Tackling global challenges starts with understanding a problem and its wider context, rather than jumping straight into a business plan or an idea for a quick fix. This competition asks you to select a social or environmental issue and to explore, probe, and research all the connecting elements and factors around it. We want you to present this issue back to us in a way that people can understand, share, and learn from.
Registration is now closed. Deadline to register was February 5, 2020, 6:59 p.m. EST.
You’ll have the opportunity to make connections with socially-conscious students, researchers and practitioners from within UWaterloo and the wider community.
You could also be selected to attend the Global Final at the University of Oxford, UK, and compete with teams from across the globe to win cash prizes.
But more importantly, you’ll get the chance to research a real-world problem, learn about organisations working the field, and contribute towards making a real difference in your chosen area.
Map the System is open to University of Waterloo undergradute and graduate students, and recent graduates in any faculty who want to learn more about a problem they are passionate about.
Teams can be made up of individuals, or up to five people. At least one team member must be a current student, or recent graduate (within 12 months).
By March 25, 2020, your team will need to submit (1) a visual map, (2) a written summary of your research, and (3) a bibliography.
Learn more about submission requirements here.
January 22, 2020 - Information session
February 5, 2020 - Registration deadline
March 25, 2020 - Final submission deadline
April 6, 2020 - UWaterloo Campus finals
May 7- 9, 2020 - Canadian finals: Montreal, QC
June 5 - 7, 2020 - Global finals: University of Oxford, UK
In Winter 2020, courses across various UWaterloo faculties with a focus on systems thinking are embedding Map the System into their syllabus. Signing up for a course that embeds Map the System means a built-in faculty advisor, focusing on a topic that is relevant to your field of study, and getting course credit for your work. Here are the Winter 2020 courses participating in Map the System:
PACS 302-01: Advocacy for Peace and Justice
PACS 620: Thinking and Working Politically
HLTH 273: Systems Thinking and Health
SDS 388: Globalization and Social Development
INDEV 308: Introduction to Social Entrepreneurship
GBDA 302: Global Digital Project 2
PACS 398: Directed Readings - Contact Rachel Reist for more information.
Contact Michelle Jackett to learn how to get involved.
Map the System is an initiative of the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, in partnership with educational institutions across the world.
