ISCES 2022 Global Environmental Solutions Challenge

Guidelines

 

The theme of the World Environment Day this year, "Only One Earth", echoes a call made fifty years ago. It highlights the urgent need for people to drive change through policies and their own choices, to practice cleaner and greener lifestyles and to ensure a harmonious coexistence with nature. Fifty years later, the motto of the 1972 Stockholm Conference, "There is only one Earth", still rings true, rendering the insight that the Earth is our only homeland and sustainable development is our only way forward.

The 2022 Global Environmental Solution Challenge aims to provide a platform for young students worldwide to discuss major environmental issues, enhance their ability to solve practical problems, upgrade their innovative ability and improve environmental awareness. It also provides a interdisciplinary and multinational learning opportunity for students who are devoted to environmental protection.

 

1. Topics

Considering that the theme of the World Environment Day in 2022 is “Only One Earth”, the challenge this year offers four topics. They are Climate Action, Health Guardians, Zero-Waste Cities, and Automotive Plastic Recycling. Participants can choose the topics they are interested in and sign up in group. Every team can choose 2 topics. The final allocation of topics will be coordinated by the organizing committee based on the selection of all teams. The challenge will follow the principle of “First-come, First-serve”, which means the first team to register has the right to choose topics first. The final topic for every team will be announced after the whole registration process ends.

 

2. Registration

There are two ways to get involved in this challenge.

1)Registration as a participant in this challenge. Participants can compete for honors and generous scholarships provided by the organizing committee. The challenge only accepts registration as a team. The challenge is open to groups only so that participants are required to form their own teams.

2）Registration as an observer in this challenge. Observers can watch the competition online and have the right to vote for their favorite team. They also have the opportunity to interact with guests or participating teams online in the Q&A session.

2.1.Registration as a participant

  • Qualification: This challenge is open to students of all ages or nationalities from all over the world. Students in colleges and universities (including vocational students, undergraduates and postgraduates) can all participate in the competition.
  • Specific requirements:
  • Participants need to form their own teams, with each team including 2-5 members.
  • Participants should ensure that the registration information is accurate and valid. If the information of any participant in a team does not meet the requirements, the organizing committee has the right to cancel the qualification and reward of the whole team.
  • Specific registration method: Team leaders register in the official registration system first. The system automatically generates an invitation link and sends it to team members, who need to click the link to complete the subsequent registration process. Team leaders can check the progress of team members’ registration on their personal page in the system.

2.2.Registration as an observer

  • Qualification: People interested in environmental issues can register as observers of the challenge.
  • Vote time: After registration, observers can log in to the registration system to vote between 15:00 June 3rd and 15:00 June 5th (UTC+8).

2.3.Registration as an observer

  • For participants: 18:00 May 15th, 2022 (UTC+8)
  • For observers: 15:00 June 5th, 2022 (UTC+8)

2.4.Registration website

 

3.Rules and guidelines

3.1.All topics of the ISCES Global Environment Solutions Challenge will be unveiled in mid-April 2022.

3.2.The registration for the challenge will be closed on 18:00 May 15th, 2022 (UTC+8). The committee will check the qualification of the teams and coordinate the grouping of the teams.

3.3.The committee will inform the qualified teams by email by May 19th, 2022. Teams receiving the email should log in to the registration system to confirm their participation before 18:00 May 21st (UTC+8), and work as a team to carry out sufficient preliminary research preparations for the topic, including but not limited to field research, field investigation, model building, etc.

3.4.All teams need to send their product/creation/work to the registration system before 12:00 May 27th, 2022 (UTC+8) . The organizing committee will select and inform the team for the next stage of the challenge through email before May 30th, 2022.

3.5.On June 3rd, 2022, the finalists for the challenge will have a maximum of 15 minutes to present their ideas, including no more than 7 minutes of showing the presentation video and a Q&A session.

3.6.Participating teams will be divided into 4 parallel sessions (topics). Each parallel session will set up 3-4 judges to score the reports of each team and the performance of the Q&A session.

 

4.Reward structure

4.1.One team for First Prize (champion team), Two teams for Second Prize, and Three teams for Third Prize for every topic respectively. The team awards will be selected based on the judges’ scores. Among them, the champion team will receive a reward of 10,000 RMB (pre-tax), the second prize teams will receive a reward of 6,000 RMB (pre-tax), and the third prize teams will receive a reward of 4,000 RMB (pre-tax). The reward will be distributed directly to the team leader of the winning team, and the distribution principle will be jointly established within the team.

4.2.The challenge also generates ONE Most Popular Team award of every topic with a prize of RMB 2,000(pre-tax), according to online voting. ISCES website will open the voting page from 15:00 June 3rd to 15:00 June 5th (UTC+8). The team with the highest number of votes will win this award. In order to ensure the fairness and justice of the competition, the voting link on the official website will block all kinds of malicious vote-swiping software. We also call on the participants to follow the rules of the challenge and prevent illegal vote-swiping.

 

5.Submission Requirements

After the topic release, every team is required to record a presentation video (not more than 7 minutes) regarding your discussion and solution. The contents of the presentation video include but not limited to the overall programme introduction, implementation path, feasibility analysis, potential to be translated into commercial entrepreneurship and innovation. The language for text and presentation is English. You can use an online meeting room to record your presentation, and other creative ways are also welcomed. The video should be horizontal and the size should be no bigger than 100MB.

 

6.Marking Criteria

Every team will be marked by three to four judges, who are experts from international organizations, private sectors and NGOs. The list of experts will be posted on the conference website in advance. The judges will mark the performance of each team by topic relevance (25%), innovation (25%), feasibility (25%), and replicability (25%). The final score of every team will be the average score from all the judges.

 

7.Intellectual property rights

The content of the submitted presentation video must be original and should not have been published in any forms before, such as in newspapers, magazines, or on websites. Plagiarism in any form will result in disqualification. Relevant prizes and rewards will be recalled, and the team shall assume all legal responsibilities.

 

2022 Global Environmental Solution Challenge Statement:

  • In order to ensure the smooth and fair progress of the whole challenge, and to guarantee the legitimate rights and interests of the participants, the participants should read and confirm the entry agreement on the official website and conscientiously abide by the provisions of the agreement.
  • In the course of the challenge, there may be a small number of changes and adjustments to the rules, which shall all be subject to the official website.
  • International Student Conference on Environment and Sustainability (ISCES) Organizing Committee is the final authority for the interpretation of this challenge.

SPECIAL NOTE: ISCES DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE. PARTICIPANTS SHOULD BEWARE OF FRAUD.