Program

CReative University Sustainability Hub 2026 (CRUSH)

18th-20th of March (on-line part)

24th-27th of March (onsite part)

Participation in CRUSH is a continuous three-part programme that requires full engagement in all compulsory activities:

• first, you join the 3-day online phase (18-20 March 2026) to be matched into an international team, learn Design Thinking and startup basics, and develop an initial SDG-based solution concept;
• next, you take part in the 4-day onsite at WSB University (arrival 23 March; sessions 24-27 March 2026) to deepen the challenge, run customer discovery, build and test a prototype, refine the business model,
• and prepare a final pitch with mentor support; finally, you present your solution during the CRUSH Pitch Day on 27 March 2026, followed by awards, networking;
• and official closure, with departure on 28 March 2026.

Online Sessions – Part 1 (3 days)

Day 1 – Kick-off and team formation - 18th of March 2026 - 12:00 - 14:45

• 12:00 - 12:20 - Official opening: CRUSH purpose, SDG, expectations and outputs
• 12:20 - 12:50 CRUSH 2026 rules introduction and team matching - Paweł Urgacz (WSB University)
• 12:50 - 13:30 Team building - Paweł Urgacz (WSB University)
• 13:30 - 13:45 Break
• 13:45 - 14:15 CRUSH Teamwork technology - Paweł Urgacz (WSB University)
• 14:15 - 14:45 Polish language and culture in a nutshell - Denis Spahija (WSB University)

Day 2 – Design Thinking sprint - 19th of March 2026 - 12:00 - 15:15

• 12:00 - 12:45 Design Thinking methods and best practices - Małgorzata Małecka (WSB University)
• 12:45 - 13:30 Group task: apply DT to one selected SDG - Małgorzata Małecka (WSB University)
• 13:30 - 13:45 Brake 
• 13:30 - 14:30 Micro-presentations - Małgorzata Małecka (WSB University)
• 14:30 - 15:15 Mentor Meeting Q&A - Małgorzata Małecka (WSB University)

Day 3 – From idea to solution - 20th of March 2026 - 12:00 - 14:30

• 12:00 - 12:45 Customer Development: assumptions, interview guide, insight synthesis - Paweł Urgacz (WSB University)
• 12:45 - 13:30 Business modelling: value proposition, stakeholders, channels, resources, costs and revenue - Paweł Urgacz (WSB University)
• 13:30 - 13:45 Brake
• 13:30 - 13:55 Framing ideas into BMC - Paweł Urgacz (WSB University)
• 13:55 - 14:30 Final project guidelines

Onsite Sessions – Part 2 (4 days at WSB University)

Arrival to Poland - 23rd of March 2026

Day 1 – Welcome, challenge deepening and sprint planning - 24th of March 2026 - 9:30 - 19:00

• 9:30 - 10:00 Arrival at WSB University Campus in Dabrowa Gornicza
• 10:00 - 10:45 Official welcome, program, tools and spaces briefing - Paweł Urgacz (WSB University)
• 10:45 - 13:30 Team lab I and Mentoring sessions (with all CRUSH2026 Mentors)
• 13:30 - 14:15 Lunch
• 14:15 - 16:00 Team lab II: refine problem statement, define target user, set success indicators and Mentoring sessions (with all CRUSH2026 Mentors)
• 16:30 - 18:00 Geting to Know Silesia (Guided tour in Katowice)

Day 2 – Customer discovery and solution shaping - 25th of March 2026 - 9:30 - 16:30

• 9:30 - 10:00 Arrival at WSB University Campus in Dabrowa Gornicza
• 10:10 - 12:00 Expert talk: Multicultural teams - Ria Slingerland (Rotterdam Business School)
• 12:00 - 13:00 Lunch
• 13:00 - 13:45 Expert talk: Sustainable entrepreneurship - George Ionescu (Romanian-American University)
• 13:45 - 16:00 Team lab III and Mentoring sessions (with all CRUSH2026 Mentors)
•  16:00 - 16:45 Expert talk: Challenge Based Learning - new approach to teaching and learning - Sonia M. Gómez Puente (Eindhoven University of Technology)
• 17:00 - 18:00 Innovation walk 

Day 3 – Prototyping and validation - 26th of March 2026 - 9:30 - 16:30

• 9:30 - 10:00 Arrival at WSB University Campus in Dabrowa Gornicza
• 10:00 - 10:45 Expert talk: Ideas for sale - Marisa R. Ferreira (School of Management and Technology of Porto Polytechnic Institute)
• 10:45 - 13:30 Team lab V and Mentoring sessions (with all CRUSH2026 Mentors)
• 13:30 - 14:15 Lunch
• 14:15 - 15:00 Expert talk: Sustainability standards in corporate world - Muhammad Mazhar (Nottingham Trent Business School)
• 15:00 - 16:30 Team lab VI and Mentoring sessions (with all CRUSH2026 Mentors)

Day 4 – Pitch building and competition readiness - 27th of March 2026 - 8:30 - 13:15

• 9:30 - 10:00 Arrival at WSB University Campus in Dabrowa Gornicza
• 10:00 - 11:45 Team lab VII: project finalization
• 11:45 - 12:30 Pitch rehearsals
• 12:30 - 13:15 Lunch

Final Onsite Event – Part 3 (Day 4: “CRUSH Pitch Day”) - 27th of March 2026 - 13:30 - 15:00

• Opening of the final event
• Team pitches
• Jury deliberation and awards
• Networking and media moment
• Official closure

Departure from Poland - 28th of March 2026

Funding: CRUSH is implemented as part of internationalisation activities supported by the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA) under the Welcome to Poland programme.