​​​Challenge Theme 2022: Wasting Nothing

The President’s Challenge for Climate Solutions was launched in 2022 to encourage AKU students globally to think critically about climate change and serve as change agents for climate action. The Challenge aimed to educate, inspire, and encourage students to engage with climate issues and submit innovative and viable ideas. The theme for the inaugural year was "Wasting Nothing," prompting mindful consumption of resources such as water, electricity, food, and time. The Challenge was executed with the support of various AKU departments, including the Office of Student Affairs, CCIT, the Office of Environment and Sustainability, and the Office of Communications. The Challenge process was divided into phases: an Expression of Interest, an Ideation Sprint, a Hackathon, and a Schools Competition. The Challenge concluded with a hybrid Closing Ceremony where student teams presented their ideas, and AKU's President expressed the importance of acting on climate change.​

​The theme "Waste Nothing" had been selected to help students, residents, and interns engage with the massive issues of climate in a more manageable and pragmatic way. While the most obvious issue stemming from this theme was that of waste and pollution reduction, there were other ways to ​conceptualize 'waste nothing.' Students had been encouraged to look at how waste products were created through hospital operations, the cafeterias at AKU, their own eating and cleaning habits at home and in hostels, in their communities, through economic activity in wider society, and much more.


Moving towards the alternate conception of wasting nothing—this had triggered students' minds towards thinking of all the valuable resources that were wasted, and which could be conserved and reused, on a regular basis in their lives—e.g., water, electricity, gas, oil, food, and so much more.

The Challenge consisted of an annual educational and awareness campaign combined with an annual submissions-based competition.

Participants were provided support in the forms of an Ideation Sprint, advisory sessions with subject matter experts, field visits to AKU and external facilities of power, water, and waste management.

​Winning Ideas from the Challenge

Collection of plastics and recycling into durable products - Team Relast
Ridesharing app and leveraging people-based solutions - Team Climatica
Eco-friendly, biodegradable sanitary pads - Team ThinkGreen​

Winning Ideas from the School Challenge​

Conserving water using tap aerators - BVS Parsi High School
Recycling of cigarette butts - AKHSS Karimabad
Making seed paper to address deforestation - ​Bahria College Karsaz​