On April 7, the Kindred Credit Union Centre for Peace Advancement hosted the University of Waterloo campus finals for the global Map the System competition. The event, held in the Great Hall at Conrad Grebel University College, showcased the results of system thinkers’ diligent efforts to deepen their understanding of a problem rather than rushing to find answers.
5 out of 40 registered teams were invited to present their findings to a panel of judges for the chance to win cash prizes and represent the University of Waterloo at the Canadian finals. The topics, ranging from local youth climate action to international health concerns, were all impressive and captivating.
Let’s give a virtual round of applause to this year’s winners of the University of Waterloo Map the System competition:
A huge congratulations to Gabriel Jabile for winning 1st place for his research on livestock disease outbreaks in Uganda. Gabriel is in his third year of biomedical engineering, and has done extensive research on this topic, including interviewing farmers in-person in Uganda. Through his visits, he learned that it’s important to talk with farmers firsthand and listen to their lived experiences in order to understand how they navigate their problems. By securing first place, Gabriel has won a $2,000 award sponsored by the Kindred Credit Union, the Centre for Peace Advancement’s inspiration partner. Jason Daly, CEO of the Kindred Credit Union, and Kate Pearce, Manager of Social Impact, were there to congratulate Gabriel in person. Additionally, he will be heading to Banff on May 19 to compete in the nationwide Map the System competition, with the possibility of going to the global finals at Oxford University in July.
Coming in 2nd place were Femi Adedayo, Mya Nantambu, and Vanessa Young-Dede. This team explored a topic introduced by Peace for All Canada, a community partner in this year’s competition. Mya, an undergraduate Planning student, joined forces with Master of Business, Entrepreneurship, and Technology students, Femi and Vanessa, after realizing their interests were aligned. Their research into barriers to academic success for newcomer elementary school students was partly inspired by Femi’s firsthand experience of the challenges his son and his son’s friend face due to language and cultural barriers. The team won a $1,000 prize sponsored by the University of Waterloo’s Office of Research, which was presented by Bernard Duncker, Associate Vice President, Research and International.
The 3rd place award went to Benjamin Longley and Connie Chong. Their research into the barriers refugees face when accessing healthcare in Canada won a $500 award sponsored by the Waterloo Institute for Complexity and Innovation (WICI) and presented by WICI Director, Sean Geobey. Benjamin, a student in the School of Pharmacy, and Connie, a student in the Master of Peace and Conflict program, combined their diverse backgrounds to better understand this topic. Benjamin’s recognition of the lack of culturally sensitive training in his program combined with Connie’s determination to educate others about the challenges refugees face resulted in a multifaceted perspective on the issue.
Special thanks to the panel of judges for thoughtfully engaging the students during the question and answer time following each presentation and giving careful consideration to five strong projects. This year’s judges included John Abraham, Academic Dean at United College, Lisa Attygalle, Director of Engagement at the Tamarack Institute, Jon Beale, Program Director of Local Futures, and Fiona Li, the winner of last year’s Map the System campus finals.
Congratulations to all the finalists for their wonderful achievements!
Interested in joining the global systems competition next year? Learn more about Map the System on the website and follow our LinkedIn to stay updated.