ICU Global Youth Essay Competition 2022

 

About this competition 

International Christian University (ICU) and Japan ICU Foundation invite youths from around the world to share their views on how to make society better. Each year, essay topics are selected in the areas of human rights and current events. For 2022, the application will be open from August 16 to October 11. Apply to win great prizes, including the top prize of two round-trip tickets to Japan!

Prizes

Top Prize ( 1 winner ): Two round-trip airline tickets to Tokyo in the summer of 2022 for the winner and a guarantor. A visit to ICU will be incorporated into the trip. In lieu of the airline tickets, the top prize winner has the option of receiving 100,000 yen.

Second Prize ( 1 winner ): 50,000 yen gift card.

Third Prize ( 10 winners ): 5,000 yen gift card.

Special Prize (1 winner): 5,000 yen gift card for those who have not been educated in English for more than 1 year.

Way of Application:

All essays must be submitted online through Submittable platform.

The application form will open from August 16 until October 11, 2022.

Please visit our website to submit during this time.

2022 Essay questions

Essays must focus on one of this year's topics. Select one of the following questions from the areas of human rights and current events.

• Environmental Studies is one of the majors offered at ICU. In this major, students critically think and learn about issues such as food safety and water quality, consumption and development, ethics and education, etc. from a range of perspectives. What environmental issue(s) do you care about? What are unique and creative solutions to address them?

• Born of deep remorse over World War II, ICU was founded with the aim of nurturing global citizens who serve to create peace in the world. What does peacebuilding mean to you? How can young people work towards peace in our fractured world? What experiences related to peace and peacebuilding have had an impact on you?

There are no right answers to these questions; we are not looking for essays that propose the "correct" solutions that already exist. We want to learn about YOUR original ideas. As you write, start by reflecting on your own experience, think about what the problem is, and then write your own opinion.

Language: Essays must be written in English.

Word Limit: No more than 650 words, excluding essay title and bibliography

Essay Title: Essays must have a title. Please create a title that best describes the essence of your essay. The title does not count towards the word limit.

Eligibility:

Applicants must be aged 14-18 as of October 11, 2022 and must currently reside outside of Japan. University/college students as of October 11, 2022 are ineligible to apply.

How are essays evaluated?

A group of judges from ICU and the Japan ICU Foundation will evaluate all essays using the the following factors:

• Thesis
• Supporting arguments
• Creativity/Originality
• Execution of writing (Audience/Coherence/Clarity/Grammar/Style)

All essays will be checked for plagiarism.

An essay will be disqualified if:

• It does not address the topic.
• It does not include a title.
• An applicant covers more than one topic.
• It is not the applicant's original work.

Please Note

The winners' full name, essay, title, and location will be shared on the Global Youth Essay Competition website. Other information may be displayed upon receiving consent from winners and their guarantors.

Resource and Registration : Click Here