Three Notre Dame students traveled to Daegu, South Korea, before the spring term to participate in the UN SDGs Ideathon for Bio Healthcare Solutions, January 7-10, 2026, sponsored by the World Federation of the United Nations Associations (WFUNA) Seoul Office. Kum Kang Lee, the Liu Institute’s program manager for research and strategic initiatives, and Iris Ma, assistant dean of experiential learning and associate teaching professor in the Keough School of Global Affairs, helped to prepare the students for the experience.

The Ideathon is an international competition in which participants develop and present innovative solutions to social and environmental challenges aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) — all within a limited timeframe. The three undergraduate students not only represented Notre Dame’s first appearance in this event, but they were also the only students from North America.

Students crafted presentations with peers from Korea, Japan, Türkiye, Malaysia, and Taiwan, as well as a few from Africa and Europe. Field professionals from around the world delivered lectures and provided intensive feedback during mentorship sessions with the groups.

While the timeline was intense and the language skills challenging, the Ideathon provided an excellent opportunity for students to practice leadership, delegation, and international cooperation.

Participating Students

Jennifer Leon ’27, Global Affairs with a Minor in Asian Studies

Natalie Morris ’27, Global Affairs and Arabic with a Minor in Peace Studies and European Studies

Carter Powers ’26, Environmental Engineering with a Supplementary Major in Asian Studies