The launch of a new academic model in a specialist postgraduate institution provided an opportunity to ‘try the possibilities of things’ through the introduction of a core unit that invites over 2,200 students to respond to wicked global problems on themes such as Being Digital; Caring Society; Climate Crisis; Justice, Equality and Misinformation. This case study introduces the context for this new unit, delivered to most taught Masters students. It explores the institutional and pedagogical challenges in this ambitious blended unit, and reflects on the ways the unit has enabled students to make connections, and inform the stories that we tell about the role of higher education in identifying and responding to societal change.