Ateneo Student Leader attends the Asian Youth Leaders Travel and Learning Camp (AYLTLC) 2023

Last February 2-6, 2023, the Council of Organizations of the Ateneo - Manila (COA-M) President, Nina San Andres attended the Asian Youth Leaders Travel and Learning Camp (AYLTLC) 2023 held at National University of Singapore (NUS). The event, which brings together youth leaders from all over the world, is now on its 10th year this year, having its first in-person run again for the first time in two years since the pandemic.

Since 2012, AYLTLC has been gathering student leaders from all across Asia in Singapore to learn and engage in activities geared towards development and cross-cultural interactions. This year, the event focused on taking students into a deepdive into the urban development that shaped Singapore into the cosmopolitan city and country that it is today. With learning sessions on the Public Transport History of Singapore, Leadership, and Anthropology, students are given the opportunity to learn from some of the brightest minds in NUS, as well as, from each other. Alongside travel sessions around the city, students were able to visit the Marina Barrage, the New Water Visitor Centre, and the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), as they learned about Singapore’s innovative efforts towards creating a more sustainable and inclusive society.

On the last day of the event, students were tasked to identify a prominent problem that is common among their countries, and to craft steps and solutions that address these. Coming from major cities such as Manila, Hanoi, and Taiwan, San Andres’ team focused their solution on addressing congestion in major cities, for which they were awarded for the most creative [solution]. The group was also awarded as the Champion Travel Team.

In its tenth year, AYLTLC continues its feat of bringing together student leaders from different cultures and backgrounds, as they equip them with skills and knowledge to shape them into the leaders of tomorrow in their respective home countries, as we engage in a more globalized and interconnected world.