Vodafone K.K. Sponsors Contest for Student Research using Mobile Phones

Vodafone K.K. announced today that for the third time it will sponsor Vodafone Mobile Eco School 2005, a contest where high school students use mobile handsets for scientific research purposes. Vodafone Mobile Eco School is a Vodafone K.K.-sponsored programme that lets students freely conduct research on ecology, science and environment themes with the latest Vodafone K.K. handsets (*Vodafone K.K. plans to lend Vodafone 902T handsets for research purposes. Communications made for research purposes will not be charged.) The Grand Prix team will receive a prize of 200,000 yen and a field trip to the United Kingdom. The field trip is scheduled to include exchange with U.K. high school students and other cultural activities. Applications for 3rd Vodafone Mobile Eco School to be accepted from 1 June. 

In the contest, to be held for the third year, students and teachers from the same school form teams to conduct research.

The contest schedule is as follows:

1. Applications can be made by post or e-mail and will be accepted from 1 June until 15 July. Teams are required to fill in forms that can be downloaded from a special website
(http://www.vodafone.jp/eco2005) (Japanese only) and attach a research proposal (up to 5 A4-size pages in any format).

2. 6 teams will be chosen from the team entries, who will then be free to conduct research with Vodafone K.K. handsets for the 3 month period of 1 August to 31 October. (In addition to receiving Vodafone K.K. handsets, Vodafone K.K. will offer up to 100,000 yen to each of the 6 teams for research costs)

3. Research results will be presented on 21 November (at the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation), and a Grand Prix team will be chosen from among the 6 teams.

Details on Vodafone Mobile Eco School 2005 and the entry form downloads are available (in Japanese) at the following special website starting tomorrow. URL: http://www.vodafone.jp/eco2005.

Vodafone K.K. will continue to actively further Corporate Social Responsibility with programmes for youth and other activities. *Vodafone Mobile Eco School is also made possible by the support of the United Kingdom Embassy in Japan, the National Federation of UNESCO Associations in Japan, the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (Miraikan), Japan Society of Physics and Chemistry Education and the cooperation of Virgin Atlantic Airlines, JTB Business Travel Solutions, Inc., and BELLSYSTEM 24 Inc.

For further information, please contact:
Miyuki Yamanouchi
Vodafone K.K. Public Relations
Tel: 03-6403-1000 (+81-3-6403-1000)
Email: miyuki.yamanouchi@vodafone.com