Ms. Chihiro Takahashi, a fourth-year student from the Faculty of Liberal Arts, won the Excellence Award at the Social Innovation Idea Competition at the 7th SocialTech Summit.

The 3ZLC Award is a youth-led social innovation competition where participants pitch a 3-minute innovation idea to solve real-world challenges. Inspired by Nobel Laureate Prof. Muhammad Yunus’s Social Business and 3ZERO theory, it empowers young leaders to address social issues through entrepreneurship.

Jointly organized by Kyushu University, Hiroshima University, and others as part of the 7th SocialTech Summit 2025, the four-month program included mentoring on problem framing, design thinking, and pitching. From 465 applicants across 10 countries, 15 finalists were selected. Ms. Chihiro Takahashi won 1st prize (100,000 JPY) at the final held at Hiroshima University, Japan.

Ms. Takahashi shared her thoughts: “It is a true honor to receive this award and use it as a resource to continue bringing help across borders. As a Japanese national raised in the Philippines, I have witnessed firsthand the challenges underserved communities face, especially in accessing healthcare—a reality that became personal when my grandmother, Mamu, passed away. This experience inspired my commitment to driving social impact through Kapit Fund, an initiative bridging communities to deliver hope and sustainable, human-centered solutions. I am proud to represent the Philippines internationally and hope to continue connecting and supporting communities between Japan, the Philippines, and beyond.”

• Name of Conference : The 7th Social Tech Summit　
• Title of Award : The 5th 3ZERO Leadership Challenge: Health Innovation for SDGs#3　EXCELLENCE AWARD
• Title of the Idea : Kapit Fund Turning Out-of-Pocket Expenses into Community Care
• Name of Award Recipient : Chihiro Takahashi
• Date of Award Received : Oct 4, 2025
• Name of Instructor : Forhad Hossain（Assistant Professor, Faculty of Liberal Arts Department of Liberal Arts）
• Site Related : SocialTech Summit 2025