Future Challenges Lab: Co-creating sustainable practices in and beyond the Indonesian City

Please note: The registration period for the selection minors is closed. It is no longer possible to register for this minor. Let op: De aanmeldperiode voor de selectieminoren is gesloten. Het is niet meer mogelijk om je hiervoor in te schrijven.

The Future Challenges LAB is to be held entirely in Indonesia and runs from early September to beginning of December. This minor is held in collaboration with the Faculty of Social Sciences at Universitas Indonesia. The program's coordination is meticulously managed by the LDE Coordinator at the Office of Leiden University in Indonesia and conducted at the Depok Campus of Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta, where students will stay for three subsequent months.

Collaborate with fellow LDE and Indonesian students from diverse disciplines to establish your multidisciplinary theme project. Fieldwork takes you to the bustling city of Jakarta and its near surroundings, where we invite you to work on urban challenges as provided by our Dutch Embassy, Asian Development Bank, UNESCO and various research projects by our LDE and Indonesian partners. This exceptional minor program culminates in a written policy brief, offering you a platform to present your insights and solutions to a broader audience of stakeholders.

No prior knowledge of Indonesian language and culture is required and students from different disciplines are welcome. However, an interest in working with students from other disciplines and a willingness to work in a team and test new methods is a requirement.

Maximum number participants: 25 Type of minor: Selection minor

Selection procedure

The selection for the Minor Future Challenge Lab comprises two key components: an Essay on Ecological Footprint and an Intake Interview.

Essay on Ecological Footprint: Applicants must submit a one-page (max) reflection in English, analyzing their own ecological impact partaking in a minor abroad and, if applicable, suggesting ways to offset it. This initiative encourages students to critically assess their footprint—particularly in the context of international travel for a sustainability-focused minor. While no numerical scores are assigned, a well-reasoned and thoughtful reflection is essential for selection. Please send your essays to Dr. M. Fitzpatrick.

(Optional) Intake Interview: Candidates with strong essays will be invited to a 10-minute interview with the program coordinator. This conversation evaluates their expectations, interdisciplinary mindset, and ability to collaborate across cultures. Scenarios based on past program experiences help assess adaptability to teamwork, fieldwork in marginalized communities, and campus life in Indonesia.

Diversity Considerations: The interview also ensures a diverse cohort, fostering a rich learning environment through varied academic, cultural, and personal perspectives.

Future Challenges Lab: Co-creating sus

1. Critical reflective analysis of the ways in which Indonesia and other countries in the global South deal with the major challenges of our time, the often ingenious and resilient answers they manage to find and what we in the global North can learn from them.

2. Gain an understanding of the challenges of interdisciplinary work using concepts such as co-creation, citizen science and the application of methods from different disciplines, including ethnography, surveys, design and prototyping

3. Knowledge of country, language and culture, and using this to understand the most pressing problems and communicate about them with Indonesian counterparts.

4. Learn how to conduct independent research within a multidisciplinary and multinational team. Students go through all phases of the research cycle. This means, among other things, developing a chosen research theme; operationalization based on theory; writing an outline; collecting research data; analysis and reporting

Register for this minor

PLEASE NOTE: All students (Leiden University, TU Delft and EUR) need to register for this minor via [EduXchange](https://eduxchange\.nl/\)

Timeline selection

• Application Period for Selection Minors: 1 April 2026 (13:00) - 13 April 2026 (23:59) (Central Minor Coordinators) • Exchange of Student Data for Selection Minors to Faculties: Friday 16 April 2026 (Central Minor Coordinators) • Selection by Faculties: 11 April 2026 – 16 April 2026 (Faculties) • Enrollment of Selected Students in Selection Minors: Thursday 17 April 2026 (Central Minor Coordinators)

More information on how to apply via EduXchange can be found via this link. Prospectus code: 6000M0005N

1. Critical reflective analysis of the ways in which Indonesia and other countries in the global South deal with the major challenges of our time, the often ingenious and resilient answers they manage to find and what we in the global North can learn from them. 2. Gain an understanding of the challenges of interdisciplinary work using concepts such as co-creation, citizen science and the application of methods from different disciplines, including ethnography, surveys, design and prototyping 3. Knowledge of country, language and culture, and using this to understand the most pressing problems and communicate about them with Indonesian counterparts. 4. Learn how to conduct independent research within a multidisciplinary and multinational team. Students go through all phases of the research cycle. This means, among other things, developing a chosen research theme; operationalization based on theory; writing an outline; collecting research data; analysis and reporting of data; presentation in the form of a short policy report at a one-day conference