UCD student Thomas Odey took part in the Una Europa Student Project Incubator, hosted online by the University of Helsinki, in spring 2025. Thomas is studying an MSc in Humanitarian Action at UCD. He shares his experiences with us below.
Why did you apply?
My primary motivation for applying to the Una Europa Student Project Incubator was the opportunity to be part of an Interdisciplinary, inter-university collaboration in developing cutting-edge research proposals. My expectations were three-fold in terms of access to support and mentoring from leading researchers, extensive network of fellow students and acquisition of knowledge, and skills and competencies to tackle present and future global challenges.
What did the Incubator look like?
The Spring Incubator was an immersive and dynamic virtual learning experience where students of all levels and backgrounds engaged in lifelong learning and collaboration. Spanning nearly two months, the programme was organized around four key thematic areas. It began with an official virtual launch on 25 and 27 March, followed by sessions on Research Proposal & Methods, Academic Writing and Ethics, Peer Review & Science Communication, Presentation Skills. It culminated in a Final Showcase and Evaluation Session on 6 and 15 May.
What team / group were you in?
I was a member of Team Diverse Divestors, a name that captured the diversity of our disciplines and backgrounds. Our group comprised students like myself from University College Dublin and others from the University of Edinburgh and the University of Bologna. As a group we agreed to choose a research topic centered on Sustainability, one of Una Europa's six focus areas. On this note, we settled for “Sustainable Universities, Responsible Investments: A Blueprint for Aligning Campus Climate Commitments with Ethical Financial Practices”.
The remote nature of our teamwork prompted us to leverage digital working tools and collaborative methods to ensure everyone's opinions, ideas and concerns were considered in different aspects of the project. Most importantly, we adopted a consensus based, peer-reviewed approach to developing the key aspects of our research title comprising the background, methodology, literature review, utility and conclusion.
What sparked your interest in this topic?
I am very passionate about advancing several of the United Nations Sustainable development goals (SDGs) especially SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities. I believe that individuals and institutions both have key roles to play in adopting and promoting sustainable practices that protect people and the planet. This belief has driven my social advocacy and shaped my academic path. So it was unsurprising that I aligned with like-minded peers in this incubator who were equally interested and committed to exploring whether our universities as hubs of learning are truly living up to their sustainability commitments both in practice and policy, rather than merely paying lip service.
What was the outcome of your teamwork / group work?
I like to think there were multiple positive outcomes from our groupwork. The first outcome was a well-written and structured research proposal outlining our planned research project to gain insight into whether universities who advocate for climate action contradict or adhere to best sustainability practices with their financial investments. Our research aim was to analyse the alignment between university investments and sustainability commitments, identify barriers to implementation and propose actionable steps from a student perspective.
This led to the second outcome – the collaborative effort of our teamwork, resulting in an award-winning research proposal that was well received by our peers and the panel of judges during the final showcase. Our win was a recognition and validation of our team’s ability to demonstrate the practicality of theoretical sustainability initiatives, specifically in holding universities accountable.
Can you describe the impact of the Incubator on you personally?
The Incubator had a significant personal impact by enhancing my confidence, making me more open to diversity of thought and helping me grow both academically and socially. Through collaboration, it challenged me to step out of my comfort zone and think outside the box. It was crucial in enhancing my ability to suggest innovative ideas and actively engage with my peers around an evidence-based research proposal. Overall, this experience was crucial in the development of my critical thinking skills and problem-solving approach to pain points affecting people and the planet.
Can you share a highlight?
I’d like to highlight a new discovery I made while working on our research proposal, related to the mechanism of university endowment funds. Prior to now, I had assumed the university finance department would be the focal point in determining the university investment portfolios. However, I found that this decision was instead made by fund managers who implement strategies to grow their clients’ investments across different asset classes and sectors with minimal financial risk.
I found that carbon-intensive sectors (i.e sectors that generate the most CO2 emissions) deliver good investment returns but they are not exactly the most environmentally friendly or sustainable. Depending on the funding strategy of a university, they might not have direct control over these financial asset choices which then becomes problematic if they are unsustainable. This new discovery was pivotal in informing part of our research utility calling on universities to ensure that they integrate the necessary Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) factors into applicable investment processes.
What would say to any students who are considering applying for an opportunity like this?
You are often torn between focusing on pressing academic commitments that require urgent attention and engaging with extracurricular academic endeavours to enrich your learning experience. From speaking with my fellow peers who are passionate about enhancing their personal and professional development, this is a common and valid fear.
Personally, I was conflicted about dedicating the little time I had left to a non-credit extracurricular activity. But then I realized the tremendous opportunity it presented me to connect and collaborate with my peers from other disciplines and academic institutions. In addition, participating in this programme gave me direct access to expert advice, resources and support that was crucial in developing my critical thinking skills.
I’d encourage my peers to be intentional about participating in opportunities that both give them a sense of belonging, broaden their perspectives, enrich their overall college experience and prepare them for life after university. Plus, what do you have to lose? If the experience doesn’t turn out to be what you imagined, at least you walk away with a wealth of knowledge, possible transferable skills and a valuable network of like-minded changemakers.
UCD will host the Student Project Incubator in autumn 2025. Sign up to the Una Europa email newsletter via the link on this page to keep up to date.