Islamic University of Madinah Launches Innovate Contest

The Islamic University of Madinah has launched the “Innovate” competition to develop student-led solutions that enhance sustainability and quality of life across the university’s campus in Madinah.

The competition invites practical, implementable initiatives across multiple tracks, including renewable energy and efficiency, resource and water management, zero-waste initiatives, sustainable and smart transportation, sustainable healthcare, quality of the educational environment and buildings, the circular economy and campus life, digital transformation, and responsible consumption.

The competition will run through defined stages: an initial submission phase, prototype implementation, and final judging, concluding with a closing ceremony to honour winners and distinguished participants. The university stated that the deadline for submissions was on Sunday, with the remaining stages proceeding according to the approved timeline.

Participation is open to enrolled undergraduate and graduate students. Entries may be submitted individually or by teams of two to five members. The university added that all proposals must be original and not copied from existing projects.

Judging criteria cover the level of innovation, feasibility, environmental impact, economic viability, and quality of the prototype. Prizes and financial support of up to Saudi riyals 60,000 (USD 16,000) have been allocated to encourage the development of solutions that advance sustainability goals within the university.