The transition from education to the workplace can be a challenging one, with employers often seeking evidence of professional applications of one’s learning.
The final module of our MSc in Design Thinking for Sustainability, the Applied Sustainability Project, delivers an ideal springboard into the world of work by providing a practical, project-based opportunity to apply skills and knowledge acquired during the MSc in the real world. Over the course of three months, students undertake a major self–directed project involving proactive outreach, research, and collaboration with an external company of any sector.
What can sport organisations do to combat the social and environmental challenges we are currently facing because of Climate change?
During the summer I had the absolute pleasure to tackle this question while working with Leinster Rugby for my Applied Design Thinking Project as a requirement of the MSc in Design Thinking for Sustainability at the UCD Innovation Academy.
Leinster Rugby is one of the four professional provincial rugby union teams in Ireland and are known for their strong on field performances, having won multiple titles in both the United Rugby Championship and the European Champions Cup organised by European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR).
The team at Leinster have a well-established on-field sustainability strategy via the player pathway but had an opportunity to strengthen their off-field sustainability strategy.
There are already many social and environmental activities in flight at Leinster, which indicated an appetite to strengthen their current strategy rather than starting from scratch. Integrating the relevant social and environmental themes into their core values and strategy would strengthen Leinster’s off-field vision by providing clarity in the organisation’s sustainability strategy.
Through the Design Thinking process, we were able to identify the themes that are most relevant to Leinster. To maximise their full off field potential, we developed a multi year, three phase Social & Environmental Sustainability plan to put Leinster into a position where they can complement their people pathway with a planet pathway.
This has been a strong learning experience for both Leinster and I and it has been a real privilege to work with an incredible set of professionals to deliver a solution framework that will enable Leinster to baseline their organisation’s understanding of what Sustainability means and why it’s essential for the rugby community to embrace, empowers their team through clear roles and responsibilities and activates them, via a Social & Environmental Sustainability plan, to deliver against their vision on and off the pitch.
Sincere thanks to Shane Nolan for sponsoring this project, the core team of Eamon De Búrca, Anouk Espiasse Cabau, Rob Burke and Helen Geoghegan for their expertise, engagement and generous gift! A broader group of Leinster team members and partners provided many insights that were critical to shaping the solution pathway and draft plan and my thanks for their time and input too.
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Find out more about the MSc in Design Thinking for Sustainability.