Revving up students’ enthusiasm for sustainability with the BMW competition

Revving up students’ enthusiasm for sustainability with the BMW competition

Connection is what drove Marketing Lecturer Dr Marian Makkar to team up with car manufacturer BMW Group Australia to run the 2021 #YourMelbourne competition. The competition asked RMIT students to submit their conceptual vision for Melbourne in 2030 considering the themes of urban planning, public mobility, personal mobility, sustainability and connectivity. You can see the full list of finalists on the BMW YourMelbourne competition page.

Highlights

  • Students value relevant industry experience with businesses that try to do good in the world.
  • The competition was a great way to stretch students’ abilities to collaborate and creatively problem solve outside of the classroom setting.
  • Educators can play a key role in promoting positive change by embedding ideas around sustainability into their course.

How did the BMW competition come about?

BMW reached out to me because of my industry connections – I worked in public relations for BMW, Land Rover, Jaguar in the United Arab Emirates and Audi in New Zealand. BMW wanted to work with students and be at the forefront of sustainability education so we began brainstorming ideas around what we wanted to achieve based on a vision of how we could get there.  

What was your motivation for running the competition?

I believe in the value of incorporating industry into our university practices. It’s important for students to see the relevance of what they’re learning practically while also enjoying the journey. A bonus is when students get to work with businesses that want to do good in the world too. I just love seeing these connections take place.

I also wanted to show off to industry partners our smart, innovative, creative, and collaborative students that can think outside the box and solve real-world problems. Our students are really socially aware, care about the environment and want to make the world a better place in the future.

What were you hoping students would get out of the experience?

I wanted them to learn how to proactively engage with the United Nation’s 17 Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs), be part of the ideation process and actively take part in making changes starting with Melbourne. Our students and future graduates got to learn first-hand the challenges of sustainability and what practical opportunities can be put forward to promote a sustainable future. Our role as educators is to embed these practices in our teaching and research.

I also wanted students to gain that industry connection and experience from working with BMW. You never know what opportunities can come out of working on such student projects. I tell my students to hustle, to take every opportunity and put yourself out there in front of employers. You never know what job, internship or referral can emerge out of this.

What did the best submissions have in common?

The best submissions were ones that really engaged with the SDGs and thought practically about how that can work by 2030. They also really acknowledged the people, ancestors and elders of this land and showed respect to the land and waters of Melbourne.

It was so inspiring to see multi-disciplinary collaborations and the power of diversity in ideas and beliefs in the group projects. Students from different disciplines worked together and came up with incredible and very innovative ideas. Diversity in people and their educational backgrounds can really build creative and innovative outputs as we saw from the winners. I was so proud of our students!

03 December 2021

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The YourMelbourne competition winners with judges Dr Marian Makkar (RMIT) and Wolfgang Buechel (BMW Group Australia).

What were some of the industry ready skills that students got out of the experience?  

The experience drove them to use critical thinking and problem-solving skills to solve a very real and serious challenge in Melbourne. These skills are the top skills employers look for in future candidates. Another industry-ready skill they gained was teamwork and collaboration. Everyone has a different skillset and making use of them to present something you can be proud of is very empowering. They have a competitive advantage to showcase to future employers.

The students also demonstrated creativity which can sometimes be underrated but is highly important to employers. The competition relied on creativity by asking students to think about a complex problem in a different way and using their imagination and knowledge to approach it. Creativity is a valuable asset because it can bring about ideas employers may have never thought of, increase efficiencies and provide sustainable solutions.

Has this project changed how you look at your course and sustainability?

I’ve always believed in teaching ethical and socially responsible marketing practices to better equip future marketers. The project provided a platform to embed the Sustainable Development Goals in practical ways without taking away from the core curriculum. In the future, I will be challenging students to consider marketing’s role in contributing towards the SDGs.

As educators, we have a vital role in addressing these challenges regardless of the discipline we are in. The more we promote and support the SDG agenda, the greater our chances of graduating critical thinking and caring students that are interested in changing the world and the higher the opportunities for positive change.  

 


 

Find out more about RMIT’s commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals.

If you are interested in incorporating this competition into your course for next year, please get in touch with Dr Marian Makkar on LinkedIn.

Story by: Jonica Rooke

03 December 2021

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Acknowledgement of Country

RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business - Artwork 'Luwaytini' by Mark Cleaver, Palawa.