ICU Global Youth Essay Competition 2024

About the program

ICU is a prestigious private university in Tokyo, Japan which is known for its bilingual liberal arts program in Japanese and English. Since its founding in 1953, ICU has worked to prepare students to be global ambassadors of justice and peace through international education. The Japan ICU Foundation located in New York City is an independent educational organisation. Its goal is to train global citizens who promote human welfare. Both the organizations are jointly hosting this international youth competition for young people all over the world without any discrimination.

“Peace” can mean many things depending on the circumstances, as all humanity’s problems both local and global are deeply interconnected. The first question for this essay competition for international students is “Describe a worldwide issue that impacts your community, why it interests you, and what you would do to bring peace to that situation”. Applicants have to present their own creative ideas and solutions related to the chosen essay question.

The university’s name, International Christian University, shows its dedication to being global and ensuring a multicultural campus environment. The University commits to the principles outlined in Article 27 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which states that “everyone has the right to freely participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits.” The second question of this global youth essay contest is “Are there people around you who do not/are unable to participate in the cultural life of your community? Why do you think that is and how would you act to ensure that their cultural life is accessible to everyone”? Submit your essay and get a chance to win a free trip to Japan or 100,000 Yen.

Eligibility Criteria

ICU will not accept essays that suggest the “correct” solutions that are already available.
It is your responsibility to share your own unique concepts and solutions.
The ICU Policy on Academic Integrity and ICU’s Perspective on the Use of Generative Al by students should be strictly observed in this essay competition.
Applicants must be between 14-18 years old till October 9, 2024.
Applicants must currently live outside of Japan.
University or college students as of October 9, 2024 are not eligible to apply for this essay competition.
The language of the essay should be English.
Your essay must have a title that best describes the theme of your essay.
The limit of essay writing is 650 words maximum.
Non original essays will be disqualified.

Benefits

For selected individuals:

There is no participation fee.
Top Prize which include Two round-trio airline tickets to Tokyo in summer 2025 will be given to 1st winner and a guardian.
A visit to ICU will be included into the trip.
Instead of the airline tickets, the top prize 1st winner has the option of receiving an amount of 100,000 yen.
1 Second Prize winner will get a gift card of 50,000 Yen
Third Prize 10 winners will get a copy of the “illustrated
Universal Declaration of
Human Rights in French, English, and Japanese” which is translated by the students of ICU.
A Special Prize to 1 winner will be given who has not been educated in English for more than 1 year. The prize will be same as 3rd prize.
All winners will get a certificate of winning the prize.

How to apply

The essays must be submitted online through the Submittable platform.
First sign up, read the instructions and then submit your application.
You can type your essay in a designated text box or you can write it in another document and paste it.
The applicants can submit their essays till October 9, 2024 on official website.
Winners will be announced on 20th December on the official website of ICU an by email.
follow its instructions to finish all the required application procedures.
Applicants must apply the system as requested within the application period.
Application link: https://scholarshipscorner.website/icu-global-youth-essay-competition/