ECIU University Forum 2025 brought together 250 community members from all across Europe, each with their own ECIU University journey and story. And if there’s a perfect place to tell this story, that's the Team Impact Award.
Now in its second year, the Team Impact Award 2025 invited teams from ECIU University member institutions to tell their unique stories of impact, both experienced and created as part of the community. A total of 9 teams applied, sharing their experiences with Challenges that covered different topics – from innovative capabilities of AI to reproductive health to sustainability and climate change.
The main prize went to participants from Dublin City University and their ‘EcoTech Challenge’. The DCU team set a meaningful goal to ensure access to clean and safe water for the most vulnerable members of society – and some of their solutions are already being implemented.
But that’s far from the only story worth telling, as other participants bring their own, unique perspectives to the table.
The teams that applied for the Team Impact Award may have had different experiences and different paths, but they were all united by a common goal – to make an impact.
For example, the team from the University of Twente aimed to tackle and adapt to climate change through spatial engineering. When working on the Challenge, students focused their attention on a real scenario – the flood that swept the city of Valencia (Spain) this year – and set the goal of creating a practical solution.
‘Challenges like this help learners acknowledge both their strengths and where they can grow,’ says Thomas Groen, associate professor and teamcher at the University of Twente. ‘And for teamchers, the great diversity of potential solutions is always inspiring and rewarding, encouraging us to keep up our work.’
Meanwhile, the University of Stavanger-based team shared its experience with the ‘Green Transition in Offshore Wind’ Challenge, now in its second year due to high student interest. And Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH) sparked a conversation with the ‘Creativity and Artificial Intelligence’ Challenge, which explored the innovative capabilities of AI while keeping the potential moral aspects in mind.
‘Students got to actively explore the creative potential and the ethical implications of generative AI,’ notes Dr Jonas Bozenhard, teamcher and AI ethics researcher at TUHH. ‘Seeing their collective creativity evolve and materialise into innovative prototypes felt incredibly rewarding’.
There were some familiar faces, too.
The ‘Lifestyle influence on reproductive health’ Challenge that won the Team Impact Award 2024 made a comeback, with the team showcasing the evolution of its journey that is expected to span far beyond 2025.
This year, the Challenge, which gathered participants from Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Italy and Spain, faced an unexpected obstacle – the forest fires in the area of Aveiro. However, this didn’t stop the team from developing 6 new projects, from a plan to increase accessibility of IVF in clinics to an app that tracks reproductive health.
But it’s not just about the impact teams hope to make – it’s also about the impact these experiences have had on them.
Participating in ECIU University Challenges is an opportunity to connect, exchange opinions, and broaden your horizons. And for students, it’s also a unique chance to prepare for the world that awaits outside the university walls.
‘As part of ECIU University, you not only learn a lot about and actively engage with the course subject, but also gain valuable skills that apply far beyond the classroom,’ explains Dr Jonas Bozenhard.
‘The opportunity to present our ideas and final solution directly to a company and receive their feedback was the highlight of the Challenge for me’, adds João Santos, an environmental engineering student at the University of Aveiro and a participant of the ‘B2B Opportunities in the Energy Transition’ Challenge.
‘That interaction added real value and set the Challenge apart from other courses that usually tend to be theoretical.’
These Challenges may have wrapped up, but they are set to make a lasting impact.
The ‘Lifestyle influence on reproductive health’ participants are already planning a reunion for 2026, while the University of Twente team hopes to place even greater emphasis on climate change and sustainability in its learning opportunities this academic year.
And some of the solutions developed by the teams may become a reality soon, with participants inspired to take their ideas further.
‘The students and I presented the results of our seminar at a conference at the University of Cambridge, where they had the opportunity to showcase the prototypes they had developed in class to an international and interdisciplinary audience,’ shares Dr Jonas Bozenhard. ‘Now, some students are considering developing their projects into startups.’
The impact made by ECIU University and its opportunities takes many forms – and the effect it has on participants often exceeds their expectations. As a member of the ECIU University community for almost four years, João can vouch for that.
‘These experiences have shaped me in countless ways – personally, academically, and professionally,’ he shares. ‘ECIU University pushed me to go beyond.’
‘Normally, as students, we tend to focus on completing a course and moving on, but ECIU University emphasises sharing ideas, improving them, and creating a real-world impact. This helped me realise that grades aren’t the ultimate goal. Instead, it’s about knowledge, relationships, and self-improvement.’
‘For me, the most important things are alignment and impact,’ adds Mairéad Nic Giolla Mhichíl, Director of Micro-Credential Strategy and Innovation and member of the winning team from Dublin City University.
‘We are bringing to life an approach for active and engaged change on so many fronts. Why not get involved?’
Thank you to all the participants of the Team Impact Award 2025 for their applications – and for constantly working to make a difference.
Author: Anastasia Bukhtiarova