Building Capacity, One Campus at a Time: How University Partnerships Strengthen Humanitarian Engineering

Universities are filled with ambitious students eager to use their skills and knowledge to make a meaningful difference in society. As theories, technologies, and scholarly insights continue to evolve, students bring fresh perspectives to the work we do at Solidarity Engineering.

A major reason we've grown since 2020 is the dedication of practicum students who join us each summer. Coming from different parts of the world and a wide range of academic disciplines, these students develop projects and initiatives that help us better support displaced families while introducing new ideas and expertise to our work.

University partnerships are also a critical source of capacity building for Solidarity Engineering. Our team is passionate but small, and while there is no shortage of ideas, there is often a shortage of time and hands to bring them to life. For years, students strengthened our work through summer placements. In 2025, however, we asked a different question: what if student engagement did not end when the practicum ended?

That question led to the creation of our first campus chapter at McMaster University in Canada in November 2025. Rather than relying solely on seasonal placements, we now have a year-round community of graduate students dedicated to advancing our mission. These students can mobilize their networks, resources, and campus communities to support families experiencing displacement. In March, the McMaster chapter hosted its first event, assembling 50 hygiene kits and organizing a panel discussion on the role of humanitarian engineering and hygiene interventions in promoting global health.

Part of what makes university life so memorable is the strong sense of community found on campus. Put up a poster, book a room, spread the word, and people will show up. A fundraiser that might take months to organize elsewhere can often come together within weeks at a university. Campuses provide shared spaces where students are actively seeking opportunities to learn, contribute, and connect with others around a common purpose.

This is where capacity is built. It is built through bake sales in student centres, through assembling hygiene kits together, through research collaborations, and through student-led initiatives that raise awareness about global issues. In the process, students develop leadership skills, gain project management experience, and build partnerships that extend beyond the university setting.

The impact extends far beyond any single event. The students who assemble hygiene kits today may become tomorrow’s engineers, physicians, policymakers, researchers, and public health professionals. Campus chapters help cultivate a generation of leaders who understand displacement, health equity, and the importance of global solidarity. 

The value of university partnerships is not simply that they provide additional volunteers. Rather, universities create a sustainable ecosystem of people, ideas, leadership, and energy that enables a small humanitarian organization to achieve far more than it could on its own.

That vision continues to grow. In May 2026, Solidarity Engineering officially ratified its second campus chapter at New Mexico State University. Under the leadership of faculty advisor Dr. Bertha Bermudez Tapia, students are preparing to participate in health equity research in partnership with Solidarity Engineering, pending grant approval. If funded, this collaboration will examine and compare the needs of residents living in the Colonias of New Mexico and Texas, helping generate evidence that can inform future interventions and advocacy efforts.

As our campus chapter network expands, so too does our capacity to learn, innovate, and serve communities affected by displacement. What began as a summer practicum program is evolving into a growing movement of students and scholars committed to advancing humanitarian solutions both on campus and beyond.