A 10-day annual youth network workshop organized by the ASEAN-Korea Centre kicks off Monday in Incheon to forge strong networks among Asian students in achieving a sustainable and clean environment in the region.
Under the theme of “Promoting Clean and Green Environment through the Establishment of Environmentally Sustainable Cities,” students will participate in various lectures, field trips and cultural activities for the 2017 ASEAN-Korea Youth Network Workshop to be held in Korea from July 3-8 and in Malaysia from July 8-12.
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Students pose for a photo at the closing ceremony of the 2016 ASEAN-Korea Youth Network Workshop held in Seoul on Aug. 4, 2016. (ASEAN-Korea Centre) |
Jointly organized with the United Nations ESCAP North-East Asia Office and the Incheon Metropolitan City, the Korean part of the program will be joined by 80 students from the 10 Association of South East Asian Nations as well as Korea, Japan and China.
The students will visit environmental protection-related facilities such as a sewage treatment plant and a tidal power plant and receive lectures on ASEAN-Korea relations and sustainable development agendas from experts. They will also engage in cultural activities including a tour to historic sites.
In Malaysia, some 70 students from ASEAN member states and Korea will visit Melaka, Putrajaya, and Kuala Lumpur to get a glimpse into how environmentally-friendly cities are run.
They will take part in activities such as a wetland experience in Putrajaya, tree-planting and the cleaning of a river in Melaka and visit the Melaka Green Technology cooperation and Melaka World Solar Valley.
On the last day in Malaysia, the students will make presentations on their proposals to better protect the environment and awareness-raising videos, which will later be uploaded on social media. They will also meet Yu Hyun-seok, Ambassador of South Korea to Malaysia for an in-depth conversation on visions for ASEAN and ASEAN-Korea relations.
“With the rapid economic development, industrialization, and the subsequent urbanization, cities in ASEAN face numerous challenges such as congestion and pollution,” Kim Young-sun, secretary-general of the ASEAN-Korea Centre, said.
“I hope this workshop would provide a platform for the youth, the future leaders of ASEAN and Korea, to find possible solutions to the key challenges in terms of the sustainability in the region while forging a long-lasting friendship.”
The ASEAN-Korea Centre, an intergovernmental organization to enhance social, economic and cultural exchanges between the ASEAN countries and Korea, has held an annual youth workshop on environmental issues since 2013.
Last year, some 80 students discussed the sustainability of marine resources through the workshop held in August in Korea and Thailand.
By Ock Hyun-ju (
laeticia.ock@heraldcorp.com)
