The President’s Encouragement Award Ceremony for the 2025 academic year was held on Thursday, March 26, 2026, on the 5th floor of Building  2 at the University.

The President’s Encouragement Award recognizes students and student groups who have achieved outstanding results or made notable contributions at the University. This year, following a rigorous review process of 12 applications, 5 recipients were selected: 2 individuals and 3 groups.

• Sophia Flying Turkeys
  Awarded for winning first place in the Glider Category at the 2025 Japan International Birdman Rally, as well as setting new records for both a female pilot and participating students in the same category.
• Faculty of Law – International Trade Law Seminar
  Awarded for achieving 3rd place overall, 4th place in the English Division, and 3rd place in the Japanese Division at the 24th Intercollegiate Negotiation Competition.
• Kaiei Maesaka(3rd-year student, Department of International Relations Law, Faculty of Law)
  Awarded for being selected as a member of the Japanese delegation to the ASEAN Foundation Model ASEAN Meeting East Asia Summit 2025, where he served as Chair and led discussions on natural disasters; and for winning 2nd place at the TOKYO GLOBAL INNOVATION CHALLENGE 2025 by proposing a C2C business model addressing time poverty and promoting a culture of mutual support.
• IMFC Sophia University Team
  Awarded the Grand Prize at the International Material Flow Competition 2025 for a project entitled “Reusable Packaging in Japanese E-Commerce.”
• Kenta Isobe(4th-year student, Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics)　
  Awarded for being selected as a member of the Japanese national team and competing in the WFDF 2025 World Under-24 Ultimate Championships.

At the award ceremony, the recipients presented reports on their activities. Each presentation highlighted the outcomes of their sustained efforts and initiatives, making the occasion a meaningful and insightful experience.

President Miki Sugimura commended the recipients, stating,

“All of these activities are highly significant, and their achievements should be shared across the entire University. I hope they will also serve as an inspiration to younger students and encourage them to take on new challenges.”

Her remarks praised the dedication and accomplishments of the award recipients.