SDGs x Innovation Sparker

In our desire to spark innovative collaboration among stakeholders on the challenge of making Sophia University a more sustainable campus, we hosted the SDGs x Innovation Sparker on October 29th (in English) and 30th (in Japanese), 2022. The event, which was made possible through the generous support of the Sophia Student Challenge Support Grant, brought together around 90 students, faculty, and staff members from more than 15 departments in Sophia.

Each day consisted of a keynote presentation, a Design Thinking workshop, and an idea competition that addressed the following design challenge: How might we circulate resources and prevent "waste" from being generated on Yotsuya Campus? The keynote speaker on the first day was Kelsie Stewart, Sustainability Executive at Loftwork and Chief Community Officer at FabCafe. On the second day, the speaker was Takako Ohyama, CEO of fog, inc. and co-founder of a circular laboratory called élab. The judges for the competition included professors from faculties ranging from the Faculty of Science and Technology to the Faculty of Economics, and a staff representative from the Office of Sophia Sustainability Promotion.

The winners of the English idea competition came up with the idea to launch an on-campus textbook return and rental system to create a circulation of books that can be passed to the next person in need without requiring them to “buy new.” The winners of the Japanese competition introduced the idea to create a “Sophia Farm” as part of an experiential learning program that aims to foster a culture that values food and does not waste it. Learn more about the event and read participant testimonials by clicking here.