Skip to content

CReative University Sustainability Hub 2026

After CRUSH

CRUSH 2026 – International Student Teams Developed Innovative Ideas for Sustainable Business

More than 30 students from Poland and abroad, representing over 10 countries, took part in CRUSH 2026 – an international educational event organised by WSB University. Participants worked in multicultural teams on innovative business ideas addressing contemporary social, economic and environmental challenges. The event combined the development of entrepreneurial skills, creativity and international cooperation. Students had the opportunity to apply academic knowledge in practice, exchange experiences with people from different countries and jointly search for solutions aligned with the idea of sustainable development.

CRUSH 2026 (CReative University Sustainability Hub) was an international educational programme and competition aimed at developing innovative business solutions aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The programme was delivered in a hybrid format. From 18 to 20 March 2026, online workshops were held during which participants formed international teams, learned the fundamentals of design thinking and business modelling, and began developing their own concepts. From 24 to 27 March, students met on the WSB University campus in Dąbrowa Górnicza, where they continued intensive project work under the guidance of international mentors and experts. During the workshops, participants analysed the needs of potential users, developed and tested prototypes, verified the assumptions behind their ideas, and prepared business models and final presentations. They used practical methods such as design thinking, customer development, lean startup, business modelling and storytelling.

An important element of the programme was cooperation with an international group of experts representing universities and business schools from abroad. CRUSH 2026 participants had the opportunity to develop their ideas under the guidance of specialists from different fields, combining academic expertise with practical knowledge in entrepreneurship, innovation and sustainable development.

The international experts included:

  • Ria Slingerland – Rotterdam Business School (the Netherlands) – an expert in international cooperation and partnership building, who supported participants in developing competences related to working in multicultural teams.
  • Sonia M. Gómez Puente – Eindhoven University of Technology (the Netherlands) – a specialist in innovative teaching methods, project-based learning and challenge-based learning, who supported teams in designing and validating their proposed solutions.
  • Marisa R. Ferreira – School of Management and Technology of Porto Polytechnic Institute (Portugal) – an expert in management, social innovation and corporate social responsibility, who helped participants develop ideas with a focus on their practical application and potential social impact.
  • Muhammad Mazhar – Nottingham Business School (United Kingdom) – an expert in sustainability and carbon management, who introduced participants to issues related to sustainability standards in business.
  • George Ionescu – Romanian-American University (Romania) – a specialist in financial markets, corporate finance and sustainable finance, who supported teams in assessing the economic feasibility of their business ideas.

On behalf of WSB University, Małgorzata Małecka-Tomala, Paweł Urgacz and Denis Spahija were also involved in delivering workshops and mentoring. They supported participants throughout the project process, in developing intercultural competences, analysing the economic aspects of the proposed solutions and preparing final presentations.

Thanks to cooperation with an international team of experts, students were able to look at their ideas from different perspectives, verify their potential and gain practical experience in developing innovative business models.

CRUSH Pitch Day – International Final and Victory of CIRCULAR X

The culmination of the event was the CRUSH Pitch Day, held on 27 March 2026. During the final, international teams presented their business concepts to the jury, outlining their proposed solutions, potential applications and contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals.

The winner of the competition was CIRCULAR X, a team composed of students representing Poland, Slovakia, Ukraine, Albania, Rwanda and Turkey.

The winning project proposed the creation of a comprehensive system enabling unused or damaged electronic devices to be given a second life. The concept included collecting equipment, refurbishing it and returning it to the market, thereby helping to reduce electronic waste and support the development of the circular economy.

The CIRCULAR X project, developed under the slogan “From idle devices to active value”, combined environmental responsibility with a practical approach to entrepreneurship. It represented an example of a solution addressing the challenges of responsible consumption, innovation and reducing the negative environmental impact of business activity.

CRUSH 2026 was not only a competition for innovative business ideas, but also a space for developing intercultural, entrepreneurial and social competences. Working in international teams enabled participants to exchange experiences, discover different cultural perspectives and improve their communication and collaboration skills in English. Students had the opportunity to make decisions together, solve problems and develop solutions addressing real-world challenges. An important element of the event was also the integration of Polish and international students, creating new relationships and building a sense of belonging to the international academic community of WSB University.

CRUSH 2026 was an example of the practical implementation of the concept of Internationalisation at Home, enabling students to gain international educational experience through direct cooperation with people from different countries and cultural backgrounds.

CRUSH 2026 with the Support of the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange

The event was implemented as part of the project “GETTIN IN CRUSH WITH WSBU – MORE THAN JUST A STUDY”, financed by the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA) under the Welcome to Poland programme. Thanks to NAWA support, WSB University was able to organise an international educational programme that brought together students from different countries, enabled them to work with international experts and created a space for developing innovative business ideas addressing contemporary social and environmental challenges.

The implementation of CRUSH 2026 contributed to strengthening the international character of WSB University, developing students’ competences and building an open, multicultural academic environment. The event also demonstrated how combining internationalisation, innovative teaching methods, entrepreneurship and sustainable development can create valuable educational experiences and inspire students to jointly search for solutions to the challenges of the contemporary world.

The project “GETTIN IN CRUSH WITH WSBU – MORE THAN JUST A STUDY” was financed by the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange under the Welcome to Poland programme.

Agreement No.: BNP/WTP/2023/1/00051/U/00001.