PARTICIPANT’S INFORMATION PACKAGE

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Global Sustainability Supply Chain Student Competition

This document contains information for participants

The goals of the competition are:

• To draw attention to the social and economic benefits of supply chain sustainability;
• To promote advanced management, technical and technological solutions aimed at developing
sustainable supply chains;
• To inspires students to develop creative problem-solving skills, engage in productive teamwork
and utilize effective communication;
• To educate students in sustainable supply chain practices and how they can make a positive
impact on society;
• To train students to develop and apply innovative solutions to real-world problems and expose
students to global ESG standards;
• To promote UN Sustainable Development Goals and UN Resolutions on sustainable transport;

Organized by the Global Supply Chain Classroom and International Center for Transport Diplomacy
Endorsed by the United Nations Group of Friends of Sustainable Transport

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Eligibility

• The competition is open to anyone enrolled as a full-time, part-time, undergraduate or graduate

student at a degree granting educational institution anywhere in the world.
• There are no restrictions on the student’s major course of study.
• There are no limits to the number of students/teams entered from each institution.
• Participants must be officially enrolled at the time of registration.

Teams
• All participants will compete as members of a single institution team, or multiple institution
“paired team”.
• Each team will consist of an advisor and a maximum of 4 students.
• Teams can comprise of any combination of undergraduate and graduate students.
• No student can be a member of more than one team.

Single Institution Teams

• Each team will consist of a faculty advisor and between 2 to 4 students from the same school.
• Students will form their teams with members of their own choosing.
• Each team must assign a name to its team.
• Participants must indicate the name of his/her team when registering.

Participants not currently part of a team

• Participants who are not members of a team may register by entering “Unattached” as name of
team.
• “Unattached” participants will be placed into teams by the organizer.

Multiple institution - Paired Teams

• To encourage cross-cultural learning, an optional Paired-Teams program will pair teams from
developing countries with teams from developed countries to compete as one.
• This program provides students valuable experience working in a multicultural environment and
promotes knowledge sharing. Experienced faculty from developed countries will lead the
paired-team projects and provide necessary training to help students from developing countries
prepare.
• Teams that wish to be paired with another team must indicate this on their registration.
• The pairing will be assigned by the organizer.

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Regions
• The competition is split into geographical regions based on the number of participating schools
and teams.

Key dates
• Registration opens: Apr. 1, 2023
• Registration close: Sep. 24, 2023
• Case release: Sep. 25, 2023
• Written submission deadline: Oct., 22, 2023
• Results by Nov, 3, 2023
• Regional presentations: Nov. 11-19, 2023
• Results by Nov. 24, 2023
• Final presentations: Week of Dec. 4, 2023
*Dates are subject to change- please check website for
latest information

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How it works?

Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5 Step 6

Prepare Regional Regional

Registration Training Global Round
Submission Round 1 Round 2

The competition is staged in three rounds, with two regional rounds followed by the final global round.

Registration
Each participant must individually register online at supplychainSDG.org with the following information:

• Name, contact information

• School, program of study, year of study
• Name of team
• Acknowledge acceptance of the Terms and Conditions
• Payment of fee

Registration fee is $50.00 CDN per student.

Training Programs
A list of online resources and references will be listed on the competition website and two supply chain
sustainability training programs will be offered. The programs will be offered in summer 2023 to prepare
students for success. Please check the competition website for updated availability and pricing
information.

• Fundamentals of Global Supply Chain Sustainability (No Additional Cost)

This course aims to provide students with foundational knowledge of global supply chains and
sustainability. Training content covers Global Supply Chain Fundamentals, product life cycle
management, supply chain impact on sustainability, carbon footprint of global supply chains,
Alignment of UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – global supply chain aspects, ESG
fundamentals – Environment, Social and Governance impacts and measures.

• Creating Sustainable Global Supply Chains (Additional Fees Apply)

This optional course aims to provide students with an understanding of global supply chains and
implications for citizens, businesses and the environment. Students will be equipped with the
requisite knowledge, skills and tools to prepare, present and write up business cases for supply
chain sustainability. The skills gained will also prepare students for participation in international
case competitions.

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• The training will cover 5 modules including Sustainable Supply Chains, Global
Sustainability – impact of supply chains, Business case for sustainability, Project
Development, and Case study.
• The instruction team is comprised of leading professors and international professionals
in the field of supply chain sustainability.
• Key Learning Objectives:

o Provide students with fundamental knowledge in sustainability and global

supply chain management
o To advance the students’ ability to produce innovative, action-oriented and
feasible solutions to real supply chain problems
o Enhance the students’ teamwork and leadership skills
o Learn how to assess sustainability issues and apply problem solving tools and
skills
o Develop students’ ability to produce a well-structured project proposal and
professional presentation skills

Judging panel
• The judging panel will comprise of academics, practitioners, and representatives of international
organizations

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The Cases
 Teams are provided with a list of cases about a multinational organization’s supply chain
challenges. (See sample case provided on the competition website.)
 Each team will select one case to work towards an innovative solution that contributes towards
at least one of the targeted UN Sustainable Development Goals.
 The competition cases will be available to all competitors on the Case Release Date.
 The competition cases are only available to registered competitors.
 The cases will clearly state the current status, stakeholders, provide relevant data, define the
project scope, success criteria

Targeted SDGs for this competition:

Preparation
 Students will need to analyze the information provided in the case, then think about how can
the supply chain be made more sustainable. Develop that idea into an action-oriented plan.
 How can the solution be implemented in their local region? What measureable impact would it
have? Demonstrate its application and impact on a global scale
 The teams may use any resource available to them to conduct research and develop the
solutions.

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Round 1 - Written submission

• The written submission is due at 24:00 Eastern Std. Time, Oct. 22, 2023, no late submissions will
be accepted.
• All submission must be through the supplychainSDG.org website.
• Format for written submission – 6-page PRFAQ (See “Written Submission Guidelines” for more
information and template)
• Press Release and Frequently Asked Questions (PRFAQ) – is Amazon’s process of creating new
products, technology and processes. It looks at the solution from the customer’s respective
using the ‘Working Backwards’ process.
• The 6-page length of the PRFAQ will be strictly enforce. Appendix can be added for supporting
information.
• Language is English only

Basic questions to be answered:

1. What is the idea?
2. How will the idea reduce carbon emissions from the supply chain and support UN SDGs?
3. What is the decarbonization potential?
4. What is a realistic timeline for implementation?
5. What is the probability of success?
6. In what regions is this idea feasible?
7. What are the next steps for the development of the idea?

Round 1 - Judging of written submissions

The purpose of Round 1 is to shortlist the teams moving to the regional presentation round.

• Written submissions will be evaluated by members of the judging panel using the prescribed
grading rubric.
• See the “Written Submission Guidelines” for the grading rubric.
• All submissions must be original work of the team.
• Any submissions not meeting the format, length and other conditions specified in the
registration package will be rejected.
• The grading result will be in the form of “Green light” or “Red light”
• The decision of the judges are final.
• All teams will be informed of their results by the organizer no later than Nov. 3, 2023.
• Green lighted teams move on to the regional presentation round

*Dates are subject to change

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Round 2 - Regional presentation

 Presentations will take place between Nov. 11-19, 2023
 The presentation schedule and arrangements will be confirmed.
 Each member of the team must speak during the presentation
 PowerPoint slides are permitted but not mandatory
 Length of presentation is 15 minutes max
 The information presented must be contained in the written submission
 The written submissions are provided to the judges in advance
 Language is English only
 Must be presented live (virtual or in person) in front of the judging panel
 The presentation will be recorded and made available to public at the conclusion of the
competition
 Judges will have a 15 minutes Q&A session following the presentation
 Judges may ask for clarification, challenge the position, question tactics, and validity of data

Round 2 – Regional presentation judging

The purpose of Round 2 is to select the top teams to represent the region in the global round.

 The teams will be evaluated by members of the judging panel using the prescribed grading
rubric which takes into account the content of the proposal and quality of presentation.
 The grading rubric will be provided to students in their registration package.
 The grading result will be in the form of score out of 100.
 The decision of the judges are final.
 All teams will be informed of their results by the organizer no later than Nov. 24, 2023.
 The winning team from each region advances to the Global round.
 Remaining open spots in the Global round will be selected by the judges.

*Dates are subject to change

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Global Round – presentations

• Presentations will take during the week of Dec. 4, 2023
• Each team competing in the Global round will be provided with an industry mentor to help them
prepare
 Each member of the team must speak during the presentation
 PowerPoint slides are permitted but not mandatory
 Length of presentation is 20 minutes max
 The information presented must be contained in the written submission
 The written submissions are provided to the judges in advance
 Language is English only
 Must be presented live (virtual or in person) in front of the judging panel
 The presentation will be recorded and made available to public at the conclusion of the
competition
 Judges will have a 20 minutes Q&A session following the presentation
 Judges may ask for clarification, challenge the position, question tactics, and validity of data

Global Round – judging

The overall winner and category winners will be determined by the results from the Global round.

 The teams will be evaluated by members of the judging panel using the prescribed grading
rubric which takes into account the content of the proposal and quality of presentation.
 The grading rubric will be provided to students in their registration package.
 The grading result will be in the form of score out of 100.
 The decision of the judges are final.
 All teams will be informed of their results by the organizer no later than Dec. 10, 2023.

*Dates are subject to change

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Award Categories
All participating team members will be awarded a Certificate of Participation recognizing their support
of UN SDGs.

Best Sustainable Solution – Team

• The team presenting the best sustainable solution as determined by the judging panel at the
Global Round will be named the winner and awarded the Gold medal.
• Second and Third place teams will be awarded the Silver medal.
• Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth place teams will be awarded the Bronze medal.
• All award winners will be awarded certificates and complimentary enrollment in GSCC’s Post
Graduate Global Supply Chain Certification program.
• Finalists will have the opportunity to present projects to angel investors
• The winning team will be invited to New York to receive their award at a United Nations related
event.

Best Sustainable Solution - Paired-Team

• The paired-team presenting the best sustainable solution as determined by the judging panel at
the Global Round will be named the winner and awarded the Gold medal.
• Second place paired-team will be awarded the Silver medal.
• Third place paired-team will be awarded the Bronze medal.
• All winners will be awarded certificates and complimentary enrollment in GSCC’s Post Graduate
Global Supply Chain Certification program.
• Finalists will have the opportunity to present projects to angel investors

Regional Awards
• Awards recognizing the top 3 teams from each region.
• All regional winners will be awarded certificates and complimentary enrollment in GSCC’s Post
Graduate Global Supply Chain Certification program.

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Specified UN Sustainable Development Goals

• There is an award category for each of the 6 targeted SDGs. The team that produces the best
solution contributing to the specified SDG will be selected as the winner of the category.

o SDG 4 - Quality Education

o SDG 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth
o SDG 9 – Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
o SDG 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production
o SDG 13 – Climate Action
o SDG 17 – Partnerships to achieve the Goal

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About the organizers

The Global Sustainability Supply Chain Student Competition is jointly organized by the Global Supply
Chain Classroom (GSCC) and International Center for Transport Diplomacy (ICDT).

About GSCC
The Global Supply Chain Classroom (GSCC) is an initiative established by the Sino-American Logistics
Council, with the support of top logistics and supply chain universities from around the world. The vision
for GSCC is to be the leading knowledge platform for global educators, professionals and academic
institutions to improve the quality of supply chain services through education at the college and
university level. We have been developing education programs and facilitating academic cooperation
between developed and developing economies in the field of logistics and supply chain management for
over 20 years.

The GSCC platform allows the global academic community to collaborate on research to solve complex
problems facing the global supply chain and international issues like sustainability, application of
technology, food logistics, multimodal transport, and international trade facilitation.

About ICTD

The International Center for Transport Diplomacy™ (ICTD), was inaugurated on October 30, 2018 at the
UN Headquarters in New York within the framework of the High-Level Roundtable on Sustainable
Transport and Mobility. ICTD has General Consultative status with UN ECOSOC, and performs a variety
of functions - from promotion of multimodal transit corridors and digitalization of the global supply
chains (via introduction of the Global Transit Document™) to introducing the “Greenovative®” solutions
into transport infrastructure development. Special attention is devoted to the Human Resources
development through publication the first ever manual on Transport Diplomacy™ for universities, and
special online learning programs and courses for civil servants and businesses. ICTD was actively
involved in creation of the “Group of Friends of Sustainable Transport” in the UN Headquarters in New
York in 2022 and serves as its Secretariat.

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Our Sponsors and Supporters

UN Group of Friends of Sustainable Transport (GFST)

The United Nations Group of Friends for Sustainable Transport was launched on July 6, 2022 by the
Permanent Mission of Turkmenistan to the United Nations at a meeting attended by more than 90
representatives of UN member states. The overall aim was to raise awareness of the importance of
sustainable transport, and exchange of ideas and views, best practices etc. on national and regional
levels.

The first-ever United Nations Global Sustainable Transport Conference was convened in Ashgabat,
Turkmenistan on November 26, 2016 by UN Secretary-General Ban-Ki Moon. The conference brought
together key stakeholders from Governments, the UN system and other international organizations, the
private sector, and civil society to engage in a dialogue that emphasizes the integrated and cross-cutting
nature of sustainable transport and its multiples roles in supporting the achievement of the SDGs. All
modes of transport – road, rail, aviation, ferry and maritime – were addressed. The outcome was the
“Ashgabat Statement” supporting cleaner, greener transportation – from local transit systems to
worldwide multimodal networks was endorsed by more than 50 countries.

The second United Nations Global Sustainable Transport Conference, themed on “Sustainable Transport,
Sustainable Development”, took place from October 14 to 16 2021 in Beijing, China. UN Secretary-
General António Guterres stressed that “The next nine years must see a global shift towards renewable
energy. Sustainable transport is central to that transformation”. An important outcome of the
conference was the “Beijing Statement of the Second United Nations Global Sustainable Transport
Conference“ which underpins the importance of transport for achieving the global climate and
sustainable development goals and calls for more and enhanced international cooperation, as well as
capacity-building and knowledge exchange among countries to advance sustainable transport
technology and innovation and learn from good practices.

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