The Nature Based Solutions* Challenge is based on 5 online Masterclasses (distance learning) and a 2,5 day Hackathon in the center of Paris in the end of November 2025. The challenge thus offers an innovative, blended learning program for EELISA students, emphasizing participation, and international co-construction of solutions (besides the acquisition of new competencies).
Strengthen your resume, grow your professional connections, and tackle real-world challenges.
It underscores the critical role of restoring and preserving urban green spaces, highlights the contribution of living species to ecosystem stability, and illustrates how nature can serve as an ally in sustainability efforts, under the right conditions. Through this program, students will enhance their knowledge and awareness of climate change and its impacts, while applying technical skills to real-world scenarios with a focus on multidisciplinarity within multinational teams. The challenge will also facilitate a deeper understanding of the importance of stakeholder inclusion in decision-making processes.
Students from different countries and different study programs (chemistry, geology, social sciences, economics, urban planning…) will be working in groups on the challenge aiming at inventing and challenging valuable Nature Based Solutions for greening cities. The scenarios are proposed by companies and/or cities or inspired by these real field situations.
Organization of the NBS Challenge : 3 steps
Step 1 : Synchronic online international Masterclasses (from 5 till 6:30 pm – 5 dates between 3 and 17 November, 2025)
- First Masterclass by PSL : main understanding of NBS (definition, European policies, role of IUCN&other actors, basic ecological mentions) & Information on the composition of the interdisciplinary teams (determined by staff) and the scenarios for the hackathon
- Case study 1 by BME : description of NBS as a solution for heat islands in cities, lecture on financial/management issues, role of the city council
- Case study 2 by SSSA : description of coastal erosion and NBS, lecture about stakeholders’ involvement, position, and acceptance
- Case study 3 by UPM : description of the Madrid’s Metropolitan Forest as solution also for health, and social positive impacts, lecture about tools to assess, and monitoring through remote sensing the dynamics of the vegetation cover
- Case study 4 by FAU, UPB &PSL : climate change and water management (quality, quantity), lecture on climate change, hydrology and pollution
Step 2 : Flipped/ inverted class on how to have successful NBS (from 5 till 7 pm on 24th of November, 2025)
Based on examples and/or scientific literature, students will within their international team have to identify the drawbacks, limits, do’s & don’ts of Nature Based Solutions, and present their findings in the “flipped or inverted Masterclass”, guided by the professors dedicated to this Challenges from partner universities (at least 1/university) through debates within the groups.
Step 3 : Hybrid hackathon: 2 days1/2 immersive challenge, in Paris (Mines Paris PSL, in the center of Paris, 26-28th November 2025)
- Day 1 : (Arrival +) 2 pm : testimony from companies on implementation of NBS in France and abroad & 6 pm group activity
- Day 2 : Work on the hackathon – first pitch on the solution in the evening, associated teachers are coaching the teams on different aspects (problem definition, technical feasibility, social acceptance cost of the solution, feasibility of maintenance and surveillance, impact analysis) and give feedback after the first pitch
- Day 3 : Time to improve proposal & each team of interdisciplinary/international students will present their work and will be evaluated by a mixed jury, composed of professional members (company, public authorities) and professors from the partner universities.
Enrollment conditions
The activity is open to all students from Eelisa institutions. The selection, if necessary, of participating students will be based on criteria of (a) excellence, (b) relevance of motivation both on scientific discipline (need of international/interdisciplinary teams) and contribution to non-scientific aspects of teambuilding (c) geographical balance, (d) students’ possibility of mobility – we might priorize candidates not able to have long term mobility for economic (or other?) reasons for participation in this short term funded activity.
Students will have the possibility to participate remotely to the hackathon as well, if they cannot travel to France. We will organize dedicated “distant teams” (interdisciplinary teams composed of students from different universities/disciplines), that will get on-line coaching during the hackathon and will pitch online for the jury present in Paris.
Hackathon registration
*Nature Based Solutions : The Nature Based Solutions (NBS) are actions that protect, restore, or sustainably manage ecosystems to address societal challenges like climate change, water security, or disaster risks. They work with nature such as wetlands for flood control or urban trees for cooling while providing benefits for people and biodiversity. NBS are cost-effective, resilient, and create long-term environmental and social value.
1 Year = 60 ECTS = 1,500 to 1,800 hours
1 ECTS credit: 25 to 30 hours of work
