The 6^th Hitachi Young Leaders Initiative (HYLI) 2003 took place in Bangkok, Thailand from December 8^th - 12^th, bringing together twenty-four outstanding student delegates from Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. The program broadened the delegates' outlook of regional dynamics, while promoting Asian cohesion, facilitating cross-cultural dialogue, and offering a platform for diverse perspectives to establish a strong network for the future of leadership in Asia.

HYLI 2003 Student Delegates’ Learning Journey

Under the theme "Charting a New Course for Asia," this year’s program aimed to deepen the student delegates' understanding of Asia with the following sub-themes: 

• 1) Identifying Asia’s engines for economic growth
• 2) Managing Asia’s rapid urbanization for social progress
• 3) Balancing Asia’s growth and environmental sustainability

Their vision for a better Asia includes:

Identifying Asia’s engines for economic growth
The student delegates proposed several ideas as follows:

• Human Capital Development: Promote a dual approach of vocational schools for employment and business accelerators to foster entrepreneurship.
• Entrepreneurial Spirit: Encourage support from the education sector, government, and private sector for the SMEs.
• Corporate Governance: Strengthen transparency and accountability with independent agencies.
• Free Trade Agreements (FTAs): Support FTAs that benefit individual countries, the region, and promote global integration.

Managing Asia’s rapid urbanization for social progress
Rapid urbanization in Asia has led to economic and social problems. Addressing these issues would require decentralization and collaboration to accelerate rural development, reduce disparities, and support the poor through training and financial assistance.

Balancing Asia’s growth and environmental sustainability
Greater focus should be placed on education, policy implementation, and enforcement across three areas:

• The people – Promoting education that encourages lifestyle changes.
• The public sector – Governments should collaborate with other Asian countries to share best practices and address transnational issues like haze and oil spills.
• The private sector – Businesses should incorporate environmental best practices into their strategies and operations.

Community work

The 6^th HYLI community work project tested leadership skills as student delegates worked with the Christian Care Foundation for Children with Disabilities (CCD). After learning about CCD’s work and forming connections through ice-breaking games, the student delegates guided CCD members in pottery-making and crafting hanging mobiles. The project culminated with a mini concert where student delegates from six countries performed songs and dances, bringing joy to the CCD members, who also enjoyed their crafted items and the outing to Ko Kret.