Study Competition on Sustainability: Towards the ASU Summer Experience in Arizona

In alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Arizona State University (ASU) organizes a global Summer Experience each year, featuring professional workshops and a global learning competition for students. METU students were invited to participate in this prestigious program last year and again this year. Last year, three students represented METU as observers, attending the program’s professional training sessions. This year, three METU students will not only attend but also compete in the Global Competition.

From June 23–27, 2025, in Tempe, Arizona, METU will be represented by Elizaveta Belaia, Gökçe Deniz Gür Güvenç, and Mohadeseh Tohidimonfared, MA students in Art and Design Management. They secured their spot by winning the METU qualifying round with their project, "ReFab." The ReFab team’s innovative concept focuses on providing ethical, aesthetic, and affordable ways to use recycled furniture and household items globally, leveraging creative rental methods.

The "Innovative Solutions for Sustainable Development Goals Global Competition" is the highlight of the ASU Summer Experience, inviting students from around the world to propose innovative "green" practices and sustainable business solutions addressing topics such as drinking water safety, health and well-being, or sustainable urban planning. Before the Arizona final, held in teams of three, students participate in qualifying rounds at their home universities. For 2025, the competition will center on the community impacts of sustainable innovations, welcoming creative ideas across this broad theme.

ASU has established a standardized set of application criteria—covering business model presentations, video submission formats, and other requirements—which are publicly available to all participants. At METU, the International Coordination Office provided a preparatory workshop and online consultations for interested students. This resulted in 14 teams submitting proposals on diverse topics.

After an initial pre-selection and interviews, the METU Round took place on November 20, 2024. An expert jury, including Dr. László Szabó, Advisor to the President/CEO and founder of the Hungarian Innovation Hub; Dr. Zsuzsanna Pörczi, Vice-Dean for International and Scientific Affairs; Dr. Eszter Horváth from the ART Faculty; and Dr. László Radácsi and Dr. András Szeberényi from the Faculty of Business and Economics, evaluated the five best-performing teams based on ASU's criteria. The jury unanimously selected the ReFab team as the winner, with the TriAqua team taking second place for their innovative mobile microplastic water filter concept.

Other notable projects included:

UTEM - Palooza: An app for exchanging surplus food and household items, fostering community connections.

The Sting - River: An AI-driven platform to support budget-friendly, health-conscious food purchasing decisions.

Nomad Coffee: A sustainable coffee vending machine system using recycled containers, aimed primarily at university campuses.

In her closing remarks, Dr. Zsuzsanna Pörczi highlighted the students’ dedication:

"It is inspiring to see so many young students committed to driving change through innovative ideas that can reshape our shared world. Their teamwork, focus on sustainability, and attention to circular economy principles are commendable. Beyond addressing environmental and economic challenges, their projects emphasize community-building, showing how we can create greener, more ethical environments locally and globally."

To ensure the ReFab team is well-prepared for the finals and to mentor the TriAqua team, Dr. László Szabó and Dr. Péter Fáykiss will host a special start-up preparation workshop next semester. METU will cover the travel and participation costs for the winning team.

Congratulations to all participants and especially the ReFab team! We encourage all METU students to consider applying for next year’s Global Competition, whether with new ideas or by building on existing projects.

Information about the ASU Summer Experience program will soon be available on the METU website. Any METU student can apply individually to participate in the Summer University workshops as a fee-paying attendee.