education for Sustainable Development Officer at the University of Salford said: 鈥淪eeing students from different universities come together to tackle these challenges was fantastic. The quality of ideas they produced in such a short time, alongside the spirit of cross-institutional collaboration, really moved me. They have shown just how powerful this type of initiative can be.鈥�
As Greater 91直播鈥檚 first Green Careers Challenge, the event demonstrates our region鈥檚 commitment to advancing sustainability goals through collaborative action and empowering students to play a meaningful role as change agents in building a greener, more resilient Greater 91直播.