MSM team wins the national SDG-challenge Audience Award for second time in a row
On 8 December 2022, a team of MSM’s Master in Management and full-time MBA students successfully participated in the yearly national SDG-challenge. Not only did the team win the Audience Award, they also came in fourth overall. In total, 15 teams of 15 Dutch universities joined forces ith a leading company to work together on the SDG-challenge of the company. It was the second time in a row that an MSM team won the Audience Award.
The mission of the SDG-Challenge is to connect and mobilise students and organisations to work together on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations (UN). The MSM team partnered with Bugaboo, an organisation that specialises in products and accessories associated with parents and new-born children. Bugaboo tasked the MSM team to develop a sustainable solution for their retail packaging.
The solution
The MSM team pitched several solutions to the Bugaboo team. Thanks to continuous feedback of the Bugaboo team, the MSM team could present feasible solutions during the grand final of the SDG-challenge. On behalf of the team, current full-time MBA student Mas’ood Majiet, summarises the solutions as follows. “First, we recommended that Bugaboo switches from plastic laminate, to biodegradable cardboard with its natural colour intact. This was suggested because plastic laminate harms both the ocean and the environment. Secondly, we suggested that Bugaboo abandons the use of chemical ink, and transitions to the use of an algae-based ink, as chemical ink eventually dissolves in the water, causing significant environmental damage. In this case, even if the packaging was discarded within the ocean, it would not be harmful. Lastly, we suggested that Bugaboo partners with NGOs who source plastic from ocean waste, in order to manufacture colourful tags in association with their accessories. Consumers benefit from this brand image, while simultaneously contributing to sustainability, by paying a little extra towards these efforts upon product purchase.”
Not only did Bugaboo welcome the solutions, the MSM students also learned about the difficulties associated with enacting lasting change within a corporation. “We found that every system behaved inter-dependently, and thus needed to live in equilibrium. Consequently, whenever one element within the system was affected, it had an adverse effect on other parameters. Our focus had thus shifted towards ensuring sustainability, without sacrificing profitability, nor feasibility. This contributed to the fact that Bugaboo will now use our solutions as point of reference for their future projects associated with sustainability,” said Mas’ood.
Participating in the SDG-challenge also increased the professional skills of the team members. “We learned a lot about time management, and the need for team coordination, particularly in light of our misaligned schedules. In addition, we learned about the need for cohesion amongst all team members, as well as the importance of effective communication.”
Interested to be part of this experience? The next intakes of the MSM full-time MBA and Master in Management start in September 2023. Click here for more information about the full-time MBA and here for more information about the Master in Management. You can also chat with current student and alumni who have already joined the programme and lived the MSM Experience.
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