A few dozen young leaders from the 10 ASEAN member states and Timor-Leste convened last week for the sixth ASEAN Youth Fellowship.

Organized annually by the Singapore International Foundation, a non-profit people-to-people organization, and youth organization National Youth Council Singapore. ASEAN Youth Fellowship fosters collaboration across public, private, and community sectors to address regional challenges.

This year’s fellowship was hosted in Singapore and Laos, with events held in Vientiane and Luang Prabang. it ran between November 3 and 10. This marked the first participation of Timor-Leste in the program. 

A multi-nation program with strategic insights 

Delegates explored themes of digital transformation, inclusivity, and sustainability while engaging with policymakers, including Singapore’s education minister, Chan Chun Sing, and Deputy Secretary-General of the Lao Youth Union Thongly Sisoulith. 

Both leaders underscored the importance of regional cooperation to strengthen ASEAN’s connectivity and resilience. 

Participants also visited innovative projects, such as Singapore’s energy project Sembcorp Tengeh Floating Solar Farm as well as the Singapore-Malaysia land border checkpoint, Woodlands Checkpoint, which uses sophisticated technologies in the handling of around 400,000 people every day.  

In Laos, visits included Makerbox Lao, an innovation hub in Vientiane, and Ock Pop Tok in Luang Prabang, which is an organization dedicated to cultural heritage preservation through textiles. 

Melting pot of ideas 

The fellowship acted as a breeding ground for cooperation and brainstorming.  

“ASEAN countries have significant opportunities to work together on innovative solutions in areas such as education, which can drive long-term progress across the region,” Phetmany Viyadeth, a fellow from Laos, said in a joint media release by Singapore International Foundation and National Youth Council on Wednesday.  

“For instance, we could create a region-wide educational framework to enhance access to quality education and digital literacy.” 

To help bring these ideas to fruition, the fellowship introduced the AYF Impact Fund, offering grants of up to SGD20,000 for team projects promoting youth development and community impact. 

Past initiatives, like the ASEAN Women Empowerment Portal, highlight the fund’s potential to unite leaders from different nations. 

The ASEAN Women Empowerment Portal was created by AYF alumni as a platform for women within ASEAN to exchange ideas and learn from one another on issues unique to the region. 

The fund covers a broad range of possible initiatives, highlighted by Janu Muhammad, an AYF fellow from Indonesia who would like to use it within the agriculture sector. 

“Many young farmers in Southeast Asia are facing challenges related to low interest in agriculture, economic instability as farmers, lack of capacity to deal with climate change, and limited access to resources,” Muhammad said. 

“Through the AYF Impact Fund, I hope to promote agripreneurship using Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of Things (IoT) to increase the income of young farmers in the hydroponics and aquaponics sector in Southeast Asia so that they can be more prosperous.” 

ASEAN unity 

Global challenges require broad thinking. Initiatives like AYF continue to strengthen ASEAN unity through the young leaders of today, who will be tackling these problems well past tomorrow.  

“In the face of global challenges such as climate change, food security, and public health, youths can help to drive innovative solutions with their fresh perspectives and bold approaches,” said Corinna Chan, chief executive of SIF.  

“I am glad that the AYF continues to be a platform which brings young ASEAN leaders together to connect, collaborate and cooperate in building an innovative and connected ASEAN.”