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Environmental Circle G Eco ChallengerS (GECS) wins Grand Prize and Audience Award at National University Students Environmental Protection Activities Contest (ecocon)!
2018.1.10 Wed
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Environmental Circle G Eco ChallengerS (GECS) wins Grand Prize and Audience Award at National University Students Environmental Protection Activities Contest (ecocon)!

The Osaka University Environmental Circle G Eco ChallengerS (GECS) was awarded the Grand Prize and Audience Award at the National University Students Environmental Protection Activities Contest (ecocon) on December 27 ~ 28, 2017.

They were praised for their work in 2017, in which the circle held new environmental events such as "Environment x RPG" and "Real Escape Game," which added a gaming element to environmental protection activity, something which people tend to shy away from.

National University Students Environmental Protection Activities Contest (ecocon)

The National University Students Environmental Protection Activities Contest (ecocon) is an annual contest for university students all around Japan who are interested in environmental protection to make presentations, exchange ideas, and learn from each other. Hosted by the ecocon Committee, this contest also sees support from the Ministry of the Environment, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, and The Yomiuri Shimbun Co. Ltd.

This year marks the 15th holding of ecocon, with 50 ~ 60 groups of students gathering annually since 2003, making for a total of over 10,000 individual participants over that span. At the contest, students’ activities in the past year are evaluated not only by university students, but also by environmental experts from corporations and the government, as well as other academic experts and environmental groups. Even outside of the contest, participants can interact with each other and receive new ideas, know-how, and stimulation through exchange sessions and sectional meetings.

There are three different awards presented at econon, with the Grand Prize and Runner-Up Prize decided by the panel of judges, while the Audience Award is decided by the audience (the general citizens) at the contest.

G Eco ChallengerS (GECS)

GECS is the official Environmental Circle of Osaka University, and members of the club are at work daily in various environmental protection activities based on the principle of "contributing to improvement of environmental issues from the position of students." More specifically, the circle is involved in environmental education aimed at children, wall greening, picking up trash at the Ishibashi Shopping Street, collecting recycled paper around the university, holding a Reusable Flea Market, and promoting environmental awareness at Panasonic Stadium Suita.

In order to overturn the image of environmental protection activity which people tend to shy away from, this year, the circle held environmental protection events such as "Environment x RPG" and "Real Escape Game," which added a gaming element to environmental protection activity, under the auspices of Suita City and Environmental NPO "Osaka Prefectual Corporation for Agricultural Land and Development and Greenery Environment Promotion." The circle consists of 106 first- and second-year students from 9 Schools at Osaka University working hard every day to make environmental protection activity fun both for themselves and others through flexible viewpoints and ideas unique to students.

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Environmental Protection Activities Contest (ecocon)
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