A second chance: the Sun Bear Design Challenge

An exclusive international competition invites students of the HSE ART AND DESIGN SCHOOL and the Asia Pacific University of Technology and Innovation (APU) in Kuala Lumpur to step beyond the usual academic format and work with a real environmental issue. Participants are invited to create a poster for a documentary film about the sun bear. The main prize is a fully funded trip to the Sun Bear Conservation Centre in Borneo, while shortlisted works may become part of international merchandise and contribute to wildlife conservation efforts.

The competition is organised by the HSE ART AND DESIGN SCHOOL and the Malaysian Asia Pacific University of Technology and Innovation (APU), in collaboration with the production company Brainchild Pictures (Singapore / Malaysia) and the international platform DAFES.

At the core of the brief is the documentary Itam: A Sun Bear Story. Participants are invited to create a poster that conveys the fragility and vulnerability of the sun bear — a rare species under threat of extinction.

There are no stylistic restrictions — participants are given full creative freedom. There is only one essential rule: the use of neural networks and any generative tools is strictly prohibited. The competition is conceived as a test of purely human imagination, sensitivity, and empathy.

The first prize is a fully funded trip (4 days / 3 nights) to the Sun Bear Conservation Centre in Borneo (Sabah, Malaysia), where the documentary was filmed.

The competition is also a great opportunity to strengthen your portfolio: shortlisted works will form the basis of official merchandise for the Sun Bear Conservation Centre — such as postcards — to be distributed internationally and used to support fundraising for wildlife conservation.

The competition is open to current students of the HSE ART AND DESIGN SCHOOL and APU.

The trailer, full brief details, and project submission are available on the competition’s official page.