+ Theme

Globalisation has arguably resulted in a smaller, interconnected, and homogeneous world. These spatial imaginaries and compression of space and time into one world has created its own issues for countries. Communities face varied challenges. Often, the same issue transforms in different contexts and presents varied and novel complexities to be addressed. It is not often people experience a world-wide crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it is common to experience disasters and disruptions that affect entire communities, such as the floods in India that affected more than 18 million people, another million each in Indonesia and Thailand, or the 22.8 million in Afghanistan that face economic collapse worsened with drought.

Communities face unique challenges, and their members have a mutual understanding of existing opportunities and threats in their communities. Therefore, through this theme of Interconnected Communities, we intend to explore how problems ranging from the inaccessibility of basic needs to more complex issues like climate change, gender equality, and preservation of culture and heritage could be tackled by providing communities platforms and solutions focused and bespoke for their own unique context.

+ Evolution

The Asian Undergraduate Summit (AUS) was a student-led international programme by students under the National University of Singapore (NUS) University Scholars Programme (USP). Initiated in 2015, AUS aimed to build a platform for undergraduates across Asia from various disciplines to come together and engage in meaningful academic and intercultural exchange.

Evolving to the Asian Undergraduate Symposium in 2023, AUS is now proposed to be a student-led ASEAN programme helmed by students at NUS College (NUSC). The evolved AUS takes the original AUS forward by both ensuring that meaningful academic and intercultural exchange remains while establishing a more focused catchment of ASEAN undergraduates and empowering students to actualise proposed solutions to real-world problems. AUS 2023 participants included NUSC undergraduates, tertiary students from Singapore,and undergraduates from all the ASEAN states.

+ Goals

We sought to provide the leaders of tomorrow in ASEAN a platform to build networks and connections, appreciate the issues faced by their peers in other countries, and enable then to actualise proposals to mitigate issues within the region.

• Expose ASEAN undergraduates to problems pertinent to ASEAN countries
• Catalyse the implementation of change by providing a platform to participants to actualise their proposed solutions for issues faced within ASEAN
• Develop global citizens through the formation of intercultural bonds and exchange of diverse perspectives
• Ensure a succession pipeline for future AUS organisers and participants.

+ AUS 2023 programme

While previous iterations of the AUS involved an international element and a 7-day residency at NUS, the proposed collapses both legs into a 14-day programme that brings together ASEAN undergraduates from various disciplines to engage in meaningful academic and intercultural exchange to arrive at practical solutions to real-world problems. The 14-day programme allows for participants to be fully engaged with the issues at hand, develop proposal teams, and find a suitable mentor.

The telos of the programme is to award up to the five best proposals an SGD $5,000 grant to implement their proposal over three months. Awardees upon the successful completion of their project will be awarded the title of AUS Fellows and invited back to future iterations of AUS to establish a transferable pool of ideas and approaches. Participants in the programme who are not awarded the grant will be recognised as AUS alumni.

The AUS programme’s framework is inspired by that of a hackathon, and adapted to allow participants to maximise learning, collaboration, and execution.

The programme was broadly divided into three parts.

(1) Pre-event preparations allowed for the selection of participants and the establishment of the foundations for productive engagement at the symposium.

(2) At the symposium proper, participants were empowered to identify a clear problem, write a proposal offering both a convincing and implementable solution, and, finally, both identify and couple with a mentor for the duration of the proposed project.

(3) Post-symposium, teams have a week to calcify and submit their proposal. NUSC’s faculty will select up to five winning teams. Teams awarded the grant will implement their proposed over three months.

Below are some highlights of the 2023 programme.

PANEL DISCUSSIONS

As part of the knowledge-building phase of AUS 2023 and to kickstart inspirations for the project proposals, various experts, practicitioners, and academics across ASEAN were invited as speakers in the AUS Panel Discussions. The panel segment was based on the four sub-themes of AUS, i.e.:

Climate Change & Sustainability

This panel had panelists speaking on various related topics such as Community-based Ecosystem Restoration, Science Communication and Education through Social Media, Finding your Unique Pathway into Sustainability and Climate Adaptation vs Climate Mitigation. The Q and A Session, moderated by Dr Julius Bautista, Senior Lecturer at NUS College, covered more thought-provoking questions on reconciling sustainability and profit-making, barriers in implementing sustainability efforts, balancing legislation and more.

Speakers:

• Ms Chan Kah Mun, Sustainability Professional and Creator of 'How Light Falls'
• Dr Gretchen Coffman, The Tropical Restoration (TRE) Lab, National University of Singapore
• Ms Kong Man Jing, Co-Founder, Just Keep Thinking
• Mr Veerappan Swaminathan, Founder, Sustainable Living Lab

Diversity & Inclusion

This panel's speakers shared about various topics related to Heritage and Culture such as Heritage and Culture in Singapore, Heritage and Culture: Conservation in the age of Cosmopolitanism, Cultural Transformation, Globalisation and Shared Values: A Malaysian Perspective and Distributed remembering, meaning-making: The role of digital technologies in understanding heritage in Singapore. The Q and A Session, moderated by A/Prof Loy Hui Chieh, Vice-Dean (Academic Programmes) at NUS College, covered more thought-provoking questions on generational conflict in values, making change-readiness a part of heritage and culture, erosion of vernacular languages and more.

Speakers:

• Mr Ken Chua, Director, (these)abilities
• Dr Jean Liu, Founder, Insights Bridge Consultancy
• Dr Shivani Gupta, LEcturer, NUS College
• Mr Leonard Sim, President, hash.peace

Heritage & Culture

This panel's speakers shared about various topics related to diversity and inclusion such as Building Sustainable Social Harmony, Methodologies on Gender Work, Mental Health Across Settings: Can we use data to close the gap and Disabling Disabilities through Inclusive Design. The Q and A Session, moderated by A/Prof Eleanor Wong, Vice-Dean (Residential Programmes and Enrichment) at NUS College, covered more thought-provoking questions on affirmative action, workplace diversity, interfaith harmony, polarised sociopolitical ideology and more.

Speakers:

• Dr Azianura Hani Shaari, Senior Lecturer, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
• Mr Izni Azalie, Lecturer, Universiti Brunei Darussalam
• A/Prof Natalie Pang, Deputy Head (Department of Communications and New Media), National University of Singapore
• Dr Kevin Tan, Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Law, National University of Singapore

Needs & Wants

This panel's speakers shared about various topics related to needs & wants such as Unpacking Health in Southeast Asia, Achieving Food and Nutrition Security Through Sustainable Food Systems, Climate Crisis? Challenges and Opprotunities; Urban Anthropology, EcoPsychology; Nature-based Solutions, Women, Water, and Inclusion as well as Homelessless in Singapore: Telling about Homeless People's Needs and Wants. The Q and A Session, moderated by A/Prof Daniel Goh, Vice-Dean (Special Programmes) at NUS College, covered more thought-provoking questions on evolving needs in the age of technology, consumerism and its impacts on sustainability, the pursuit of individual wants and more.

Speakers:

• Mr Timothy Fang, Senior Consultant, ACCESS Health International (Southeast Asia)
• Professor Veera Sekaran, Head of Regenerative Agritech Centre, Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore
• Ms Griselda (Gay) Santos, Regional Director (Southeast Asia), Water.org
• Ms Merry Lianita, Graduate Student, Nutrition and Food Systems, Ghent University, Belgium
• Dr Harry Tan, Research Fellow, Institute of Policy Studies, National University of Singapore

LEARNING JOURNEYS

To further delve into the AUS subthemes of Climate Change & Sustainability and Heritage & Culture, AUS 2023 Participants were taken on a Learning Journey at three Non-Profit Organisations in Singapore:

• Ground-up Initiative
• Green Nudge
• Harmony Centre @ An-Nadhah Mosque

Ground-Up Initiative (GUI)

GUI is a non-profit society with a mission to connect people with Nature, Self, & Others. Participants were taken on a guided tour around the GUI kampung (village) to better understand efforts put in place to build a circular ecosystem on sustainability. They were even given the opportunity to grow their own Superfood afterwards!

Green Nudge

Green Nudge is a green social enterprise that supports businesses and communities to achieve positive environmental impacts through training and activities. In Bugis, participants were taken on a trail along Waterloo Street to better appreciate the intercultural links of the community, followed by trying some plant-based foods in Fortune Centre and Waterloo Street. In Bedok, participants took part in a community trail, visiting integrated green spaces in Singapore's public housing estates. The trail ended with a debrief at the Common Ground, a dedicated space home to various social enterprises working together in collaboration towards a common good.

Harmony Centre @ An-Nadhah Mosque

The Harmony Centre serves as an integrated hub for the promotion and engagement of people from all faith communities.Participants were taken on a guided tour around the centre, having gained a greater understanding of Islam and what religious harmony means for Muslims.

FIRESIDE CHAT WITH MINISTER OF STATE, GAN SIOW HUANG

We are honoured to have had MOS Gan join us for this year's iteration of AUS with a fireside chat with AUS participants. Moderated by NUS College Dean, Professor Simon Chesterman, the fireside chat offered the opportunity for participants to pose thought-provoking questions on Singapore's education, workforce and other policies and hear about the vision of these policies. The Q and A session also brought up questions about diversity and inclusion, education, standardised testing and holistic development as well as the role and representation of women in politics and other fields.

FIRESIDE CHAT WITH VISHNU SARAN

Keeping with the intention of having participants hear from experienced, diverse voices, we were anthralled by the Fireside Chat with Mr Vishnu Saran. Vishnu, who is the CEO/Founder of Invigilo Technologies and who also built his way onto Forbes' "30 under 30" list for 2023, shared his inspiring story and imparted valuable insight on personal successes and future-forward thinking.

PROPOSAL PREP AND PRESENTATIONS

Under the mentorship of lecturers from NUS College, participants formed groups of 6 - 8 with members from various ASEAN countries. Equipped with the unique experiences of each ASEAN member and the AUS programme which sought to expand participant's perspectives through the various lenses of the AUS 2023 subthemes, groups ideated to address a social issue of choice.

FORMAL LUNCHEON

The proposals were presented to the larger group, and the three top-voted projects (Farmagogo!, Gro Up!, and Tak Misérables Foods) were presented to VIPs Professor Tan Eng Chye (President, National University of Singapore) and Mr Benedict Cheong (Deputy CEO, Temasek Foundation) at the Formal Luncheon.

CULTURAL NIGHT

Last but not the least, Cultural Night, a highlight AUS programme segment, sought to promote intercultural exchange and understanding between participants. Each country's booth featured unique and meaningful activities which showcased aspects of their culture. Cultural night also included exciting performances from our diverse participant group.

+ Deliverables

Click here to take a look at the decks the AUS 2023 Participants have come up with.

+ Media

Click here to take a look at the pictures taken during AUS 2023!