The exhilarating news of our students' triumphant success in the recent Climate Hackathon is thrilled to be shared. The team of Abid Hossain, Sadia Afrin Sayfa Negaban and Mohammad Fahimul Islam became 2nd Runners-Up with participants from other universities at Climathon Dhaka 2024 organized by Gen Lab, an integral part of the global initiative launched by EIT Climate-KIC-a prominent entity within the European Union dedicated to combating climate change through innovation. After shortlisting 35 students from 300+ applications and subjecting them into random teams, Climathon Dhaka had put forward a problem statement that had a dire urgency to be addressed.
The two-day event held on 16th and 17th February brought together young individuals aged from 18 to 30, for discussions, workshops, and sessions on developing sustainable business models. Participants presented their climate solutions to a jury panel, with "Climate Readiness: Creating a Sustainable and Resilient Dhaka" as the thematic focus. Sessions included expert interaction with United Nations Development Program (UNDP) representatives and a policy dialogue featuring Ainun Nishat, former vice-chancellor of BRAC University, discussing climate impacts on livelihoods, agriculture, and sea level rise. Mubin Sadman Khan, deputy editor of The Business Standard, was also present as a fellow speaker at the event. Edwin Koekkoek (EU team leader for Green Inclusive Development), Nayoka Martinez-Bäckström, (first secretary of environment and climate change at the Swedish Embassy) and Astrid Herdis Jacobsen (green growth specialist at UNDP Bangladesh) highlighted the event with valuable insights for sustainable entrepreneurship, academia, and policymaking.