Change the world
with your design!

Kyushu U 111th Anniversary
VISION EXPO
Students of the world
can solve our problems!
It is said that if humans continue to live as they do, they will need three earths in 2050.
The younger generation can use their design and creative skills to find solutions for what is the most urgent scenario in human history.
With that strong conviction, we created these awards.
These awards invite students from all over the world to use their design skills to create new, bold, and innovative solutions.
You can help reshape the future of humanity with your design.
The Faculty of Design,
Kyushu University
SDGs Design International Awards Endowment
The Faculty of Design of Kyushu Unviersity would like to continue to host this award and continue our activities to implement ideas from young people worldwide into society and is accepting donations from companies and individuals.
News
November 12, 2022 | The Winners of the SDGs Design International Awards 2022 Selected! |
September 30, 2022 | The application is now closed. Thank you for your entries! |
July 21, 2022 | Topics for Theme 2 are now available! |
About the SDGs Design
International Awards

Global society is increasingly expecting great things from design. Motivated by the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), we’re seeing efforts all over the world to solve problems seemingly unrelated to design like hunger, poverty, and inadequate food supply.
Design’s role has moved beyond just the use of colors and shapes.
Design offers an effective way to solve society’s problems.
These awards recognize and encourage students with great potential to change society. They aim to share brave new solutions widely around the world, serving as a driving force to improve our future society. We look forward to many students contributing their ideas, and we hope for generous support and sponsorship of these awards.
Shigeki Inoue, SDGs Design International Awards Chairperson
Professor, Faculty of Design, Kyushu University
Theme
Let's Design High-Quality Educational Experiences!
Kyushu University would like to present the "High-Quality education" ideas that students worldwide have contrived!
We will discuss “High-Quality Education” in the world and in Asia with the intention to create an education where young people who are responsible for the future, have hope for the future, value life, and are peaceful and considerate of each other. We will share the "design" of the ideal education with students from Kyushu University and worldwide.

Let’s Design "High-Quality Educational Experiences!"
SDGs Goal 4:
Quality Education
Why not rethink the idea and process of education in our schools?
In this era of rapid change, what is the role of education that is needed today? What is the goal of education? What is the best type of education needed by the young people who will be responsible for the future? How should we collaborate with companies? How should Asia and the rest of the world collaborate to create better education for the future?
We are looking for design ideas that combine the following four keywords and "Education" from around the world.
"Culture" , "Art" , "Design" , "Advanced Technology"
”Education X Culture"
~New possibilities for education from a cultural perspective~
e.g.) Classes that Allow Students to Experience dining at Home in Different Parts of the World
"Education X Art"
~New educational possibilities created by fusing education and art~
e.g.) Creating a Happier Future: An Elementary School Curriculum Specializing in Art
"Education X Design"
~Creating classes, environments, and systems for education utilizing design methods~
e.g.) Educational Programs to Provide a Happier Future for the Socially Vulnerable
"Education X Advanced Technology"
~Proposal for future education utilizing advanced technology~
e.g.) Development of Educational Programs and Tools that Use Big Data and AI to Propose a Happy Future for Unequal People


Let's Design "High-Quality Educational Experiences!" with the Companies!
Let’s Design “High-Quality Educational Experiences” with the Companies!
Solving social issues cannot be achieved by one person alone. Collaboration with companies and local communities is also important. What kind of education can each company offer in the areas in which they wish to improve society? We are looking for ideas for class curricula, events, apps, educational facility design, art, and more.
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YUKO LUCKY Group Award
Let’s Design a Learning Place for Adults that will Revitalize the Community.
“Even Adults Want to Learn!”
In rural areas, there are not many places and opportunities for so-called adults, including the elderly, to learn. Therefore, we are looking for ideas to connect people, form local communities, and revitalize these communities utilizing the keyword “Education.” We, the YUKO Group, operate pachinko parlors, restaurants, golf courses, training gyms, and other facilities where many adults gather. Those who use these facilities fundamentally visit them for purposes such as “fun,” “dining,” and “exercise.” At the same time, however, these facilities have the potential to provide opportunities for personal growth to the local people who visit them, as places to “learn” and gather information. We look forward to receiving your design ideas for creating new places for learning that take advantage of the management resources of YUKO Group. -
Marine World Award
Design learning opportunities and systems that encourage people to participate in activities to preserve the richness of local oceans and rivers for the future.
Aquariums are not only a place for fun and recreation, but also a place for learning about living creatures and the environment. Aquariums play a role in nature conservation by housing and protecting rare species, and raising awareness. With the recent destruction of the environment, the role of nature conservation is becoming increasingly important, but there is a limit to what aquariums can do alone. Many people are knowledgeable about environmental issues, but often fail to take concrete action to solve them. By combining the recreational and educational functions of aquariums, we hope to encourage people to see environmental issues as their own and take the steps needed to solve such issues.
Aquariums also function as museums, where information on local nature is gathered and preserved. We hope that our aquariums will serve as a center for nature conservation in the region and provide education designed to preserve the richness of nature around us; such as the region's oceans and rivers, for the future.Reference
- Initiatives of Marine World Uminonakamichi
- ● Mobile Aquarium Classroom
- ● Observation of the seashore
- ● Loggerhead turtle spawning survey
- ● Sea turtle conservation activities
- ● Paddy fields (1)
- ● Paddy fields (2)
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Kyushu Gas Award
A fun design that teaches people that the energy choices they make at home are important in many ways.
We Kyushu Gas, are committed to providing comfortable and healthy living to the local community through the supply of energy; mainly natural and LP gas.
Energy used in the home is selected based on a combination of factors such as economy (based on age, family composition, lifestyle, etc.), diversity, convenience, opportunities for use, safety, durability against disasters, design of the equipment used, and many more.
Each of these energy choices also has an impact on the “Environment.”
Kyushu Gas believes that every person should correctly know the characteristics of each type of energy, reflect on it, and proceed to make choices that will lead to the protection of the local community and the global environment.
We are looking for ideas to help people become aware about energy and its social and environmental impact, learn about it in a fun way, and make decisions regarding energy use with conviction.
Awards
Let's Design "High-Quality Educational
Experiences!"
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Gold Award 300,000 yen +Certificate
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Silver Award 100,000 yen +Certificate
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Bronze Award 50,000 yen +Certificate
Let's Design "High-Quality Educational
Experiences!" with the Companies!
+Certificate
The companies that support the purpose of the SDGs Design International Awards and are active participants in the SDGs will provide these awards. Winners will be selected among the entries based on the companies’ evaluations.
Special Award(s) for High School Students
(Including Special Online Campus Tour by Kyushu University)
Special award(s) for high school students will be given to the best design proposal(s) submitted.
Entry Overview
Eligibility |
Any students in universities, graduate schools, vocational institutions, or high schools in Japan or overseas interested in design may apply (including working students). Students not majoring in the design discipline are also welcome to apply. ※Student can apply as an individual or in a group. ※Student must belong to an educational institution at the time of application. |
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Conditions |
Any genre is welcome. We are looking for a wide range of ideas such as product design, graphic design, fashion design, architecture, urban planning, engineering, sociology, and any field. |
Application Period |
June 15- September 30, 2022 |
Judges
-
[ Jury Chair ]
Akira Omoto
Jury Chair of SDGs Design International Awards 2022
Dean, Kyushu University, Faculty of Design
Vice President/Professor, Kyushu University -
[ Judging Panel ]
Juyoung Chang
Director, Professor
Asia Design Center for Future, Dongseo University, Korea -
[ Judging Panel ]
Ke Jiang
Professor and doctoral supervisor of the School of Design and Arts, Beijing Institute of Technology, China
-
[ Judging Panel ]
Kazuo Tase
President of SDG Partners, INC.
-
[ Judging Panel ]
Shunsuke Nakamura
SHIKUMI DESIGN Inc. CEO
Inquiries
SDGs Design Unit Secretariat
Faculty of Design
Kyushu University
4-9-1 Shiobaru, Minami-ku, Fukuoka, 815-8540, Japan