'If you are truly passionate about something, it can become reality,' says winner of King Edward VII prize

Lee Yoon-ki, right, holds a copy of this year’s King Edward VII prize with Theo Kaiser, left, and Nachiket Midha at St Antony's College, University of Oxford, April 8 (local time). Courtesy of Lee Yoon-ki

When you are truly passionate about something, it can become a reality, according to Lee Yoon-ki, the winner of this year’s King Edward VII prize at the inaugural Entente Cordiale University Challenge competition.

The prize was awarded under the joint patronage of His Majesty King Charles III and French President Emmanuel Macron, April 8 (local time).

Lee’s teammates included Theo Kaiser from Germany and Nachiket Midha from India, who are also students at St Antony's College, University of Oxford.

The competition aims to bring together students from U.K.- and French-based universities to produce and deliver solution-focused research on today’s most pressing issues.

This year’s theme was climate change, biodiversity and developing countries. The title of their paper was "Fields on Fire: Policy Recommendations to Combat Stubble Burning in India."

Lee, a graduate student majoring in international relations at University of Oxford, is a Korea Times Economic Essay contest winner.

“It was especially meaningful to be the only Korean participant in the finalist round, and truly a historic moment to represent my nation on the international stage,” Lee said. “As the competition will now take place annually, I hope that more Korean students studying in the U.K. and France will be inspired to take part in the years to come.”

Out of 320 participants, comprising over 100 teams from universities across the U.K. and France, Lee’s team was selected as one of the top ten finalists and competed in the final round, ultimately securing first place while representing Oxford.

For Lee’s team, this was more than just a competition.

They were genuinely passionate and determined to make an impact, since stubble burning is a deeply personal issue to the team's members.

“Coming from different parts of the world and academic disciplines allowed us to approach the issue from multiple perspectives, enriching our solutions. We hope that our proposed solutions will help draw greater attention to the perennial problem of stubble burning, which continues to affect millions across regions,” Lee said.

When addressing global threats, he added that it’s important to clearly identify the issue at hand and define the breadth and scope of the problem.

The next crucial step is researching existing policies and past attempts to solve the issue, identifying potential gaps where scholars and individuals can contribute something novel.

Equally important are teamwork and collaboration.

According to Lee, “Our diverse perspectives enhanced our synergy and strengthened team cohesion. It’s vital that you unite your team around a common goal and vision, which will become the driving force and provide the impetus for sustained effort and success."