York U students to tackle sustainability challenges at UNHack 2025
TORONTO, Oct. 30, 2025 - This weekend, nearly 1,000 undergraduate students from across disciplines and academic faculties will convene at the Bergeron Centre, York University’s engineering hub, for UNHack 2025.
The three-day immersive learning experience is designed to harness creativity, collaboration, and artificial intelligence to address some of the world’s most pressing sustainability challenges.
Media are welcome to attend portions of the event, such as the Friday evening kick-off at 5 p.m., Saturday afternoon prototyping sessions starting at 9 a.m., or Sunday’s pitches at 1 p.m. On-site interviews will be available with participating students, mentors, and organizers.
Organized by the BEST (Bergeron Entrepreneurs in Science & Technology) Program at the Lassonde School of Engineering, UNHack 2025 brings together students from engineering, science, business, humanities, and more to work in interdisciplinary teams on grand challenges aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
KEY FEATURES OF UNHack 2025:
- A structured design-sprint learning journey: Participants will move through stages of discovery, root-cause framing, rapid ideation, prototyping and pitching over the weekend.
- A focus on sustainability and social impact guided by the SDGs and real-world problems — including transportation/mobility, energy efficiency, education, manufacturing and more.
- The integration of AI tools and mentor guidance to augment the experiential learning process, helping students move from ideation to actionable solutions.
- A celebratory closing-day with judging, awards, and next-step support for winning teams.
“UNHack isn’t just about building prototypes or winning prizes,” says Professor Andrew Maxwell, Bergeron Chair in Technology Entrepreneurship. “It’s about empowering students to discover their passion, operate in unfamiliar environments, collaborate across disciplines, and apply design-thinking in real time. The inclusion of AI-enabled tools means students not only respond to challenges — they sharpen their digital literacy and agility for the future workforce.”
In past iterations, UNHack has engaged hundreds of students to great effect. In 2022, more than 450 participants came together to tackle SDGs such as quality education and clean water and sanitation. This year’s scale, diverse cohort, and AI-enhanced structure mark a significant leap forward in experiential learning design.
PROGRAM TIMELINE (highlights):
- Friday, Oct. 31 (5 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.): Kick-off, challenge-briefing, root-cause analysis and team formation.
- Saturday, Nov. 1 (8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.): Ideation, prototyping, mentor check-ins, refinement and early pitches.
- Sunday, Nov. 2 (9 a.m.to 4 p.m.): Final presentations, judging and closing ceremony with prize announcements.
York University is a modern, multi-campus, urban university located in Toronto, Ontario. Backed by a diverse group of students, faculty, staff, alumni, and partners, we bring a uniquely global perspective to help solve societal challenges, drive positive change, and prepare our students for success. York's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education. York’s campuses in Costa Rica and India offer students exceptional transnational learning opportunities and innovative programs. Together, we can make things right for our communities, our planet, and our future.
Media Contact: Emina Gamulin, York University Media Relations, 437-217-6362, egamulin@yorku.ca
