Aims and Objectives
To bring together students from the Asia-Pacific region and provide them with the opportunity to apply quantitative and qualitative analytical skills to real-life events, and enhance communications skills.
-To encourage students to develop a global mind-set and sharpen their critical thinking by reading news from reputable and trustworthy sources covering a diverse range of subjects, and keeping abreast of current affairs.
-To highlight the opinions of students on key the issues facing the Asia-Pacific region among university presidents, international officials, policy makers, and industry leaders.
The Challenge
Mortality attributed to household and ambient air pollution in the Asia-Pacific is higher than in the rest of the world, at 130 deaths per 100,000 population.
Write an 800-word policy brief to a leader in your economy (government, philanthropy, business, NGO, etc.) discussing the threats to health from air pollution. What are the solutions you promote? What are the resources necessary? What are the ways that this solution will make an impact?
Using resources from The New York Times and beyond, describe the ways that air pollution threatens a healthy economy and promote a solution that would advance the third United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), focused exclusively on health: “Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.”
SDG 3 calls for dramatic and inspiring achievements, including ending the epidemics of infectious diseases, preventing premature mortality, reducing maternal and infant mortality, and achieving universal health coverage, all of which will require significantly greater investments in global health. The SDGs have the potential to catalyze further transformations in global health and there are endless strategies to achieve results.
Eligibility
- Participants must be comprised of currently enrolled Asia-Pacific university students, as of November 30, 2019.
- Submissions are invited from undergraduate and postgraduate students across all disciplines.
- Teams may consist of individuals or groups of up to three students.
- Students do not need to be enrolled at the same university to complete a group submission.
- Students from all universities across the Asia-Pacific region are eligible to submit a case for the competition.
Submission Requirements
- Minimum of three references, one of which must be taken from The New York Times. We encourage students to use their university libraries for references that contribute to the discussion of their solution.
- Length: Maximum 800 words. Marks will be deducted for entries longer than 800 words.
- Save file name in the following format:
- Include the names of each team member, university affiliation, university ID number, and email address.
- Work to be submitted as a Word document (.doc, .docx) or PDF file to submission@apru.org.
- Please include photos, illustrations and graphs within the document alongside any attachments.
Submission deadline: September 23, 2019, 11:59 PM (GMT + 8)
*Please let us know your submission by ccing to kokusai-k
grp.tohoku.ac.jp when you submit your challenge.
Important Dates
Submissions due by September 23, 2019 to submission@apru.org.
The Winners will be announced at the APRU Global Health Conference, November 17-20, 2019.
Prizes
- The Winning entry will be published in The New York Times International, Asia Pacific edition.
- Winners’ trophies
- Your Work will be showcased across various APRU platforms, including events, publications, and website.
- New York Times gifts.
- A 4-week digital subscription to The New York Times for all participants.
Further details & Register Now!
Contact
Global Engagement Division, Tohoku University
E-mail: kokusai-kgrp.tohoku.ac.jp /Tel: 022-217-5578