MADINAH: The Islamic University of Madinah has announced the launch of the “Innovate” competition for a sustainable university city. 

The competition aims to empower students to present innovative solutions that contribute to developing the campus environment and enhancing sustainability and quality of life within the university.

The competition focuses on motivating participants to design practical, implementable initiatives across multiple tracks, including renewable energy and efficiency, resource and water management, zero-waste initiatives, sustainable and smart transportation, sustainable healthcare, quality of the educational environment and buildings, the circular economy and campus life, digital transformation, and responsible consumption.

The competition stages include the submission phase, followed by prototype implementation, and final judging before a closing ceremony honoring the winners and distinguished participants.

The deadline for submissions was on Sunday, with the remaining stages continuing according to the approved timeline.

The university stated that applicants must be enrolled as undergraduate or graduate students, with participation allowed individually or in teams of two to five members, provided the idea is original, innovative, and not copied from existing projects.

Judging criteria include the level of innovation, feasibility, environmental impact, economic viability, and quality of the prototype. Prizes and financial support of up to SR60,000 ($16,000) have been allocated to encourage participants to present impactful solutions that advance sustainability goals within the university.