The Common Mission Project launches Hacking for Sustainability with the University of Newcastle and the Ministry of Defence

The Common Mission Project is expanding its effort to foster mission-driven entrepreneurship next month with the launch of a new academic class – Hacking for Sustainability, the first-of-its-kind course dedicated to solving problems related to climate change and sustainability. 

The 9-week course will be offered at the Newcastle University starting 2 February 2021.

In the class, offered through Newcastle’s Masters of Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship program, masters students will learn how to use modern innovation tools and processes including the Lean Startup methodology to solve challenges supplied by the Ministry of Defence’s climate change and sustainability arm.

These problem sets include issues such how to measure carbon contributions of supply chains and how to ensure potential RAF Reconnaissance bases comply with the MoD’s carbon emissions rules.

“We are delighted to be offering this exciting course which will equip our students with contemporary innovation techniques through solving real world problems. Security and defence is increasingly about humanitarian and disaster relief efforts such as the urgent and effective roll out of the Covid-19 vaccination programme. Working on projects which help to reduce carbon emissions, our students are contributing to environmental goals which matter to us all,” said Dr. Rebecca Casey, who will teach the course with Lizzie Withington.

Adding to this is Common Mission Project,’s Executive Director, Dr. Ali Hawks; “This is an incredibly exciting new vector for the Common Mission Project, especially as universities streamline sustainability into their strategic agendas alongside government objectives.  Hacking for Sustainability originated with Lt. Gen Richard Nugee, the MoD’s lead for climate change and sustainability strategy.  His drive for embracing innovation in this area has been the force behind this launch, and we are really excited to see how the students engage with these problem areas.  We envision scaling Hacking for Sustainability as a result of this first course, building ecosystems around sustainability problems that can be accessed long-term.”

Building an ecosystem

Hacking for Sustainability is the latest in a series of mission-driven entrepreneurial academic classes created by the Common Mission Project to solve the critical challenges of our time ‑ from national security to natural disasters, from energy to the environment, from local issues to healthcare.

The series got its start in the U.S., launching with Hacking for Defense, first offered at Stanford University in 2016 and now taught at 40 universities in the U.S. In the UK, the course is called Hacking for MoD, and will be offered at 14 universities this year, reaching 250+ postgraduate students. An Australian version of the course, called Hacking for National Security, will launch at the University of New South Wales in Australia next month.  

Other courses in the “Hacking for” series include Hacking for Environment: Oceans; Hacking for Local, Hacking for Diplomacy. In the works in the UK is the launch of Hacking for Healthcare in partnership with the NHS.

In all cases, the classes aim to engage students in helping to create solutions that make the world a better, safer place.  Get in touch with the Common Mission Project:  info@commonmission.uk

Learn more about Hacking for Sustainability at https://www.ncl.ac.uk/postgraduate/modules/NBS8296/