Redesigning Fashion Through Systems Thinking: A Humber Student’s Journey Consulting at ReTuna, the World’s First Sustainability Mall in Sweden

HLOs:

By Nguyen Thi Minh Chau (Claire), Fashion Management Graduate Certificate student

On the evening of May 1st, my friend Diyanoshia Clement and I had the opportunity to attend the Map the System Competition event at the Humber International Graduate School. The event was held to celebrate students’ achievements in the competition and to announce Humber’s finalists, selected from 277 submissions, as well as the overall winner who will go on to represent Humber at the Map the System Canada competition.

Map the System is a global competition that challenges students to explore complex issues they’re passionate about and analyze them from multiple perspectives through in-depth academic research. The aim is to build a strong foundation for potential solutions that can drive systemic, holistic, and sustainable change. The competition transforms students from learners into future thinkers and leaders, empowering them to contribute to a better world.

Diyanoshia and I were among the few fashion students who had the courage to participate in the competition. Although we didn’t make it to the list of finalists, we genuinely enjoyed the experience of brainstorming and researching critical issues in the fashion industry. It was a valuable opportunity to reflect on fashion’s role in a global context—its influence and potential across economic, social, and environmental dimensions.

During the event, we made new connections, engaged with like-minded visionaries, and admired the impressive work on display. I was amazed by how knowledgeable and creative Humber students are. The visual maps and enthusiastic presentations inspired me. Through their speeches, I could feel their genuine care for the world, their communities, and their aspirations to make meaningful contributions toward a better future. Many of the projects were collaborative—some even involved peers from other countries. Watching teammates support and celebrate one another on stage showed the strong sense of trust and solidarity that strengthened their work. In a competition focused on systems thinking, this diversity of perspectives is essential for identifying key leverage points and developing strategic solutions.

The showcase was both fun and inspiring. We gained valuable insights—not only into systems thinking, public speaking, teamwork, and networking—but also into the shared passion of everyone involved. I left the event with a renewed sense of hope for a better world.

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