The 5^th Hitachi Young Leaders Initiative (HYLI), held between 29^th July and 2^nd August 2002 in Singapore, brought together twenty-four distinguished university student delegates from Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. The HYLI reflects Hitachi’s long-term commitment to Asia. The program enriched the delegates’ understanding of regional challenges and opportunities, while fostering Asian unity, encouraging cultural exchange, and offering a platform for diverse viewpoints to build a collaborative network for future Asian leaders.

HYLI 2002 Student Delegates’ Learning Journey

The theme was "Asia’s Roadmap – Forging Regional Cohesion for Global Advancement.” Under this theme, the following sub-themes were addressed by the student delegates in workshop discussions.

• 1) Cultivating entrepreneurial spirit in Asia
• 2) The changing role of the media in Asia
• 3) The growing importance of corporate social responsibility

The event concluded with a set of collective visions and recommendations for Asia by the student delegates.

Cultivating entrepreneurial spirit in Asia
The Asian financial crisis in 1997 highlighted the risks of relying too much on foreign direct investment. By promoting entrepreneurial spirit and implementing reforms in education, politics, and society, indigenous enterprises could become sustainable growth engines. Their recommendations included:

• Education – Encourage students to focus on creativity and initiative rather than rote learning. Establish business incubators in universities and allocate funds to support entrepreneurial ventures by students and faculty.
• Culture – Promote the entrepreneurial spirit culture and the need to improve the public’s perception of entrepreneurs.
• Political and social systems – Revise government and societal roles to better support and nurture entrepreneurial growth.

The changing role of the media in Asia
The media often highlighted regional diversity, deepening socio-cultural divides and tensions. Western influences have led Asians to question their cultural value, accepting the notion of inferiority. Moreover, media ownership has become concentrated in the hands of a few. Their recommendations included:

• Limiting media ownership monopolies
• Formulating regulations to encourage inclusive dialogue
• Emphasizing the media’s role in fostering regional unity beyond mere commercial interests
• Enforcing standards that uphold professionalism and media ethics
• Enhancing media literacy and appropriate media consumption

The growing importance of corporate social responsibility in Asia
As Asian CSR was still in its early stages, the student delegates offered recommendations for companies to consider when implementing CSR policies.

• Employee relations – Focus on employee welfare, with state-set benchmarks for wages and benefits. Singapore was highlighted as a model for state support.
• Shareholders’ interests – Companies should clearly define CSR strategies, with national rankings for CSR performance.
• Community development – Foster partnerships with indigenous communities for employment and encourage employees to offer pro bono services to charitable organizations.
• Global environmental guidelines would help corporations adopt consistent standards. Companies should operate eco-efficiently, with governments using tax systems to internalize environmental costs and reinvest in sustainable production subsidies.

Community work

We worked together with MINDS (Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore), giving opportunities to put the young leaders through a true test of leadership. After learning about the needs of MINDS members, each student delegate 'buddied' up with one of the MINDS members to ascertain his or her individual needs and to develop a learning programme for their buddy at the Singapore Zoo. The project concluded with a mini concert, where students performed songs and dances to share their experiences.