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

• Official opening: CRUSH purpose, SDG, expectations and outputs
• Working groups introduction and team matching (international teams)
• Team building lab (collaboration norms, roles, sprint workflow)
• Teamwork through the lens of technology (remote collaboration, productivity, low-carbon teamwork)
• Polish language and culture in a nutshell

Day 2 – Design Thinking sprint - 19th of March 2026

• Design Thinking methods and best practices
• Group task: apply DT to one selected SDG
• Micro-presentations
• Mentor Meeting Q&A

Day 3 – From idea to solution - 20th of March 2026

• Customer Development: assumptions, interview guide, insight synthesis
• Startup basics: MVP, experiments, traction signals, iteration loops
• Business modelling: value proposition, stakeholders, channels, resources, costs and revenue
• Storytelling for impact
• 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

• Official welcome, program, tools and spaces briefing
• Expert talk: Sustainable entrepreneurship
• Team lab: refine problem statement, define target user, set success indicators
• Mentoring sessions: validate focus, plan discovery and prototype steps

Day 2 – Customer discovery and solution shaping - 25th of March 2026

• Workshop: interview practice and rapid insight mapping
• Team work: customer discovery
• Business model lab
• Mentoring
• Integration activity: Silesian cultural/innovation walk

Day 3 – Prototyping and validation - 26th of March 2026

• Workshop: prototyping options
• Digital teamwork tools lab
• Team work
• Mentoring: validation evidence, feasibility, ethics and unintended impacts

Day 4 – Pitch building and competition readiness - 27th of March 2026

• Workshop: pitching and storytelling masterclass
• Team work: pitch finalization
• Pitch rehearsals

Final Onsite Event – Part 3 (Day 5: “CRUSH Pitch Day”) - 27th of March 2026

• 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.