On May 25, 2025, the All Sophians’ Festival (ASF), an annual homecoming event for Sophia University alumni, was held. 

During the event, a talk titled “Finding Happiness at Sophia — Sustainability, Regeneration, and Well-being”, featuring ASF Executive Committee Chair Mr. Kazumasa Sashide, was delivered. In the latter half of the session, the three of us ― student staff members from our Office―took the stage. We presented our original ideas to Mr. Sashide in a “wall-hitting” discussion format, exchanging lively opinions on how to make Sophia University even better. 

Based on our classroom experiences and extracurricular activities, as well as our innate curiosity, our members proposed a range of ideas aimed at fostering a more sustainable future for Sophia University. These included addressing sleep-related challenges among students, promoting long-term collaboration between the university and government agencies, and implementing wind power generation using strong winds on campus. 

In the proposal titled “Addressing Sleep-Related Issues Among Sophia Students”, the first student highlighted current concerns such as students sleeping in classrooms and dead space on the campus and high CO₂ levels in certain classrooms. She suggested improving classroom environments through better ventilation and reviewing occupancy limits, as well as introducing designated power nap spaces on campus. 

The proposal “Promoting University-Government Collaboration: A Sophia-Style Model” addressed the issue of Japan’s high academic and educational potential not being fully utilized. The second student proposed that Sophia University serve as a hub to connect municipalities and researchers, envisioning a long-term model of collaboration that could unlock new opportunities. 

In the proposal titled “Harnessing the Wind on Main Street: A Wind Power Initiative”, the student focused on the strong winds that blow through Main Street on Yotsuya campus (commonly known as “Mensuto”). She proposed installing vertical-axis, bladeless wind turbines suitable for urban settings, which would not only strengthen Sophia’s decarbonization efforts but also serve as an educational tool. 

Mr. Sashide shared personal experiences and examples from other young leaders, along with practical advice on how to move toward implementation. This exchange gave us a valuable opportunity to seriously reflect on how our proposals could be brought to life. 

Going forward, the student staff members remain committed to planning and executing initiatives that further promote diversity and sustainability at Sophia University. 

You can view highlights from ASF at the following URL: 

https://youtube.com/@allsophiansfestival?si=l4oWmr7_JyTAu9tG

(By Onohara)