Q&A session following a presentation (Professor Beiter of Stanford University asking the question)
Presentation by students
Professor Haruyama questioning students
For a period of 5 months beginning June 19, each of 12 SDM student teams chose a topic related to "Sustainable Community" and worked on a project by utilizing the "ALPS" techniques (Mind Map, CVCA, To By Using, Pugh Selection, NPV etc.), going out in the field to conduct interviews, and doing a great deal of work in English in the process.
Trophy and award given to the winning team
In the final presentations on November 20 and 21, each team had 30 minutes to present the results of their project in English. All presentations were quite impressive with excellent graphics including CVCAs and 5 minute video commercials. Especially there was a team that actually engaged in water cultivation by linking up state-of-the-art water cultivation facilities installed at an empty urban school site with agriculture education and the restaurant industry. This team excellently managed project operation, whereas some teams had to change themes during the 5-month implementation period. The team won this year’s ALPS contest and was awarded the "ISHII AWARD," commemorating one of the ALPS founders, late Professor Kosuke Ishii of Stanford University. Other topics include declining birthrates, food issues, health issues, communication between individuals and families, soccer communities, the popularization of sake and maintaining communities of meisters.
The wrap-up presentation was ungraded "elevator pitches," which refers to an explanation (pitch) that is short enough to be delivered while encountering on an elevator. The given circumstance was that one of the team members encountered the president of a company and was asked to explain their project in no more than two minutes. Mr. Hiroshi Fujiwara (President and CEO, Internet Research Institute, Inc.) kindly played the role of president this year. Having fully prepared for their two minutes talk, the students appealingly explained to the president their observations over the five months in a large elevator-like set. Without worry about grade, the students did indulge in a bit of comedy during their presentations, which helped relieve the five months tension that had permeated the ALPS final presentations and ALPS 2009 finished in a good mood.
Students enjoying the presentations
Professor de Weck of MIT sampling vegetables grown with water cultivation
Reception after the ALPS final presentation