For 24 hours, classrooms gave way to collaboration, creativity and problem-solving at the University of Utah Asia Campus in Incheon, South Korea.
From April 9–10, students gathered for the campus’s first-ever Energy & Climate Solutions Hackathon, an immersive event designed to push participants beyond theory and into real-world application. Hosted by the Wilkes Center for Climate Science & Policy, the hackathon challenged students to develop innovative, practical solutions to pressing global issues related to energy and climate change.
Working in interdisciplinary teams, students from fields including urban ecology, business, computer science, and games tackled complex problems under tight time constraints. Their task: define a real-world challenge, develop a feasible solution and present it convincingly—all within a single day.
“This kind of experience is about more than just ideas,” said Ross Chambless, community engagement manager at the Wilkes Center. “It’s about helping students learn how to work together, think critically and communicate solutions to real-world problems. Climate change isn’t theoretical—it’s something we’re all facing, and students need opportunities like this to engage with it directly.”
The event culminated in a final round of presentations and an awards ceremony held on April 13, where top teams were recognized for their innovation, feasibility and potential impact. In addition to first-, second- and third-place prizes, a best presentation award was also given, with a total of $1,000 in prize money distributed.
The first-place team, “Reuse to Reduce,” proposed an idea that captured both creativity and practicality: repurposing waste heat from data centers to power smart farming systems. The team—Suhyun Bae (urban ecology), Seungwon Cha (urban ecology) and Eunchong Jin (games)—highlighted the potential of turning overlooked energy sources into sustainable agricultural solutions.
“We wanted to find a way to reuse energy that’s typically wasted. Even in a short amount of time, working with teammates from different backgrounds helped us turn a rough idea into something more concrete,” the team shared.
For faculty, the event represented a meaningful step toward bridging academic learning and real-world impact.
“Energy and climate challenges are some of the most complex issues cities face today,” said Reazul Ahsan, program lead of urban ecology at the Asia Campus.
“What made this event especially valuable was seeing students from different disciplines come together to develop solutions that are not only creative but also grounded in real-world thinking,” Idil Ayral, professor of urban ecology, added.
Organizers hope this is just the beginning. Future iterations of the hackathon may expand opportunities for students to further develop their ideas—potentially connecting top teams to entrepreneurship programs or even international platforms.
As the U continues to grow its global footprint, events like the hackathon reflect a broader commitment: preparing students not just to learn about the world’s challenges, but to actively solve them.