Starting October 10 until 13, the University of Geneva (UNIGE) hosted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Olympics. This provided an opportunity for students from around ten universities to present original projects aimed at addressing global challenges.
From ensuring the survival of diabetic children in war zones to transforming food waste into mosquito repellents, the SDG Olympiad Geneva 2025 showcased the creativity and impact of students working toward the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Hosted at the University of Geneva (UNIGE) from 10–13 October, the event gathered more than 700 students from around the world — from bachelor’s to PhD level — to collaborate, innovate, and present tangible solutions for global challenges.
This year’s gold medal went to a team from the University of Copenhagen for their project “Community-based Action Plan for T1D Children”, which designs a community strategy to protect diabetic children during conflicts and humanitarian crises. The silver medal was awarded to USIU-Africa (Kenya) for Wetlands4Wellness, restoring the Ondiri wetland through local alliances, and the bronze medal went to KNUST (Ghana) for Peellnnova, turning fruit peels into eco-friendly mosquito repellents.
“This project, designed to help children in need of medication in southern Lebanon—a challenge proposed by the Red Cross—is particularly relevant to International Geneva and the current situation in the Middle East,” noted Professor François Grey, Director of the SDG Solution Space.
Launched in 2024 by a network of 12 universities, the Olympiad is coordinated by student teams in Geneva and Nairobi and supported by initiatives like 4EU+ Alliance and Albatross. Future editions will be managed by The Sustainability League, a Geneva-based student association promoting sustainable innovation.
🔗 Read the full article by UNIGE (in French):
Ensuring the survival of diabetic children in times of war – Journal de l’UNIGE