In the social innovation project competition of 2022-2023 Sustainable Development Goals—Education for Global Citizenship Project held by the Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU), Wang Qian, a teacher from SJTUSM School of Public Health, led a team of students from SJTU, Fudan University, the University of Hong Kong, the University of Sydney, and the University of the Philippines. Wang’s team, recommended by the Office of International Affairs of SJTUSM, stood out among eight teams from different countries in the fierce competition and won first prize in the end. This is SJTU’s first time winning first prize in this Project since it joined APRU.

Jury members for this competition are experts from the UN Resident Coordinator Office in Thailand, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Thailand. The team led by Wang completed a project on adolescent mental health in half a year. They designed a functional APP ("You-Aid") by the method of evidence-based research. This APP provided a supportive, inclusive, and interactive community for adolescents who need mental health assistance but feel embarrassed to ask for professional help.

Invited by theproject sponsor, Wang’s team participated in the 79th UNESCAP annual meeting held in Bangkok, Thailand from May 15th to 19th as observers. UNESCAP is the UN’s only intergovernmental organization focusing on comprehensive economic and social development in the Asia-Pacific region. It is one of the crucial channels for Asian and Pacific countries and regions to strengthen contacts, exchange experiences, and carry out regional cooperation in economic and social development. At the same time, UNESCAP is an important platform for members to discuss economic and social issues of common concern. During the meeting, the team members joined the side event "Youth Participation in Climate Activities" jointly organized by UNDP, UNFCCC, and UNESCAP. Members of Wang’s team exchanged thoughts with Mr. Ruhimat Soerakoesoemah, Head of the Subregional Office for South-East Asia of UNESCAP, and Mr. Savinda Ranathunga, Coordinator of the UNDP youth project in the Asia-Pacific region.

APRU is a university alliance composed of top research universities in the Pacific Rim countries. It was jointly initiated by the California Institute of Technology, the University of California, Berkeley, the University of California, Los Angeles, and the University of Southern California in 1997. It aims to build a platform for member universities to share ideas and development results. Currently, the alliance has 60 university members, including more than ten top research universities like SJTU in China.