The Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) has once again celebrated the awards for the best Bachelor and Master theses that contribute to advancements in areas related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). AURORA has promoted the award in the “Environmental Impact” category, aiming to inspire students in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) fields to apply their knowledge to transformative projects addressing climate challenges. 

The purpose of the ‘Best Bachelor’s Thesis Award’ is to highlight and recognize bachelor theses as a means to propose real solutions to pressing problems identified by various social actors. These issues align with both local and global challenges outlined in the 2030 Agenda. The initiative has three main objectives: 

• To encourage, motivate, and raise awareness of the role engineering plays in enhancing people’s quality of life and the environment, while opening new opportunities and fields of activity. 

• To acknowledge, showcase, and share the outstanding work carried out by university students. 

• To foster a welcoming atmosphere during the awards ceremony, enabling knowledge exchange among students, faculty, and professionals. 

To streamline the process, three different categories were established: “Environmental Impact,” “Other Sustainable Development Goals,” and “Social Impact.” 

This academic year, 32 theses were submitted for consideration.  

The winner of the “Environmental Impact” category was Alejandra Barco Blanca, recognized for her thesis titled Energy Analysis and Monitoring of Java MVC Applications Support with PowerAPI. The two other finalists were Sergio Morales, with his project Web-based Application to Manage Energy Communities, and Carmen Bentosinos, who presented Analysis and Monitoring of Drought in the Sau Reservoir Using Sentinel-2 Images. The awards were announced during the last 2024 “Science and Pizza” event, a monthly gathering held at the UPM Campus. 

Through initiatives like this, UPM continues to support and promote academic research that contributes to sustainable development and technological innovation in the fight against climate change. 

The program offers access to tools, resources, training, and exclusive events to amplify the impact of ambassadors’ efforts. It also connects participants with a broader network of climate advocates across Europe. Recruitment for new ambassadors typically occurs annually, with the next steps outlined on the European Climate Pact website.

Our Coordinator Ana Belén Cristóbal is an Ambassadors since 2021 and recently AURORA joined the Pact as a Partner.

On November 15th, the 101 Spanish Ambassadors network gathered in Seville and online to connect, share ideas, and present their ongoing activities. AURORA was privileged to participate and deliver a presentation on the initiative that sparked significant interest. Many attendees expressed enthusiasm and requested follow-up discussions to explore opportunities for collaboration and potential replication of AURORA’s actions.

As part of the event, a dynamic World Café was organized by members of Climathon Sevilla to discuss various pillars of the Climate Pact. Our Ambassador and Coordinator, Ana, participated at the Financing Table, where the group explored how the Climate Pact is currently being financed (considering the context of COP29), assessed the state of the art, and brainstormed ideas for improvement.

Some moments from the discussions can be seen in the attached photos.