NEWS

The public screening for the ANDO Momofuku Honor Prize and Award took place in June 2026. These awards were established through a generous endowment by the late Dr. Momofuku Ando, founder of Nissin Foods Holding Co., Ltd. and recipient of an honorary doctorate from Ritsumeikan University. These awards are administered with the cooperation of Nissin each semester. The Award is given to fifth-semester students and the Honor Prize is awarded to students graduating in September 2026. The purpose of these awards is to provide support and encouragement to students who have excelled academically, possess outstanding character, have displayed strong leadership which has contributed to achievements in a variety of activities, and are expected to become future leaders of the Asia-Pacific region. Recipients of the Award will receive 500,000 yen. The recipient of the Honor Prize will receive 1,000,000 yen and have the honor of representing the graduating class in an address at the Degree Conferral Ceremony.

“The ANDO Momofuku Honor Prize /Award” (https://en.apu.ac.jp/studentsupport/scholarship_tuition/ando_momofuku/ )

In the public screening, each finalist who passed the rigorous initial screening made a video presentation on the theme of " Share real-life examples of your efforts in both your academic achievements and extracurricular activities that you engaged in while a student at APU. Explain how you will leverage your takeaways from those efforts in the future in order to contribute to society.” Presentations were then followed by a Q&A session with the judges in both English and Japanese.

Mr. SUZUKI Satoru, manager of the General Affairs Division at NISSIN FOOD HOLDINGS kindly sent his comments and words of encouragement to the finalists of the Honor Prize screening.

For each category, there were four finalists for the Award and the Honor Prize. Congratulations to the following two recipients!

Honor Prize

JHA ASHMI (College of International Management 4th year, India)

Ashmi is a high-achieving student specializing in management and technology, maintaining strong academic records while excelling in global case competitions and pitches with multiple awards, and is also an award-winning social entrepreneur. She has been at the forefront of educational and extracurricular initiatives, and as the two-time inaugural Future Visionary Vice President, demonstrated strong campus leadership. As she heads to graduate school, she hopes to integrate theory and practice to address societal challenges as a global leader.

Award

YOSHIDA Koto (College of Asia Pacific Studies 3rd year, Japan)

Majoring in International Relations who aspires to become a diplomat contributing to both national security and disarmament. She has demonstrated strong academic achievement, including receiving an academic excellence award and obtaining IELTS and DELE certifications. In addition, she has actively engaged in nuclear disarmament initiatives as a Hiroshima Nagasaki Peace Messenger, promoting cross-cultural dialogue. She is a highly motivated student committed to addressing global challenges through both academic study and practical engagement.

KOBAYASHI Haruka (College of International Management 3rd year, Japan)

Pursued her studies in marketing and leadership with the goal of creating a world where all children can dream. Through collaboration in multicultural environments, she has developed inclusive leadership and problem-solving skills, achieving results in academic projects and business competitions. As a co-founder of the student organization Lifeline, she has led initiatives in child support and community engagement, building sustainable activity models. Looking ahead, she aims to create social value through business, contributing to both regional development and long-term support for children.