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August 10, 2023

The International Issues Presentation Contest is an event held by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan to provide an opportunity for university students to deepen their interest in and understanding of Japan's foreign policy and international affairs, and to enhance their ability to play an active role in the international community through friendly competition and exchange with their peers.

This year, we also invited ASEAN nationality students to discuss the theme of ASEAN. Thank you very much for appliying. Start of application opening for audience will be announced later.

Event Outline

1. Date, time and venue

Date:
Saturday, November 11, 2023, 13:00-
Place:
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan
2-2-1 Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
(Access to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan)

2. Theme of the Presentation Contest

“My Proposal – Our Future ASEAN-Japan Relations on the 50th Year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation”

The year 2023 marks the 50th commemorative year of ASEAN-Japan friendship and cooperation. ASEAN-Japan relations have made remarkable progress since the start of their dialogues in 1973.

Over the past half century, Japan and ASEAN have been working together not only as close business partners, but also as true friends with “heart to heart relations,” and cooperated hand in hand for peace, stability, and prosperity of the region, even in times of difficulty.

The international community is at a history’s turning point. In an era in which cooperation and division are intricately intertwined, what kind of ASEAN-Japan relationship should we aim for and what kind of initiatives should we take in the future on the 50th Year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation? We look forward insightful policy proposals based on flexible thinking of those of you who will lead the next generation.

Application Guidelines

Thank you very much for applying. Application have closed on July 31.

1. Qualifications

University and graduate students (excluding doctoral students). In addition , foreign applicants must have ASEAN nationalities and reside in Japan.

2. Application Process

(1) Application (Deadline: July 31, 2023)

Please apply for participation at the following URL. After applying, a confirmation e-mail will be sent to your registered e-mail address.

Participation is on a team basis (individual or a maximum of 2 people). Teams composed of people from different universities and/or nationalities are possible.

(2) Abstract Submission

Please submit the following (a) and (b) by August 31, 2023. Please follow the instructions in the above mentioned confirmation e-mail sent to applicants after the registration.

  • (a) Front cover: Title, keywords of the presentation (up to 5 keywords), etc. in the prescribed format.
  • (b) Abstract: 1 to 2 pages in A4 size (figures and tables may be used)

(Note) Language: Japanese or English
/Document format/font: Mincho or Arial typeface (Gothic, etc. may be used as appropriate), 12 point typeface, approximately 40 lines per page.
/Documents screening is carried out in black and white printing, including figures and tables.
/ Sending by mail will not be accepted.

(3) Notification of Final Round

Applicants will be notified by e-mail by October 10 (tentative).

(4) Final Round

The five teams (tentative) that have passed the document screening will go to the Final Round and give a 15 minutes presentation in either Japanese or English.

The Final Round will be held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan on November 11, 2023.

3 Notes

  • (1) Please do not include personal or school names or any other information that could identify the entrants on either the cover or abstract.
  • (2) If you have any references, etc., please include them on a separate sheet of paper from the abstract.
  • (3) The five (5) teams (tentative) that pass the document screening must submit a written pledge regarding the content of their presentation (the secretariat will send a form to the relevant applicants at a later date).
    In principle, the content of the presentation must be unpublished. However, if the presentation is intended for internal audiences or if only part of the presentation has already been published but has novelty, it will not be considered as a presentation that has already been published.
  • (4) Personal information provided will be managed appropriately and will be used as contact information for the execution of this project. The information will not be used for any other purpose without your consent.

4 Screening Items

  • (1) Ability to set issues, analyze, and make proposals
    Ability to theme setting, logical consistency, clarity of argument, facts and evidence, concreteness, and originality, etc.
  • (2) Presentation and question-and-answer skills
    Clarity of proposal content and arguments, persuasiveness of proposals, clarity, impact, richness of expression, resourcefulness, etc.

5 Awards

Minister of Foreign Affairs Award:
1 team
Excellence Award:
1 team
Encouragement Award:
1 team
Honorable Mention Award:
2 teams (to be determined, including the name and number of prizes)

6 Schedule (tentative)

13:00 - Opening Ceremony
13:10 - 2:40 Final Round(first half 3 teams (to be decided))
(15 minutes for presentation, 15 minutes for Q&A )
14:40 - 14:50 Break
14:50 - 15:50 Final Round (second half: 2 teams (to be decided)
(15 minutes for presentations, 15 minutes for Q&A )
15:50 - 16:20 Break / Judging
16:20 - 17:00 Judging announcement / Awards / Review
17:00 Closing

(Note) Media coverage may take place. In addition, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan may use videos, photos, etc. taken of the competition for publicity purposes. Please be aware of this in advance.

Audience (Start of application opening will be announced later.)

A wide range of observers is welcome to participate in the contest in order to support the presenters and prepare for future entries.

You can choose to observe the contest either at the contest site (limited number of seats available) or online. The online streaming will be conducted via ZOOM.
The deadline for application to observe the contest is November 9, 2023.

Inquiries

For inquiries, please contact
International Issues Presentation Contest
Domestic Public Relations Division, Minister’s Secretariat,
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan
Tel: +81-3-5501-8000 (ext.3849, 5050)
E-mail: kokusaimondai@ec-mice.com

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