The University of Michigan-Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Institute (UM-SJTU JI, JI hereafter) undergraduate student Enrui Zhu has been crowned the champion of the international competition known as the Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU) Sustainable Development Goals Education for Global Citizenship (SDG4GC). The competition was held from November 2022 to March 2023.
The SDG4GC is an online competition of social innovation projects jointly launched by APRU during the COVID-19 pandemic. The event lasting for nearly five months aims to cultivate the awareness of the global citizenship among students of the 60 universities under the association from 17 countries along the Pacific coast. The competing projects centered around the theme of “Shaping a Healthy and Prosperous Future” this year required the students to utilize theory and practice to explore research in various aspects such as social, cultural, emotional, spiritual, intellectual, mental health, and economic factors.
A total of 8 teams entered the final round of project defense. After fierce competition, Enrui Zhu’s team supervised by Professor Qian Wang from the SJTU School of Public Health stood out. With the championship title, the team also won the opportunity to participate in the exchange event organized by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) in Thailand.
“If I were to summarize this competition in one word, it would be ‘luck’. I was lucky to be chosen for the project amidst intense campus competition and meet supportive teammates. Our hard work paid off with a first-place finish in the project presentation. Every drop of sweat and effort leads to fortunate outcomes. This achievement highlights our dedication and determination,” said the JI freshman enrolled in 2022.
Enrui Zhu attends an event sponsored by the United Nations.
Enrui Zhu visits Chulalongkorn University in Thailand with her teammates.
