KINGSTON, R.I. – Sept. 1, 2026 – A University of Rhode Island professor was recently recognized by the United Nations for an innovative classroom project that helps students tackle real-world sustainability challenges in supply chain management.
Koray Özpolat, a professor of supply chain management in the URI College of Business, received an honorable mention in the U.N.’s Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) Awards in Cairo, Egypt. The only honoree from a U.S university, Özpolat, was recognized alongside faculty from universities around the world. The recognition highlights URI’s growing role in preparing students to solve global business and sustainability challenges through hands-on, internationally collaborative learning.
Özpolat’s honorable mention came in the supply chain category, a result of his classroom approach, “Teaching Supply Chain Sustainability and Cross-Cultural Communication by a Case Competition.”
The project centers on an international business case competition in which URI students collaborate with peers from overseas universities to analyze real-world sustainability challenges faced by companies and propose solutions. Students submit a written case analysis and the top teams from around the world move on and present their analysis to a panel of judges.
UN PRME recognizes contributions in pedagogy, curriculum, research and academic development. Awards are given to those who have demonstrated educational quality, relevance across contexts, impact, and advancement of the U.N.’s sustainable development goals.
Özpolat spoke with Rhody Today about the project’s significance and what it means to receive the U.N.’s recognition.
How meaningful is it for you to have your classroom project “Teaching Supply Chain Sustainability and Cross-Cultural Communication by a Case Competition” recognized by the UN PRME Education Awards?
It is extremely meaningful, because it validates the idea that business education should prepare students not only for successful careers, but also for responsible leadership and this project connects supply chain learning with real-world sustainability challenges. Being recognized by the UN PRME initiative also reinforces URI’s role as a global leader in helping students develop the skills and mindset needed to address these sustainability challenges.
On a personal level, this recognition is especially meaningful because earlier in my career, I worked for the U.N. Having a U.N.-affiliated framework recognize my teaching initiative feels like a full-circle moment in my professional journey.
While I am honored by this recognition, it reflects the creativity and dedication of our students, the commitment of our teaching assistants Janos Kata and Kevin Kanaczet, the support of our supply chain faculty colleagues Tess Booth, Doug Hales, and Maling Ebrahimpour, the collaboration of international university partners across 12 countries including Algeria, China, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Italy, Kuwait, Turkiye, Turkmenistan, UAE, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, and the leadership of the case competition organizer, Global Supply Chain Classroom.
This recognition also closely aligns with URI’s strategic commitment to broadening its impact through global partnerships, experiential learning, and engagement with society’s most pressing challenges. By connecting URI students with their international peers to address real-world sustainability issues, the project advances both the University’s educational mission and its global engagement goals.
How do you think the project relates to and helps support some of the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals?
It directly supports several goals. It advances “Quality Education,” by providing experiential and globally collaborative learning opportunities. It also contributes to “Responsible Consumption and Production,” by challenging students to develop solutions that reduce waste, improve efficiency, and lessen environmental impacts.
It also supports “Partnerships for the Goals,” bringing students from multiple countries together to address common sustainability challenges. More broadly, the project helps students understand how business decisions can contribute to sustainable development and positive societal outcomes.
What led you to implement this case study competition in the classroom?
The idea grew from my longstanding interest in experiential learning and competition-based education. Previously, my students participated in humanitarian logistics competitions organized by USAID. Research and my own teaching experience have shown that students become more engaged when they work on authentic problems.
When I heard about the Global Sustainability Supply Chain Student Case Competition in 2023, I saw an opportunity to combine experiential learning, sustainability, and international collaboration with a healthy dose of team-based competition. The contest allowed students to work on real supply chain challenges while partnering with peers from other countries, creating a learning experience that extends far beyond a traditional classroom project.
How has participation and enthusiasm for the project competition grown since you started it?
The growth has been remarkable. We began in 2023 with just two paired teams involving four URI students—I call them the trailblazers. By 2025, participation had grown to 11 teams and 22 URI students working with partners from nine countries.
How do you see this project evolving going forward?
Members of URI’s supply chain faculty are planning to extend this international learning experience to benefit Rhode Island’s K–12 education system by launching the “Rhode Island High School Sustainable Logistics Case Competition” in the 2027–2028 academic year.
A list of all the award winners can be found here.