Gifu University Fund President's Special Award Ceremony
On Tuesday, January 21, 2025, the Gifu University Fund President's Special Award Ceremony was held.
This award system, newly established in October 2023, using the Gifu University Fund, recognizes individuals or groups among Gifu University's faculty, staff, and students who have significantly enhanced the university's reputation. The awards are presented by the university president.
This time, the Gifu University student team "Motorsports Enthusiasts" created a VR work that allows users to experience being a cameraman for a Formula race broadcast. They won the championship at the VR content creation competition 'IVRC1 2024' held on October 26 and 27, 2024, marking the first victory for a team from Gifu Prefecture. Additionally, they received the 'Laval Virtual Prize,' which includes an invitation to the global VR event 'Laval Virtual 2025' to be held in France in April 2025. This achievement was widely covered in the newspapers and recognized as significantly enhancing the university's reputation, leading to this award presentation.
At the award ceremony, President YOSHIDA Kazuhiro encouraged the students by saying, "This will be our university's third consecutive participation in Laval Virtual, and we are eagerly awaiting good results." Along with the Certificate of Commendation, the students were also awarded activity support funds. One of the students responded, "This work was completed with the support of many people, and we are delighted to receive such an honor from Gifu University."
We hope that this award system will contribute to increasing the motivation of our students and faculty members.
1) IVRC (Interverse Virtual Reality Challenge): a contest where students and young creators plan and produce interactive works and compete with their results. Organized by the Virtual Reality Society of Japan, this competition has been held annually since 1993 and is recognized as a platform for fostering innovation in VR/AR technology and nurturing the creativity of the next generation.

