MSM Master in Management alumni join SDG-challenge in Portugal

This said 2024 Master in Management (MM) alumnus Ritik Ritik after participating in the SDG-Challenge in Portugal and he was not alone in this experience. Fellow MM alumni Rahul Choudhary and Harsha Ramesh Kandackappalli also participated in the challenge, all in separate teams. During the SDG-Challenge Portugal, multidisciplinary student teams from Dutch and Portuguese universities joined forces to come up with innovative solutions to urgent challenges shared for many rural areas in Europe.

Ritik’s team took on the challenge to design an online platform that could bridge the gap between rural and urban areas by enabling the meaningful exchange of talents, resources, and ideas. Their solution involved creating a blueprint for the platform with key features, such as a project discovery tool to find relevant initiatives, internship opportunities to involve students and professionals, and a "Living Library" where individuals could share their experiences and knowledge. “The company really liked the proposed concept and its functions, and they are now planning to apply for funding to bring the project to life.”

Rahul, Harsha and Ritik enjoyed the collaboration in teams with students and alumni from different universities. Rahul’s team was very diverse and consisted of people from India, The Netherlands and Portugal. “I never felt like an outsider, and everybody was very welcoming. The brainstorming sessions were very fruitful as we received different perspectives. In general, the challenge made me more confident as a person. Even we students can bring a huge change in society if we work together. Participating in the SDG-Challenge broadened my perspectives and improved my collaboration and presentation skills. It also improved my time management skills.”

The team I was part of had to come-up with a way to raise more awareness for an already sustainable packaging solution based on Mycelium, which is part of a fungi. The company involved was having difficulties reaching out to its prospective customers. Together with my team members we provided the company with the exact pitch and also to which persons and organisations they should reach out to. The company was very happy with the ideas they received from us. Part of MSM’s Master in Management are many group presentations which honed my presentation skills. This finally helped in getting my team the Best Presentation Award from the audience.”

Harsha also highlighted the teamwork. “There was a very wide exposure working with other students. I appreciated the knowledge and skill exchange amongst team members from varied backgrounds and age groups.  Overall, the SDG-Challenge Portugal helped me to feel more grounded regarding sustainability and the actions which need to be taken. It also helped me to become better at organising my schedule when multiple things came up. Together with the team, I worked on the challenge: What can Portugal and NL learn from each other when it comes to prevent, detect, and fight wildfires?”

Concluding his participation in the SDG-Challenge in Portugal, Ritik also highlighted how taking part in such a project enhanced his professional skills. “The SDG-Challenge in Portugal enhanced my ability to work under pressure, collaborate effectively in diverse teams, and think creatively to solve real-world problems. It strengthened my project management skills, especially in balancing multiple deliverables within tight deadlines. Additionally, it deepened my understanding of aligning local initiatives with global sustainability goals, increasing my capacity to deliver impactful, innovative solutions.”

On 4 October 2024, the teams presented their sustainability solutions in front of a jury and the companies. All companies really valued the solutions which the teams provided for the sustainable business challenges and look forward to implementing them.

About the SDG-Challenge in Portugal
The SDG-Challenge Portugal is aimed at connecting academic knowledge with practical expertise. The fresh perspectives of students help local organisations deal with the changing climate, social, and economic issues. This mission is endorsed and supported by organisations like the Dutch Embassy in Portugal and the Câmara Municipal de Mértola, along with partner businesses from both the Netherlands and Portugal. These entities assisted the students in developing solutions by sharing their expertise and best practices.

The organisation of the SDG-Challenge developed a special "pressure-cooker", during which the teams came up with tangible and actionable ideas that contribute to one or multiple SDGs. All these insightful ideas were presented in a spectacular final event, at the Castelo de Mértola, where the student teams presented their solution to a jury of professional experts, inspiring each other and the country.

This project is built in collaboration with QXote, a company dedicated to knowledge exchange for purpose development in Alentejo-PT, a region in Portugal.

Join the Master in Management in September 2025
Would you also like to become part of the Master in Management experience and fast-forward your career to higher levels? During the one-year programme you will be provided with the opportunity to understand how to steer your organisation to high performance in a diverse and multicultural international business context. You will learn from experienced faculty, international companies and fellow participants from different cultural, business and study backgrounds. The first application window for the September 2025 is now open!

Click here for more details about the programme or to chat with current students and alumni. You can also get in touch with Wessel Meisters for any further details. You can reach him via: wessel.meisters@maastrichtuniversity.nl.