【Upcycle Contest】Reduce, Reuse and Recycle: Student Association Organizes ‘Upcycle Contest’ To Encourage Creative Sustainability

In the world that we live in today, the importance of sustainable development goals (SDGs) cannot be stressed further. To instill the value of the SDGs set forth by the UN and to encourage sustainable living, the Student Association of International Programs organized the ‘Upcycle Contest’; participants had to reuse everyday materials and come up with the most creative item/artwork they can think of.

Judges for the competition included former Program Director Chien-Yuan Sher and Deputy Director Thijs Velema. The artwork/item was judged on creativity, originality, innovation, and effective use of reused materials. A ‘popularity award’ was also presented to the participant that received the highest amount of Facebook likes and shares for their creation. The winners weren’t just handed a certificate but were awarded cash prizes of 2000, 1500, and 1000 NTD for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place finishes, respectively. The popularity award was also offered 1000 NTD in cash.

The contest drew a huge response from NSYSU students. A total of nine teams competed in the contest:
Team #1: Mashi


Team #2: 627 by Cao Huynh Hong Phan, La Hanh Phuong and Ha Thi Xuan


Team #3: Indo-art by Keval Mehta and Sushila Kumawat


Team #4: HiHa by Tran Khanh Chi and Dang Phoung Thao


Team #5: Vision by Volha Sakhatskaya


Team #6: FRANCYCLE YOUNG MONEY A$$ by Francisco Huang


Team #7: LILAS by Bui Thi Thanh Nhan


Team #8: Ophiotaurus by Ysanne Chen


Team #9: YCP by Elsa and Tiara


After intense deliberation, the third prize went to Bui Thi Nhan (team: LILAS) from IBMBA. Showing off her creativity, she completely transformed an old jean pant into stunning home décor items. The second place was adjusted to team YCP consisting of Elsa from GHRM MBA and Tiara from ICAPS. Out of cardboard, newspapers, and other old household materials, they came up with a quirky candy dispenser.

Finally, and deservingly, the first place went to Ysanne Chen (team: Ophiotaurus) from IBMBA for her meticulously designed orca (killer whale) artwork. Seeing numerous bottle caps lying around, Ysanne was well aware that they can be an environmental hazard, and she decided to put them to good use and come up with a stunning piece of art. The popularity award was given to Tran Khanh Chi and Dang Phoung Thao (team: HiHA) from CLC and GHRM MBA, respectively.

GHRM MBA congratulates all the participants and winners for showcasing their talent and creativity and displaying their passion for creating a more sustainable world. In the future, GHRM MBA will continue to organize contests and events that not only encourages creativity and innovation but also addresses real-life problems.