ASEAN Youth Fellowship Factsheet
1 Background
1.1 Singapore has committed to playing a key role in leadership development, to foster
ASEAN community building at the regional level. One of Singapore’s contributions
to the ASEAN Work Plan on Youth 2021-2025 is the ASEAN Youth Fellowship
(AYF) which was established in 2018 in conjunction with Singapore’s ASEAN
chairmanship that year.
1.2 Strengthening people-to-people ties is essential in creating a close-knit ASEAN
community. Through leadership development programmes, young talents who will
form the next generation of leaders will be given the opportunity to form networks
and connections to bring the ASEAN community forward.
2 ASEAN Youth Fellowship (AYF) 2023
2.1 Into its 5th run, the AYF continues to be an exclusive regional leadership
development programme that cultivates and connects established ASEAN young
leaders from across diverse sectors.
3 Programme Objectives
3.1 AYF aims to achieve the following objectives:
a. To engage youth leaders in ASEAN through an immersive learning experience;
b. To build a strong network among youth leaders from diverse sectors; and
c. To expose ASEAN youth leaders to opportunities in the region.
4 Target Audience
4.1 The target participants are professionals aged between 27 to 35 years old, who
are citizens of ASEAN member states. They should be proficient in English.
4.2 The nominated youth leaders must have established track record in their
communities of influence, with high potential to take on prominent leadership
positions in the future. Past AYF Fellows included department heads in national
1
government bodies, CEOs and founders of national-level start-ups and civil society
organisations, or management of private corporations and businesses.
5 Programme Structure
5.1 The AYF 2023 will be held from 28 October to 4 November 2023 as a physical
programme with two legs – the first half of the programme will be held in Singapore,
followed by the second half of the programme in Hanoi, Vietnam. There would also
be a hybrid pre-programme on-boarding session on 14 October 2023, date
subjected to changes.
5.2 The programme will feature the following key elements:
a. Dialogues with senior policy makers and prominent thought leaders;
b. Immersive institutional visits; and
c. Exclusive learning journeys to key installations and organisations
5.3 Inspired by the theme of Indonesia’s ASEAN Chairmanship 2023, AYF 2023
focuses on leveraging innovation and transformation to encourage growth and
development of the region. In addition, AYF 2023 aims to encourage ASEAN youth
leaders to be at the forefront driving innovation and ASEAN forward.
5.4 After the programme, ASEAN Youth Fellows are encouraged to work
collaboratively on joint regional or bilateral projects stemming from AYF or in areas
of need assessed by fellows and / or AYF Alumni. Projects scoped in partnership
with other organisations could also be considered. To support their collaborative
ground-up initiatives, fellows and AYF Alumni are encouraged to tap on the
Singapore-ASEAN Youth Fund (SAYF)1 and the ASEAN Youth Fellowship Impact
Fund (AYF Impact Fund)2. In addition, fellows will continuously be re-engaged
through various platforms as participants, speakers, moderators, etc.
6 Programme Costs
6.1 Expenses for the programme will be borne by the Organisers. These include
accommodation, transport and meals. All other personal expenses, including any
necessary vaccinations as required by the hosting organisation(s) and prevailing
health guidelines of the hosting country, as well as personal travel insurance will
be borne by the fellows.
1 The Singapore-ASEAN Youth Fund (SAYF) aims to promote greater interaction among youth in the ASEAN
member countries by supporting partnerships among ASEAN youth and youth sector organisations. More
information on the SAYF can be found at https://www.nyc.gov.sg/en/initiatives/grants/singapore-asean-youth-
fund/
2
As part of NYC’s commitment to support the ASEAN Youth Fellows in creating greater impact in the region, the
AYF Impact Fund has been made available to the Fellows post programme to pursue ground-up initiatives to
promote youth development, community building and other related causes.
2
6.2 Fellows will also bear any additional charges incurred for changes to flight bookings
or accommodation beyond the stipulated deadline by the Organisers.
7 Application Submission
7.1 All nominees should complete the online application form at
http://www.go.gov.sg/ayf2023 by Wednesday, 22 May 2023. Application
instructions can be found on the front page of the online form.
7.2 Nominating organisations should return the completed recommendation form to
the AYF Secretariat at
[email protected] by Wednesday, 22 May 2023.
7.3 For any further enquiries on AYF, please email [email protected]
##########
Please refer to the next page for some of the Frequently Asked Questions.
3
Frequently Asked Questions on AYF
1. Who can apply for AYF?
Professionals aged between 27 to 35 years old, who are citizens of ASEAN member
states and are proficient in English can apply.
Applicants should be young leaders with an established track record in their communities
of influence, with high potential to take on more prominent leadership positions in future.
2. Is participation at AYF fully funded?
All programme costs including meals, accommodation and flights will be borne by the
organisers. However, fellows will have to bear personal expenses, such as travel
insurance, incidentals during hotel stay, and mobile data charges.
Fellows will also bear any additional charges incurred for changes to flight bookings or
accommodation beyond the stipulated deadline by the organisers, and any necessary
health requirements such as mandatory vaccinations as required by prevailing health
guidelines of the hosting country.
3. Can I sit out for certain segments of the programme due to personal/work
commitments?
Fellows are required to commit to the entire programme duration and participate fully in
all activities.
4. How are Fellows selected?
Applicants will be assessed based on their leadership records in both their professional
and community capacities, expertise, and experience in their respective fields, as well as
involvement in or awareness of ASEAN developments. Applicants should submit
updated curriculum vitae (CVs) at the point of application.
5. Do I need to go for any health check-ups or vaccination to participate in AYF?
Trip health check-ups are not mandatory, but fellows will be required to submit a health
declaration prior to the programme. The Organisers may request for additional
documentation such as vaccination certificates and Doctor’s memos to ascertain that
fellows are fit for participation in all activities. Fellows are also required to have a valid
tetanus immunisation to participate in the team-building activities organised by Outward
Bound Singapore (OBS) as part of the AYF Programme.
6. When will the selection results be released?
The selection results for AYF will be released about 2 months from when the application
deadline closes. All applicants will receive an email from the Organisers on the selection
4
results accordingly. Please ensure that the email that you have provided in registration
form is accurate and check your junk folder for misdirected email.
7. What is the AYF programme like?
AYF is a week-long residential programme that is held in Singapore and in another major
city in ASEAN.
Fellows can expect to participate in dialogues with senior policymakers and prominent
thought leaders. In addition, there will be exclusive visits and learning journeys to various
organisations. Lastly, there will be many opportunities of networking with peers and
team-building activities.
Post-AYF, fellows are encouraged to work collaboratively on joint regional or bilateral
projects stemming from AYF or in areas of need assessed by Fellows and/or AYF
Alumni. Fellows are encouraged to tap on the Singapore-ASEAN Youth Fund (SAYF)3
and AYF Impact Fund4 to implement their projects. In addition, fellows will continuously
be re-engaged through various youth platforms and programmes as participants,
speakers, moderators, etc.
8. What do I need to prepare before the programme?
There will be a hybrid pre-programme briefing that fellows will need to attend (physical
for Singaporean fellows and virtual for ASEAN fellows), where the Organisers will share
programme updates and detailed instructions. This onboarding briefing will usually be
conducted 2 weeks before the start of the AYF. Opportunities will also be given for you to
network with fellow delegates during the briefing. In addition, all fellows will be added to
a WhatsApp group chat for logistical and communication purposes. Lastly, please ensure
that your passport has at least 6 months of validity to travel.
9. What is the difference between a nominator and a referee?
Nominators are organisations invited by National Youth Council and Singapore
International Foundation to nominate suitable leaders in their networks to apply for AYF.
This includes the National Youth Focal points of each ASEAN Member States, ASEAN
embassies, High Commissions, Corporate Partners, Non-profit Organisations, and the
AYF Alumni. Referees are individuals who can testify in writing on an applicant’s
character and ability. The Organisers may check in with your referees during the
selection process.
3 The Singapore-ASEAN Youth Fund (SAYF) aims to promote greater interaction among youth in the ASEAN
member countries by supporting partnerships among ASEAN youth and youth sector organisations. More
information on the SAYF can be found at https://www.nyc.gov.sg/en/initiatives/grants/singapore-asean-youth-
fund/
4
As part of NYC’s commitment to support the ASEAN Youth Fellows in creating greater impact in the region, the
AYF Impact Fund has been made available to the Fellows post programme to pursue ground-up initiatives to
promote youth development, community building and other related causes.
