Award Ceremony for Student Video Contest and International Student SDGs Forum held

As part of Osaka University SDGs Virtual Student Exchange 2024, the Award Ceremony for the Student Video Contest and International Student SDGs Forum were held online on December 16, 2024 under the sponsorship of the Center for Global Initiatives.

Student Facilitators: Nicole Sanchez (Graduate School of Engineering) (left) and SATO Kyota (Graduate School of Information Science and Technology)

This 4th Student Video Contest entitled “3 Minutes of Inspiration for Sustainable Development” accepted entries of 3-minute-long videos on the theme of “Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)” from OU students and students from overseas universities with which OU has agreements. There were entries of 89 videos from 22 universities from 11 countries, with 11 videos receiving prizes, including the Grand Prize: President's Award.

These videos showed students’ keen interest in SDGs from a variety of perspectives, such as society, economics, and the environment. In particular, the following videos showed a high level of students’ interest in SDGs 3: Good Health and Well Being for All, 4: High Quality Education for All, and 12: Creator Responsibility User Responsibility.

Prior to the award ceremony, Executive Vice President YAMAMOTO Beverley Anne delivered the opening remarks. Following her talk, Professor Tshilidzi Marwala, Rector of the United Nations University, delivered a powerful message to students in attendance.

Grand Prize Winner

Video Production Award Winner

SDGs Idea Award Winner

Encouragement Prize Winner

At the student forum following the ceremony, a student discussion moderated by OU students, students talked about their efforts to achieve the SDGs and challenges they faced while making videos and answered questions. Lastly, President NISHIO congratulated the award winners and thanked attendees, ending the event on a positive note.

Panelists

Closing remarks by President NISHIO

The International Student SDGs Forum drew 90 participants from both inside and outside of Japan, providing a valuable opportunity for students around the world to think together about SDGs through online dialogues.

Major Prizewinners

Grand Prize: President's Award - OKULU ~ From Fabric Waste to Wonder: Indonesian Women Leading Upcycling Innovation（Brawijaya University, Indonesia）
SDGs Idea Award - LOCOL: From Cocoa Waste to Climate-Friendly Cows（Chulalongkorn University, Thailand）
Video Production Award - Heal Me Out（Osaka University）
Encouragement Award - Ecoexist: Transforming waste into animal welfare（De La Salle University, Philippines）

All of the prizewinning videos can be viewed at the official YouTube channel for the Student Video Contest.