July 10, 2017

Hitachi Launches 14th Hitachi Young Leaders Initiative

Regional Leaders gather in Yangon to address pressing urbanization issues

Yangon, Myanmar, 10 July 2017 – Hitachi Asia Ltd. today announced the opening of the 14th Hitachi Young Leaders Initiative (HYLI), which will be held in Myanmar for the first time in Yangon from 10 – 13 July 2017 at Sule Shangri-La Hotel, Yangon. H.E U Phyo Min Thein, Chief Minister, Yangon Region Government, will grace the event as Guest-of-Honour.

Over the last 20 years, HYLI has inspired over 300 young and aspiring Asian leaders from Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam by providing networking and learning opportunities with prominent regional opinion leaders from the private, public and academic sectors. The initiative also promotes an unforgettable cross-cultural experience, further strengthening the ties among Asian countries. This year, 32 more students will join the HYLI alumni. They were selected from over 196 applications from invited 53 universities in the region. All student applicants were put through a rigorous selection process based on their academic results, participation in extra-curricular activities, leadership capabilities, fluency in the English language and knowledge of current regional issues.

The theme for the 14th HYLI is “Sustainable Urbanization through Collaborative Creation”, which will see interactive discussions that center on the value of smart cities in Southeast Asia, sustainable urban transportation as well as environmentally sustainable cities.

Providing significant insights to the HYLI delegates during the four-day event are high profile leaders from the region. They include:

Day 1 (Opening Ceremony):

• H.E. Tateshi Higuchi,  Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the Republic of the Union of Myanmar

Day 1 (Sub-theme: The Value of Smart Cities for Southeast Asia):

• Ms. Nina Yang, Chief Executive Officer, Sustainable Urban Development, Ascendas-Singbridge,
• Mr. Setiaji, Head, Jakarta Smart City Management Unit of the Communications, Information and Public Relations of the Jakarta Capital City Government

Day 2 (Opening Ceremony):

• Mr. Aik Htun, Chairman, Shwe Taung Group

Day 2 (Sub-theme: Sustainable Urban Transportation):

• Dr. Agachai Sumalee, VP and Director, Smart Cities Research Center (SCRC),
• Prof. Dr. Danang Parikesit, Professor of Transportation Studies, Gadjah Mada University,
• Dr. Maung Aung, Secretary, Yangon Urban Transport Authority

Day 2 (Sub-theme: Environmentally Sustainable Cities)

• Ms. Norliza Hashim, Director, Malaysia Institute of Planners, Low Carbon Cities & Sustainability Centre and Managing Director, AJM Planning and Urban Design Group Sdn Bhd (APUDG),
• Dr. Tun Lwin, Specialist in Meteorology, Climate and Weather in the Myanmar Climate Change Watch,
• Mr. Jarupong Pengglieng, Head of Vehicle Emission Control Sub-division, Air Quality and Noise Management, Department of Environment, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration

Day 4 (Student Presentation Advisors)

• H. E. U Maung Maung Soe, Mayor, Yangon City Development Committee
• Mr. Bijay Karmacharya, Country Manager, UN Habitat Myanmar
• Mr. Rupert Mann, Project Manager, Yangon Heritage Trust

Mr. Kojin Nakakita, Chairman of Hitachi Asia Ltd. said, “We are extremely privileged and heartened to be supported by so many prominent regional leaders for every edition of HYLI. The theme for this year discusses how to achieve sustainable urbanization through collaborative creation, and we are excited to work together with these like-minded leaders from the government, business and academia to jointly deliver solutions to answer society’s challenges.”

Apart from various forums and workshops designed to ensure rich networking and learning opportunities, the students will also visit Yangon City Development Committee at City Hall and UN Habitat Myanmar Office on the third day of the programme. These visits will provide students with the opportunity to experience first-hand the various types of city operation systems used in different parts of the country, to understand how transportation and urban development affect the lives of people in Yangon. Finally, students will share what they have learnt over the course of HYLI at the Student Presentation. Their recommendations will subsequently be published in a white paper, and shared with the business, government and academic sectors for their consideration.