IUJ Student Teams Secure 1st and 3rd Place at Hult Prize Japan National Competition 2026

The International University of Japan (IUJ) achieved outstanding results at the Hult Prize Japan National Competition 2026, held at Tohoku University in Sendai on May 9, 2026. Three IUJ teams selected through the university’s internal screening process participated in the national competition as official university representatives, and two of the teams secured 1st and 3rd place awards.

The Hult Prize is one of the world’s leading international competitions in social entrepreneurship, encouraging university students to develop innovative and sustainable business solutions to pressing social and environmental challenges.
Often referred to as the “Nobel Prize for students,” the competition brings together university teams from around the world through a multi-stage selection process.

The Japan National Competition 2026 brought together student teams from nine universities across Japan, including Hokkaido University, Kyoto University of Foreign Studies, Tohoku University, Konan University, Tokyo International University, and Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU). The event was co-hosted with Cotonobar Inc. and held with corporate sponsorship support.

At IUJ, participation in the Hult Prize is not part of the formal curriculum but is driven by student initiative.
Students independently form teams and undergo an internal selection process to be nominated as official university representatives for the national competition. In 2026, three IUJ student teams advanced through the internal screening process and participated in the national competition.

The 1st place-winning team, Team Afriplastrec (Kenneth Kyamanywa and Bob Enyogoi), proposed reusable modular construction boards made from recycled plastic waste.
Their project aims to reduce deforestation and plastic waste while promoting sustainable construction practices in Africa.

The 3rd place-winning team, Team Senbamboo (Amadou Ba, Bintou Dia, Baye Doudou Diop, and Serigne Faye), proposed the development of a bamboo-based manufacturing value chain in Senegal to promote sustainable employment opportunities and environmental restoration.

Team PadBridge (Jiayi Sun, Arun Madhani and Nila Ma), which represented IUJ at the national competition, presented an affordable sanitary pad distribution model designed to address period poverty and improve access to hygiene products in underserved communities.

These achievements highlight IUJ’s growing presence in the fields of social innovation and entrepreneurship while reflecting the success of its student-led participation model and internal selection process. More broadly, the results embody IUJ’s commitment to fostering globally minded leaders capable of addressing complex social and environmental challenges through innovation and interdisciplinary thinking.