Fifty-two students from Cambodia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Viet Nam, Indonesia and Japan participated in the ASEAN in Today’s World 2020, an international study programme held at the University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur from 22 February to 5 March.

The programme offered a learning opportunity for university students across ASEAN and Japan to deepen their knowledge about ASEAN, East Asia affairs, as well as Asian languages and cultures. Co-curricular study trips were also included in the programme.

The plenary lecture entitled “Future Ready Youth, Future Ready ASEAN” was delivered to the participants by the ASEAN Secretariat on 22 February, the first day of the programme. The lecture highlighted regional efforts in the education, youth and sports sectors preparing ASEAN youth to embrace the opportunities and challenges of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

This year marks the third and also the last year of the programme hosted by the University of Malaya. Mahidol University in Thailand is set to host the succeeding cohorts of the AsTW from 2021-2023, twelve years after it hosted the launch of the programme in 2009.

Since its launch, the ASEAN in Today’s World has been held annually with support from the Kyushu University, and in collaboration with a consortium of universities from ASEAN and Japan, namely the Viet Nam National University of Hanoi (Viet Nam), the Ateneo de Manila University (Philippines), the Mahidol University (Thailand), the University of Malaya (Malaysia) and the Fukuoka Women’s University (Japan). The programme is part of the ASEAN Work Plan on Education 2016-2020. It contributes towards advancing ASEAN studies at the higher education level through cross-border mobility.

More information is available on AsTW’s official website: http://www.isc.kyushu-u.ac.jp/astw/