Citizens and Permanent Residents of Australia or an ASEAN Member State.

Delegates must be aged 18-29 years (inclusive) at the time of application.

50 delegates will be selected, via a competitive process.

Delegates will be selected for the quality of their ideas, leadership efforts and motivation.

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

The forum will be primarily hosted at Study Melbourne Hub, HCMC.

The Forum is a three-day intensive that will be held from Friday 29 November to Sunday 1 December 2024.

The schedule is intensive and designed to promote maximal connections, learning and experience. For this reason delegates must be able to fully participate in the programme.

Delegates will be required to arrive on Wednesday 28 November and depart Monday 2 December 2024.

AASYP will cover accommodation, transport to venues, activities, lunches each day and select dinners for special events (e.g. the networking reception dinner).

You will be required to book and pay for your own flights and travel insurance, your transport between the airport and the hotel, breakfasts and dinners not covered in the program, and the $160AUD Forum participant fee.

Depending on your location and how much you eat – this will vary.

If your application is successful, you will be required to confirm your spot as a delegate by transferring the $160AUD delegate forum fee which goes towards your accommodation and activities.

You will need to cover your flight and travel insurance if you are unable to secure your university, work, local organisation or government’s support.

We also recommend ensuring you have appropriate funds for any incidentals that you may be required to pay for outside of those costs listed.

Yes! We highly recommend this. There are many organisations that try to support young people, including local government, groups such as Rotary, churches and community organisations, your university and your workplace. We will provide materials to help selected delegates reach out to sponsors. Financial support from AASYP may be available to select delegates on an as-needs basis.

The three key selection criteria are (1) leadership achievements, (2) motivations and (3) your op-ed (mini essay).

Read the selection criteria carefully and make sure you answer the questions directly. If you are looking for ideas on what topics you could potentially write about in the mini essay within the theme of ‘InnovASEAN: Shaping Tomorrow’s Tech Leaders’ – check out our Horizons blog top titles (particularly those published in 2023, to see what last year’s delegates got up to!) and AASYP Review publication contents pages for inspiration.

Your submission will be in the form of an op-ed piece on this year’s theme of InnovASEAN: Shaping Tomorrow’s Tech Leaders to our AASYP Review publication. With further review in the lead up to AAYLF, your published work will provide an insight into your existing knowledge and passion on the subject, helping you to learn about and network with your fellow delegates at AAYLF’24! The AASYP Review will compile finalised op-eds together in one publication document. Check out the 2023 AASYP Review here.

The Forum theme for 2024 is InnovASEAN: Shaping Tomorrow’s Tech Leaders. The programme will include:

Expert Panels and Demonstrations
Exposing you to the latest ideas, insights and trends from experts across Southeast Asia and Australia.

Business Networking
Kick-starting your regional career by providing networking opportunities with prominent people and organisations in the region.

Cross-Cultural Connections
Creating a community of young leaders from countries across Southeast Asia and Australia

Cultural Activities and Performances
Supplying you with an insight and appreciation of traditional Vietnamese culture and broader cultural literacy.

AAYLF Policy Simulations 
Catalysing your journey as an advocate and strategic influencer in the ASEAN-Australia space.

Delegate Spotlights
Opportunities for you to highlight your area of expertise and share your knowledge with diverse and like-minded individuals, companies and stakeholder organisations.

Each day will have a slightly different topic revolving around the broader theme of technology. These include Technology in Institutions, Emerging Technologies and Technology for Good.

AASYP will provide an official invitation letter to the 50 selected delegates. This can be used as part of your approach when seeking support from your university or work for flights.

Applications close at 12:00am HCMC time on 9 September 2024. But the application process is quick, so there’s no reason not to pop yours in now!

Have any further questions for us? Feel free to contact our email at aaylf2024@aaysp.org