Some 84 student leaders from Asia are meeting in person and virtually at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) this week to discuss potential solutions to the region’s social inequality at the second STEP Youth Regional Affairs Dialogue.
Mr Lawrence Wong, Minister for Education graced the Dialogue.
Held from 3 to 9 January, the Dialogue, organised by NTU and Temasek Foundation, involves young leaders analysing and proposing fresh solutions to address social inequality. Five aspects of social inequality are being discussed: businesses and occupations; culture and heritage; gender and diversity; healthcare and well-being; and knowledge.
The conversations are led and facilitated by professors from NTU’s University Scholars Programme and their academic peers from Asian universities, as well as leading experts and social innovators. The guest speakers include Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, Singapore’s former communications and information minister and current advisor to the president of Singapore Institute of Technology, and Ms Debbie Fordyce, president of Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2), a Singapore society that seeks to promote the rights and wellbeing of migrant workers.
Professor Ling San, NTU Deputy President and Provost, said, “NTU Singapore is proud to host the Dialogue this year for the second time. This year’s Dialogue takes place amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which has brought to the forefront issues of stark inequality across the globe, such as access to healthcare, digital technology, education and jobs. As we begin to reimagine and rebuild a new post-COVID-19 world, there is no better time for us to come together to discuss and find fresh solutions to address these challenges.”
Mr Benedict Cheong, Chief Executive of Temasek Foundation International, said, “As the past year has shown us, our communities are intrinsically interconnected and we all need to work closely together to tackle global challenges like a pandemic. These conversations should begin with our youth leaders so that they can continue to build a stronger and more connected Asia together. With this second run of the STEP Youth Regional Affairs Dialogue, we hope the student leaders will take the opportunity to share and learn from ideas and perspectives from across the region and be inspired to create a better future for all.”
The participating students were selected from more than 380 applicants from universities in Singapore and the region. In total, 20 countries are represented, including the 10 ASEAN economies and other Asian countries, regions and territories, such as Bhutan, China, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Mongolia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Taiwan.
About Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
A research-intensive public university, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) has 33,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students in the Engineering, Business, Science, Humanities, Arts, & Social Sciences, and Graduate colleges. It also has a medical school, the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, established jointly with Imperial College London.
NTU is also home to world-class autonomous institutes – the National Institute of Education, S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Earth Observatory of Singapore, and Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering – and various leading research centres such as the Nanyang Environment & Water Research Institute (NEWRI) and Energy Research Institute @ NTU (ERI@N).
Ranked amongst the world’s top universities by QS, NTU has also been named the world’s top young university for the past seven years. The University’s main campus is frequently listed among the Top 15 most beautiful university campuses in the world and has 57 Green Mark-certified (equivalent to LEED-certified) buildings, of which 95% are certified Green Mark Platinum. Apart from its main campus, NTU also has a campus in Novena, Singapore’s healthcare district.
Under the NTU Smart Campus vision, the University harnesses the power of digital technology and tech-enabled solutions to support better learning and living experiences, the discovery of new knowledge, and the sustainability of resources.
For more information, visit www.ntu.edu.sg
About Temasek Foundation
Temasek Foundation supports a diverse range of programmes that uplift lives and communities in Singapore and beyond. Collectively, our programmes strengthen social resilience, foster international exchange, and enhance regional capabilities, advance science and protect the planet for a sustainable world. Temasek Foundation’s programmes, made possible through philanthropic endowments gifted by Temasek, strive towards achieving positive outcomes for individuals and communities now, and for generations to come.
Managed by Temasek Foundation, the STEP Endowment supports a series of youth exchange programmes that bring together like-minded youths across Asia to learn, bond and build friendships. The various programmes cover one or more areas of interest that include arts and culture, science and technology, as well as entrepreneurship and innovation. Such programmes provide youth with opportunities to come together as one community to connect and learn through common interests and foster better understanding and empathy across different communities.
For more information on Temasek Foundation, visit: www.temasekfoundation.org.sg
