On August 30th, 2024, a panel of judges from UN and other expert practitioners announced “One Health Coop” as the winner of the competition. 
“Timebanking”, a project presented by Team 6 under the mentorship by Dr. Terence Yuen from The Chinese University of Hong Kong.

The Social Innovation Pitching Competition was the culminating event of the APRU SDG Education for Global Citizenship Program 2024. Throughout the competition, students collaborated in teams, gaining practical experience in presenting innovation ideas under the umbrella theme of “Shaping the Future of Health & Wellbeing”

Students learned design thinking based on which they worked out their own unique topics and approaches creating their projects for this competition.

The eight projects entered the competition were:

  • Team 1: HealthBridge
  • Team 2: Medilink
  • Team 3: หมอ Now
  • Team 4: NutriShaker
  • Team 5: MomMindCare
  • Team 6: One Health Coop
  • Team 7: WeFundEDU
  • Team 8: NestCare

“Participating in the APRU SDG Education for Global Citizenship (APRU SDG4GC) program has been an exhilarating journey, brimming with excitement, learning, and collaboration!  This incredible program brought together students from 60 universities across the Pacific Rim to tackle some of the world’s most urgent challenges. As a representative from Chulalongkorn University, I was thrilled to be part of this dynamic initiative, and the experience has been nothing short of inspiring. 

A Week of Learning and Cultural Immersion 

One of the standout moments was the one-week onsite program in Malaysia, hosted by Universiti Malaya. Far from a typical academic exercise, this week was a deep dive into hands-on learning and cultural exploration. We engaged with local communities, discovered their unique practices, and saw firsthand how they navigate their daily challenges. This immersive experience was all about learning by doing, not just studying from a distance. 

During this week, I truly connected with the local culture, appreciated diverse perspectives, and forged meaningful relationships with fellow participants. The real-world insights and practical experiences I gained were invaluable—so much more than what any textbook could offer! This program demonstrated the power of experiential learning, where the classroom extends beyond walls into the vibrant, diverse world around us. 

Addressing Wellness and Sustainability Challenges 

With this year’s theme of “Shaping the Future of Health & Wellbeing,” one of the biggest global issues we tackled was wellness and sustainability. The world faces significant obstacles, from disparities in healthcare access and environmental degradation to mental health crises. These issues impact not only individual lives but also the health and stability of entire communities. 

Our project, “One Health Coop – Peering Platform for Sustainability and Wellness,” which earned me the winner’s accolade this year, was designed to confront these challenges head-on. We recognized that wellness issues are deeply interconnected and that addressing one aspect in isolation would be insufficient. Our approach integrated multiple facets of wellness and sustainability, aiming to create solutions that promote holistic well-being. By engaging multiple generations and fostering collaboration across various stakeholders, we aimed to create a win-win situation for everyone. 

The complexity of choosing a single focus for our project highlighted the interconnected nature of SDGs. No problem exists in isolation; each issue is linked with others. However, our project emphasized the importance of an inclusive approach that addresses diverse needs and ensures that no one is left behind. This holistic mindset was crucial for crafting impactful and sustainable solutions. 

Additionally, we considered how our project could evolve into a viable business model. By thoughtfully evaluating the project’s feasibility and developing a strategic business plan, we aimed to ensure that our solutions could be effectively implemented and scaled. This planning was key to translating our innovative ideas into actionable, long-term solutions. 

The Joy of Collaboration and Support 

None of this would have been possible without the unwavering support of my teammates—Sarah, Sun, and Nadhifa—friends, and our mentor, Dr. Terence Yuen. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who was part of this journey. To my friends and colleagues from Chulalongkorn University, Penny and Grace, your collaboration and shared commitment made every challenge surmountable. 

Special thanks go to our Malaysian buddies, whose warm hospitality and local insights enriched our understanding of the program’s theme. Their guidance was crucial in adapting our ideas to fit the local context.

I also want to express my profound gratitude to the sponsors and supporters, including the United Nations, whose dedication to global education and sustainability made this program possible. Your support has been invaluable in fostering innovation and collaboration among young leaders from around the world. 

Inspiration for Future Participants 

For anyone considering joining a program like this, I wholeheartedly encourage you to seize the opportunity. The APRU SDG4GC program is not just about academic growth; it’s about building global citizenship through hands-on, collaborative experiences. It’s about engaging with diverse cultures, tackling real-world problems, and developing innovative solutions with a meaningful impact. 

This journey has reinforced the importance of community, collaboration, and continuous learning. The insights gained and the connections made will stay with me long after this program concludes. For the youth passionate about making a difference, this program offers an incredible platform to grow, learn, and contribute to global sustainability and wellness. 

In closing, the APRU SDG4GC program has been an extraordinary adventure of discovery, growth, and inspiration. I am immensely grateful for the experiences, the friendships, and the opportunities it has provided. Embrace these opportunities, engage wholeheartedly, and you’ll find yourself enriched in ways you never imagined. Excited to see the theme and projects from next year’s winners—it might be you! Welcome to the APRU SDG Education for Global Citizenship (APRU SDG4GC) family!”

Article was written by Ms. Natamol THitithanida — Chulalongkorn University

“Empowering the Elderly: Our Journey to Success At The APRU SDG4GC Social Innovation Pitching Competition

Winning the Social Innovation Pitching Competition at the APRU SDG Education for Global Citizenship Program 2024 was an incredible achievement for my team and me. Reflecting on this journey, it was not just a competition—it was a meaningful experience that connected the team members from different universities together and challenged us to think critically about pressing global health and well-being issues and figure out an innovative solution for them.

Our project, which focused on creating a platform cooperative for the elderly care economy, aimed to provide social support for the ageing population through youth volunteerism and time banking reward.

Source of Inspiration

Platform Cooperative was first pitched by our mentor, Dr. Terence, via email while we opened up about our topic of interest. Despite coming from the education background, I personally resonated with the idea of integrating cooperative concept as a social innovation idea to support health and well-being concerns especially after attending the workshop on One Health and Planetary Health organized by the APRU team. Not just that, our mentor showed tremendous dedication in providing us extra insights on our initial ideas such as the inclusion of forestry aspect in our pitch and displayed undivided attention to ensure that we were on a right track.

After multiple back-and-forth discussions in both online and on-site settings, we came into a consensus to focus on providing social care for the ageing community through active volunteering especially from the youth and young adults. Interestingly, our mentor further helped us by introducing the time banking system, where people exchange services based on time that they accumulated through volunteering rather than money. By incorporating time credit, we foresaw a win-win situation for every stakeholder.

By connecting youth volunteers with elderly individuals in need of assistance, we aimed to foster a mutually beneficial relationship. The youth gain valuable life experiences, skills, and time credits, which they can use for future services or opportunities, while the elderly receive much-needed care and companionship. This model not only addresses the care gap but also builds stronger intergenerational ties within communities.

Key Challenges

Like any ambitious project, we faced several challenges along the way. One of the primary challenges was figuring out how to create a sustainable and scalable model for our platform cooperative. Rural communities often face barriers like limited internet access and low digital literacy, which could have hindered the elderly from fully utilizing our platform. We had to think critically about how to simplify the technology while ensuring that the platform remained accessible and user-friendly. Moreover, we aimed to include collaboration between primary healthcare providers and to spread awareness and community engagement on utilising platform cooperative for their companionship.

Another challenge was addressing the economic feasibility of our model. While time banking is a non-monetary system, we needed to find ways to ensure the platform could sustain itself financially. This led us to the idea of selling anonymized health data to government organizations, which not only supports the platform financially but also provides valuable insights into the health and wellbeing of the elderly population thus allowing policymakers to construct better and inclusive policies for them.

Teamwork and Collaboration

What truly made this project a success was the incredible teamwork and collaboration within our group. All of us were very active during our regular brainstorming sessions where every member was encouraged to share their ideas and opinions openly, which helped us to refine our concept. We each brought different strengths to the table, especially the perspectives of the elderly care in respective countries, such as Thailand, Malaysia, China, Japan, and Indonesia. From that, we were able to connect our ideas intricately and build a more comprehensive project. However, we still had the moments of disagreement on certain approaches, and ultimately, those disagreements led to stronger, more innovative solutions as we worked through each challenge together. It was through this collaborative spirit that we were able to bring our vision to life.

As the pitching date closing in, the tasks were also accumulating. Thankfully, my team had no problem in delegating the tasks and we often seek team approval once we finished our task to ensure that our ideas were all aligned. For me, I was in charged of the pitch deck and from that, I also volunteered to represent my team for the pitching session. I felt grateful that my team had no problem in putting their trust in me to carry the pitching and it made me want to do my very best.

Conclusion

This competition was just the beginning for us. We are excited about the potential of our platform to make a real difference in the lives of the ageing population. We believe that our platform cooperative has the potential to empower communities, foster intergenerational connections, and provide a sustainable model for elderly care.

Participating in the APRU SDG4GC Social Innovation Pitching Competition has been an incredibly rewarding experience. It has not only given us the opportunity to showcase our innovative ideas but also allowed us to reflect on the importance of social responsibility and the role we can play in shaping a better future for our communities. We are grateful for the support and recognition we’ve received, and we hope that our project will inspire others to think creatively about addressing the challenges of the ageing population. Hopefully, this can be a call for everyone to build a world where everyone receives the care, respect, and dignity they deserve.”

Article was written by Ms. Sarah Zulaikha — Universiti Malaya

“To develop the idea of cooperative health and wellness is new to us, but it was a great journey. We saw that building social connections is key to promoting health, well-being, and a harmonious society. We’re experienced now thanks to our mentor and members hard work, and we’re confident that our efforts will have a lasting impact.”

Ms. Dzihni Nadhifa, Kyushu University

“The pitching competition gave us the platform to bring our proposal to life. Although our project is still in the conceptual phase, the mentorship and networking opportunities APRU provided during the competition have laid a strong foundation for our future implementation. We’re incredibly grateful for the chance to develop our idea in a collaborative environment, and we are now more committed than ever to turning our vision into actionable steps.”

Ms. Sun Ningjie, Nanjing University