Humanities students at the ASEAN Youth Role Model Conference 2014

The University of Social Sciences and Humanities – Vietnam National University, Hanoi, is participating in this year's conference with 5 students: Mai Mai (K56 International Studies), Nguyen Tran Thai Nam (K58 International Studies), Nguyen Hai Chau (K58 Anthropology), Vu Anh Thu (K55 Linguistics), and Nguyen Duc Quang (K58 Psychology), led by Mr. Tran Bach Hieu, M.Sc. – Secretary of the University's Youth Union.

The Youth Model ASEAN Conference (YMAC) is an annual event for students from five polytechnics in Singapore, sponsored by the S Rajaratnam Endowment (SRE). YMAC focuses on recreating an ASEAN summit, where student delegates assume the roles of diplomats from the 10 ASEAN member countries, participating in research and debates on regional and international issues facing ASEAN. These issues revolve around the fields of Environment, Economy, Society, Security, and Culture and Arts. This year marks the third year of YMAC, and also the first time it includes outstanding young people from all 10 ASEAN member countries. With the theme "Voices of Today - Echoes of the Future," YMAC 2014 hopes that through debates, study tours, and volunteer activities, students will broaden their understanding of related topics, collaborate to reach a final decision on feasible solutions to sustainably address current challenges, and ultimately realize these solutions in the community after the conference.

Throughout the four days of the conference, the debates were perhaps the most lively. The seven major themes of the conference, also representing the seven current challenges facing ASEAN, centered around the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) by the end of 2015, truly captivated participating members, prompting them to express their personal views, share crisis management plans, and engage in debate and agreement to arrive at a unified statement reflecting the unique voice of the region's youth on this issue.These challenges are facing ASEAN. At the same time, volunteer activities, study trips, and cultural exchange and sharing activities contribute to raising awareness and deepening understanding among students from participating countries about regional diversity, people in particular, and ASEAN in general. They also foster connections among young people in the region, creating an unforgettable experience for each individual participating in YMAC 2014.

YMAC 2014 also featured the participation of Ambassador Ong Keng Yong – former ASEAN Secretary-General from 2003-2007 – and Singapore's Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, Lawrence Wong. The direct and open exchanges between participating students and political figures provided invaluable knowledge about ASEAN in general, and specifically about the ASEAN Economic Community 2015 (AEC 2015) and ASEAN Vision 2020.

At this year's YMAC, the student delegation from the University of Social Sciences and Humanities actively participated in contributing ideas during the debates and showcased Vietnamese culture through exchanges on folk games and traditional costumes. Ideas and solutions such as establishing training centers for small and medium-sized enterprises closely connected with state-owned enterprises, banks, the 4Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle), and disaster control centers were truly innovative and generated positive discussions.

Speaking to a VNA reporter in Singapore, Mai Mai (K56 International Studies) said:We are participating in this conference to present a friendly and wonderful Vietnam. We are introducing Vietnamese folk games to our international friends, such as the horse racing game, the ball-throwing game, and the bamboo pole dance… Especially, by participating in this program, we can learn about other countries. I am here not only as a Vietnamese student but also to become a true ASEAN student and to participate in the program to solve the problems of my peers..

Concluding the four-day YMAC 2014, the seven final declarations, corresponding to the seven major themes of this year's YMAC, signed by over 200 young delegates, truly represent a great success. Beyond the purely political significance of a model ASEAN conference, YMAC 2014 also served as a bridge to bring ASEAN youth closer together. Although the four days were short, and despite the laughter, tears, and poignant farewells that have now faded into the past, what remains in the present and will resonate into the future is no longer 200 individual people, but a unified ASEAN with "one vision, one identity, one connected community," blending them all together.