2024 APEC Youth Capacity-Building Training & Model APEC

The 2024 APEC Youth Capacity-Building Training & Model APEC took place recently at National Taipei University of Technology (NTUT) with an aim to cultivate talent in international affairs. Entrusted by the Ministry of Education, the APEC Institute of Innovation and Education Development, which is spearheaded by NTUT's Department of English, was the host of the event. Building on the success and recognition the event garnered in the previous year for inviting overseas participants, this year, 29 overseas youth participants from 13 APEC economies were invited to exchange ideas with 32 outstanding students from local universities and high schools (NTU, NYCU, NTUT etc.), to deepen understanding of the intricacies of APEC operational framework.

Jing Zeng, the First Education Secretary of the Department of International and Cross-strait Education, Ministry of Education (MoE), stated that the world is facing multiple daunting challenges like climate change, environmental pollution, the refugee crisis, and educational disparity, and the Asia-Pacific region is no exception. Over the years, APEC has made substantial contributions in areas like disaster prevention, food safety, and women's economic empowerment. Through this event, the MoE hoped to deepen youth participants' understanding of APEC's organizational operations. By engaging in activities and brainstorming sessions, participants can collaboratively identify feasible solutions to major international issues, and further cultivate capabilities required of talent that can address international affairs and promote regional cooperation and prosperity.

Thomas C.K. Yang, Vice President of NTUT, said that NTUT has held multiple APEC workshops and forums since 2014 under the guidance of MoE, and this year marks the sixth edition of the APEC Youth Capacity-Building Training & Model APEC. He further stated that the demand for talents with international perspectives and cross-cultural communication skills is increasing thanks to growing globalization. In the light of such rising demand, the APEC Youth Training Program is aimed to provide participants with opportunities to deepen their understanding of APEC, engage in discussions on regional issues, and hone their diplomatic skills through simulation exercises. It is hoped that the participants could grow into talents key to international and regional cooperation by building international perspectives, interpersonal relationships, and management capabilities through this Program.

On the first day of the program, Yun-Hua Yang, Senior APEC Officer of MoE and Director of the Foreign Language Center at NTUT, explained APEC's 2024 priorities and shared the results of Taiwan's APEC initiatives. Eric Yen-Liang Lin, Senior APEC Officer of MoE and Chair of the Department of English at NTUT, introduced the organizational structure and operational framework of the APEC Human Resources Development Working Group (HRDWG), and explained the importance of participating in HRDWG.

Following this, alumni who previously participated in the APEC Youth Capacity-Building Training & Model APEC shared their experiences representing Taiwan at APEC events in South Korea and exchanging opinions with participants from different countries. A Peruvian volunteer who attended the second APEC Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM2) in Peru in 2024 also came to Taiwan to share their learnings from the event.

The first day of the program concluded with APEC HRDWG team members explaining APEC meeting procedures and conducting a mock election to select the HRDWG Lead Shepherd, Program Director, and Co-Chair in preparation for the next day's mock meetings.

"Model APEC" was held on the second day of the program as the highlight of the two-day event. Participants assumed roles within the APEC meeting framework, with representatives from different economies presenting proposals to seek endorsement and co-signatures from other economies. The activity was guided by Eric Yen-Liang Lin, Senior APEC Officer from the MoE, and Michael Tanangkingsing, Associate Professor from the Department of English at NTUT. Both also evaluated the participants' proposals and on-the-spot performance, helping them gain practical experience in international meeting procedures and operations.

Bill Puah Ee Joe from Singapore Management University said he was grateful to be recommended by his professor to attend the APEC training program in Taiwan. He also felt honored to be elected as HRDWG Lead Shepherd. He noted that the introductory session on APEC during the first day of the program provided him with a foundational understanding of APEC's organizational structure. He also gained a lot of practical experiences on how international meetings operate by working closely with the Co-Chair and Program Director to discuss work distribution and to build rapport.

Hsu, a junior student from the Department of English at NTUT, who had previously taken the department's "Global Issues and Trends" course and participated in other regional youth training activities, joined the APEC training program for the first time this year. Assigned to the team of Singapore, she capitalized on the rare opportunity in mock meetings to hone her communication skills in international negotiations and to seek support from other economies. She also made new friends from countries such as Singapore and Canada, which greatly helped broaden her horizons on international issues.

Putri Kartika Dewi from the Indonesia Taiwan Education Center visited Taiwan for the first time for this event. She expressed her honor in representing Indonesia and said that she learned how to formulate cross-national policies and engage in diplomatic negotiations. The program also provided her with an excellent opportunity to gain insights into international political dynamics and economic cooperation.