Between October 6–10, the campus of the University of Information Technology and Management (UITM) in Rzeszów transformed into a space filled with ideas, collaboration, and inspiration. For five days, students and academics from several countries — together with experts from the regional innovation ecosystem — worked side by side during the SUNRISE Green Summer School, an international event dedicated to green entrepreneurship, the future of education, and responsible leadership.

You can watch the video from the event below

Learning Across Borders

Participants arrived in Rzeszów from five SUNRISE Alliance partner universities:

• Technische Universität Ilmenau (Germany)
• Université de Technologie de Compiègne (France)
• Mälardalen University (Sweden)
• Polytechnic Institute of Viana do Castelo (Portugal)
• University of Information Technology and Management in Rzeszów (Poland)

In total, more than 50 people — including students, lecturers, volunteers, and academic staff representing over a dozen nationalities — came together to share experiences and explore one central question: How can we teach and act in a world that needs sustainable change?

From Ideas to Impact

Workshops and sessions took place across several locations: the UITM campus in Kielnarowa, UrbanLab Rzeszów, and the Podkarpackie Innovation Center. The program combined theory with hands-on practice. Academic mentors and business professionals led workshops on green business principles, startup design, personal branding, and effective communication.Participants discovered that responsible entrepreneurship isn’t an addition to business — it’s its very foundation.

At the same time, lecturers from partner universities engaged in sessions on modern teaching methods, leadership, and the use of artificial intelligence in education. These meetings followed the i5 PRME (Impactful Five) framework, which emphasizes reflection, inclusivity, and value-driven action. The goal was not only to enhance teaching skills but also to strengthen a shared European learning community that nurtures future changemakers.

The Grand Finale: Business Ideas for a Greener World

Six international teams presented their innovative ideas for sustainable business projects. The jury evaluated each project for innovation, scalability, and above all, meaningful and responsible impact.

The winning project, Greenify, proposed a mobile app that helps users make environmentally conscious decisions by reducing daily energy consumption — proving that real change starts with small, consistent steps.