Meet The Team
Operations
Diplomacy Director
Adelaide Pope
Adelaide is a Hansen Scholar at the University of Melbourne and is currently completing her New Colombo Plan Scholarship in Malaysia and India.
She has two semesters remaining in her Bachelor of Commerce degree (majoring in Economics, with a concurrent Diploma of Spanish and Latin American Studies) and plans to graduate mid-year 2024 after spending time exploring and working in the diverse Indo-Pacific region.
Adelaide is passionate about sustainable and ethical finances and is determined to use her commercial skills to make a positive social impact. She is a firm believer that wherever the world’s attention be focused in the future—be that climate-consciousness, reduction of inequalities, the fourth industrial revolution or the general preservation of peace and security—finance is inescapable. In her eyes, our investments need to both enable and reflect our goals of sustainable and inclusive economic development, at all levels of society, business and government.
Diplomacy Director
Wahid Rahman
Wahid currently works at the U.S. Mission in Indonesia. Previously, he worked at the Australian Consortium for ‘In-Country’ Indonesian Studies (ACICIS) on student exchange programs, including: a semester program related to Indonesian business & law, a field study research program in East Java, a summer internship program on development sector, and a tour program focused on public health in Indonesia. He also supervised ACICIS Internship and Buddy programs.
He started to voulunteer at the ASEAN-Australia Strategic Youth Partnership (AASYP) in April 2021 as the Manager of the Diplomacy Experience Team. In August 2021, he and his team successfully launched the AASYP Digital Dialogues, a digital platform and forum for future leaders from across the ASEAN – Australia regions to contribute in policymaking and diplomacy.
Diplomacy Director
Edward Lichtig
Eddy is studying a Bachelor of Science and Global Studies at Monash University, majoring in Geographical Sciences and International Relations. He has an avid interest in international affairs, previously working for and advising Politicians in both Australia and the Middle East and is currently working for numerous organisations in Youth Education, Diplomacy and Politics in Australia and the ASEAN region.
Eddy has completed two short-term mobility programs in Paris, France, and also completed a long-term mobility program in the Middle East for two years. He has a passion for youth empowerment and advocacy, aiming to create a platform for Youth voices at the highest levels of business, corporations and government.
Diplomacy Experience Manager
Nabila Aisyah
Nabila is a young professional with interests in ASEAN affairs, youth empowerment, and diplomacy. She is experienced in strategic communications, public information management, and stakeholder engagement.
Currently working at ASEAN Foundation, she leads coordination efforts with external parties, the business sector, civil society, academia, and other stakeholders at a time where the Foundation is initiating more organization-driven events and campaigns to build greater ASEAN awareness. She also contributed to strengthening the partnership, promotion, and outreach of the Foundation.
Following the success of the AASYP Diplomacy programs such as Digital Dialogues in 2021, she will run the Digital Dialogues 2022 on pressing issues in the region and work to develop reports containing youth insights to present to key stakeholders in the region.
Diplomacy Research and Policy Manager
Dhini Hardiyanti
Dee is a Monash University graduate who is passionate about international affairs, youth empowerment, and matters related to climate change and sustainable development. She is currently working at the ASEAN Secretariat, under the Office of the Secretary-General of ASEAN.
Prior to AASYP, Dee has volunteered for various other organisations, including the Australian Institute of International Affairs, the Australia-Indonesia Youth Association, and the ASEAN Youth Organisation.
She highly enjoys meeting new people and is always keen to contribute to causes that positively impact society, particularly in the context of ASEAN, Indonesia, and Australia.
Diplomacy Research and Policy Officer
Mokhammad Ardafillah
Mokhammad is a Diplomacy Experience Officer at AASYP.
Diplomacy Research and Policy Officer
Patricia Alcantara
Patricia began pursuing her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science in 2019 to learn about how political institutions can be used to improve human welfare.
She is currently enrolled at the Ateneo de Manila University, located in Quezon City in the Philippines. Currently in her third year, she is also taking two minors in English Literature and Development and the Law, and is active in a number of student organizations advocating for political education, nation-building, and responsible journalism.
Outside university, she is an intern at the Philippine Department of Health, under the Health Systems Strengthening Division of the Disease Prevention and Control Bureau.
Diplomacy Research and Policy Officer
Aasha Sriram
Aasha has worked as a journalist and has experience in communications and advocacy. Most recently she worked for the Minister for Energy and Mining in the South Australian government and is currently leading an advocacy project about low income tenants.
Diplomacy Research and Policy Officer
Siobhan Honey
Siobhan is a recent graduate from the Australian National University, where she studied a Bachelor of Politics, Philosophy and Economics. She explored her interests further by specialising in Peace and Conflict Studies.
During her studies, Siobhan worked at the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. Upon graduating, she interned at the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, where she remains today as a policy adviser.
Siobhan is passionate about empowering youth to leverage their skills and knowledge to benefit international relations.
Diplomacy Research and Policy Officer
Syna Ky
Syna graduated from Department of International Studies, majoring in International Relations.
She has been involved in various voluntary work with international organization. To improve her research skill and knowledge, Syna joined Asian Vision Institute (AVI) as a Research Associate and develop her research interest on ASEAN region.
Diplomacy Experience Officer
Muhammad Kenzo Baskoro
Kenzo is an aspiring student of International relations in Tokyo with former experience in project management and communication strategy. Prior to his application with AAYSP He was involved in several projects working with the communication and branding team. He was a communication intern in ASEAN foundation institution in Jakarta.
His former projects in the institution including his contribution to the promotion of ASEAN brand with the youth through media strategy, promoting ASEAN youth project into focus. Recently, through his former works in the communication team with ASEAN he was selected as a communication associate with London Politica, A pro-bono political risk organization based in London.
Working through volunteering means Kenzo is also an ASEAN enthusiast, having been contributed to ASEAN led youth program before this when he was selected Indonesian representatives for ASEAN Youth Leadership Program. Through his experience, Kenzo enjoys investing time with challenges given and utilize them into potential. He is currently seeking learning opportunities to re-learn and grow personally and professionally.
Diplomacy Experience Officer
Bintang Assyifa
Bintang is from Indonesia and is currently studying in International Relations at Tokyo International University, Japan. Before joining AASYP, she was involved in other regional and international activities, such as ASEAN Youth Volunteer Program, NetMission Asia Academy, ECOSOC Youth Forum 2021 as a delegate, and local initiatives in refugee protection and gender equality. Her internship experiences brought her to LiveandLearn, a South African NGO focuses on empowerment of human trafficking victims and PeaceGen Indonesia, a think-tank focusing on peacebuilding and violent extremism.
Books and music that have changed her life include: Anatomy of Peace (The Arbinger Institute), Letters To The Dead (Ava Dellaira), The Course of Love (Alan de Botton), Made in The Am (One Direction), and Norman Rockwell (Lana Del Rey).
Diplomacy Experience Officer
Katherine Thu
Han Thu Thu is an undergraduate student majoring in Bachelor of Business Management at National Management Degree College. Prior to joining AASYP, as a passionate youth who is interested in leadership, social entrepreneurship, and volunteering, she was involved in several community projects to make impact on society by joining Global Shaper, Wedu, AIESEC in Myanmar, and Youth Society for Education.
Her interest in diplomacy started when she joined as a delegate for the Model ASEAN Meeting Myanmar and Khmer Model ASEAN Meeting, since then, she has been interested in ASEAN regional affairs and connecting with ASEAN peers. She has over 1-year internship experience and is currently undertaking 2 remote jobs from the US.
She is excited to bring her passion for AASYP to make profound impact for the youths in ASEAN – Australia region and build new relationships with like-minded youth.
Diplomacy Experience Officer
Josephine Graham-Freeman
Josephine is completing her JD at the University of Melbourne. Currently working as a law clerk for the Victorian Government, she is hoping to pursue a legal career in government and foreign policy.
Josephine is passionate about fostering ASEAN-Australia relations and the exciting possibilities presented by regional connections.
In her spare time she enjoys learning languages and engaging with art history.
Diplomacy Experience Officer
Kaithlynn Khanh Lee
Khanh Linh completed her Bachelor Degree in International Cultural Studies in July 2019, majoring in Intercultural Communication at the University of Łódź, Poland.
In winter 2017, Linh spent a semester in Cyprus as an Erasmus+ exchange student, and receive her scholarship with Kulturstudier and OsloMet for Development Studies semester in 2020.
Linh is interested in researching cultural subjects related with humanities and communication within the perspectives of social diversity. Volunteering to support Youth’s activities and Young Leadership’s programs has become her passion to help impulse the development of young generation.
Diplomacy Experience Officer
Yulia Dewi
Yulia received her Bachelor degree from Griffith University with a major in international relations.
She is passionate about youth empowerment and community building. She has a strong interest in sustainable development and is keen to explore the role of youth in achieving sustainable development goals.
She participated in Asia-Pacific Youth Exchange Program in Thailand where she developed my social entrepreneurship and leadership skills to empower local community.
Review Director
Lauren Twine
Lauren is an Australian young professional and postgraduate student passionate about international policy and youth diplomacy.
Lauren’s childhood in Singapore embedded in her a firm passion for ASEAN-Australia relations. She is an alumna of DFAT’s Australia-Indonesia Youth Exchange Program (AIYEP), where she completed an internship with Banda Aceh-based NGO, Forum Bangun Aceh.
Lauren has previously served as the Careers Director for Young Australians in International Affairs, a World Economic Forum Global Shaper, and a South Australian Youth Parliamentarian.
Review Director
Brillian Aditya Prawira Arafat
As a law student, currently studying at the University of Jember, Brillian is quite active in both academic, such as conferences and competitions; and non-academic, such as organizations and volunteer activities.
Brillian has interned in a research group, such as ALSA Indonesia Specialised Research Team. Currently, he is an intern in a community legal aid agency. He does several scientific publications and actively participates in organizational management, especially in human resources and academic activities. More so, he is also skilled in public speaking, data collecting, leadership, and teamwork.
Review Editor
Camille Luchs
Camille is a second-year Bachelor of Business (International Business)/Bachelor of Justice (Policy and Politics) student at Queensland University of Technology. She is passionate about empowering young people to pursue careers in public policy and is interested in national security and trade policy.
Camille has recently been selected as a 2022 New Colombo Plan Scholar and a 2022 Westpac Asian Exchange Scholar, and she is excited to pursue her policy interests across the Asia-Pacific through respective student exchanges in Singapore and Japan.
Camille is a passionate youth volunteer, having previously held roles as an AASYP E-Learning Officer and the Training and Development Manager at Oaktree.
Review Editor
Ha Anh Tran
Ha Anh (Anna) has gotten her Bachelor on International Economics in Vietnam.
She has been working full time as well as doing volunteer work for youths and women empowerment for the last 3 years.
Review Editor
Lianne Tacardon
Lianne is a current undergraduate at Macquarie University studying a combined Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Arts. She has a interest in Philippine politics, focusing on the influence of political dynasties in the region.
Lianne has interned and worked closely with various organisations such as the German-Southeast Asian Center of Excellence for Public Policy and Good Governance, where she was an Asia in Review contributor for the Philippines in 2021.
Review Editor
Lachlan Melsom
Lachlan is an Honours student of Political Science and International Relations at the University of Western Australia. His honours research looks at climate change in Southeast Asia and it’s implications for Australia’s national security. He is also a Young Professionals Network committee member of the Australian Institute of International Affairs and an actively serving reservist in the Australian Army.
In 2021, Lachlan undertook a five month research internship at the Perth USAsia Centre. In this position, he contributed to research on the geopolitical implications of the green hydrogen transition, as well as on European foreign policy towards the Indo-Pacific.
Review Editor
Mitch Bruce
Mitch is a policymaker passionate about the role of science and technology in diplomacy, trade and security relations.
In his spare time he loves to read, free dive, camp and play games of all sorts.
Review Editor
Difa Farzani
Graduated with a Bachelor in International Relations, Difa is enthusiastic about multilateral cooperation, development, and regional study of Southeast Asia. During her time in university, she led as President of Universitas Pelita Harapan MUN Community, she was actively involved in many youth-led activities such as ASEAN Foundation Model ASEAN Meeting in 2020 and more.
Currently, Difa is working as an Analyst for the Sherpa G20 Indonesia at the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, providing assistance on research and stakeholders engagement for Indonesia’s G20 Presidency in 2022.
Difa is also involved as a Public Relations and Advocacy Manager at Global Indonesia Professionals’ Association (GIPA) in advocating policy and promoting investment and business ties overseas along with the Indonesian diaspora – professionals and executives – across the G20 and ASEAN countries. She is passionate about human capital development and looks forward to expanding with AASYP!
Forum Director
Khai Ling Chan
Khai Ling graduated from the University of Melbourne in 2020, and currently works in management consulting. She has experience in public sector strategy, project management and not-for-profits.
Forum Director
Sokvutheavy Ye
Theavy is a passionate volunteer for a community development and for an developing world
Forum Content Manager
Miftachul Choir
Miftachul Choir is a postgraduate student at the Institute of Human Rights Studies (IHRP), Mahidol University. Prior to his study, Miftahul earned bachelor of international relations at Parahyangan Catholic University and worked as political-corruption researcher at Indonesia Corruption Watch.
His research interest is democratization and social movement in Southeast Asia. Over the past years, Miftah has published article in the Journal of Global Strategic Studies and research report on conflict of interest in Indonesia with Indonesia Corruption Watch as well as the violations of health workers right with Lokataru Foundation.
Forum Delegates Manager
Zahra Auliani
Zahra is our Forum Delegates Manager.
Forum Content Officer
Muhammad Surya Alif Utma
Surya graduated his Engineering degree in September 2019, majoring in Informatics at Hasanuddin University, Makassar.
Surya currently works at the Respresentative Office of Bank Indonesia in South Sulawesi as a junior analyst in payment system. He is interested in accelerating the digital payment system adoption in local governments, SMEs, and society.
Forum Content Officer
Daniel Phelan
Dan is a fifth year Arts/IT and Diploma of Languages student majoring in International Relations, Computer Networks and Security & Mandarin Studies, and a minor in History.
Dan has a strong interest in foreign affairs, security studies and history, with a focus in Chinese history and Indo-Pacific affairs. Outside of uni Dan also loves an array of sports and films, alongside seeing live music.
Dan spent most of his teens living in Singapore, where he graduated high school and moved back to Melbourne to study at Monash. Dan has also spent a couple of month studying in Shanghai over a summer intensive program.
Forum Content Officer
Muhammad Naser El Haq
Naser graduated his International Relations student at the Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University in Jakarta, Indonesia.
He is passionate about issues related to youth development and empowerment, gender equality, peacebuilding and peacemaking, international affairs, and many other issues.
He is involved in founding a youth organization in 2020 that emphasizes youth development, leadership, partnership, and equal opportunities.
Forum Content Officer
Angie Suriyasenee
Angie completed her Bachelor of Arts (Majoring in International Development) and Bachelor of International Relations (Spanish Minor) in 2019, and has recently graduated from her Master’s degree in International Security at the University of Adelaide.
Her academic research interests have explored non-traditional security threats, unconventional conflict, and alternative research approaches for understanding state behaviour and international relations.
Her passion for social justice advocacy and impacting social change has led her to take on several volunteer leadership and support roles for university associations and youth movements such as: Amnesty International, Effective Altruism and the Australian Youth Climate Coalition. Facilitating open, inclusive and respectful dialogue on global issues has always been an important part of her personal and professional life, and she is eager to empower the youth in this sphere to bring innovative ideas to the complex problems we face today.
Forum Content Officer
Niamh Hanratty
Niamh is in her third year of completing a Bachelor of Arts and Advanced Studies at the University of Sydney. Her majors are Government and International Relations.
Niamh has a keen interest in enhancing relations between young people living in Australia and ASEAN countries. She is passionate about the potential these connections hold for building a better and more united future for the region.
Having previously enjoyed participating in AASYP programs, Niamh is excited to join the team!
Forum Delegates Officer
Tarhata I Chan
Tarhata is a penultimate student at Enderun Colleges taking up a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration Double Major in Financial Management and Operations Management.
She was awarded as the Ambassadress of Goodwill in 2019, as the Salutatorian of Fintern 2021, and as part of the Top 24 Philippine national semifinalists in the L’Oréal Brandstorm 2022 under the Green track.
She has interned in the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the Philippines; currently interns in PwC Southeast Asia Consulting, and is onboarding her JPMorgan Chase & Co. internship under the Corporate Development Analyst Program.
Her continuous involvement in extracurricular activities have helped her develop her project management, leadership, and communication skills. In addition to her experience and exposure to relationship building, she has a solid educational foundation and passion for furthering projects that build loyalty and, in turn, grow. She is passionate about youth empowerment and sustainability.
Forum Delegates Officer
Tepmonyneath Kin
Neath is a Law student at the University of Cambodia, and a Chinese Language student at Royal University of Phnom Penh. She used to take a summer class at Peking University. Currently, she works as a legal assistant. Beside this, with the combination of her majors, she used to works as administrator at the Confucius Institute of Royal Academy of Cambodia.
She was Cambodian delegate for the 5th China-ASEAN Youth Summit and a KAS-Female Legal Youth of Konrad Adenauer Stiftung Cambodia. With her passion in International Laws and the interaction between Youth and Head of Government across ASEM countries, she was also selected as the Cambodian Delegate for 4th ASEF Young Leaders Summit.
Forum Delegates Officer
Firda Amalia H
Firda is a motivated, adaptable, and responsible person who loves to do social projects in youth empowerment, children protection and combat climate crisis . She has been involved in several projects such as piloting a program for prevention bullying called Roots by Unicef Indonesia and youth for climate action where she engaged 100 youth in Makassar to tackle climate change by doing beach clean up and mangrove restoration, the project was sponsored by Plan International Indonesia through Girls For Leadership Program.
She is a bookworm. She, with some friends initiate a literacy community called Ibookita to provide a free library for everyone and held writing and reading classes. She believes that the more books we have read, the wider our perspective. It will help us to prevent and reduce the fake news and hoax. And for sure, to rich our knowledge and have a growth mindset.
Forum Delegates Officer
Thin Thazin
Thin is final year student at University of Yangon, Myanmar. She is interested in economic growth, youth empowerment and advocacy. She loves working with people from a range of different backgrounds. She is really passionate about learning global as well as Asia cross-culture issues. She is also an AYLP 2018 and AYVP 2021 Alumnus.
Her ultimate goal is to be part of her youth community and to help the underprivileged youths as much as she can.
Forum Delegates Officer
Nicholas Trobec
Nicholas is a student at Macquarie University studying a Bachelor of Economics. Nicholas is passionate about foreign affairs and has had an internship with various think tanks and firms, where he has been involved with research work and publications.
Nicholas previously had the opportunity to live in Singapore, which was pivotal to his worldview. In addition, Nicholas has been a recipient of the Premier’s ANZAC Memorial Scholarship in 2017 and has conducted charity work in San Miguel province, in the Philippines.
Nicholas is also the President of the Macquarie University Economics Society.
Podcast Manager
Claudine Villaneuva
Claudine was an Honours Scholar and a Consular and Diplomatic Affairs graduate of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde. She has undertaken leadership roles in AIESEC and interned at the United Nations Information Centre. Her thesis on the ICT Developments in ASEAN was inspired by her role as Head Liaison Officer at ASEAN 50 events — Young Entrepreneur’s Carnival and Slingshot.
Claudine was involved in the Philippine local government overseeing province-wide youth initiatives and policy innovation on the environment, women empowerment, technology, arts, and culture. Currently, she pursues her interest in the tech space as Project Manager at Oracle.
Podcast Officer
Bernadette Wong
Driven by her passion in public health, Bernadette completed a Bachelor of Science Honours (H1) at the Telethon Kids Institute in Perth, Western Australia. She continues as a research assistant, working in a team and with communities to end Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD), which disproportionately affects over 5,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia.
Born and raised in Singapore, Bernadette spent the first 18 years exploring neighbouring ASEAN countries. She believes that innovations in medical technologies are key to reducing health disparities in limited-resource settings. Hence, she is also involved the Australian medical technology network as an alumni of Perth Biodesign and a participant of The BridgeTech Programme (Queensland University of Technology).
She is excited to share knowledge and opportunities in these fields with the youths at AASYP.
Podcast Officer
Jackson Skinner
Jackson is currently studying a Bachelor of Philosophy (Honours) – Humanities and Social Sciences at the ANU. Topics he is interested in include International Relations, Climate Policy, Existential Risk and Asian studies.
Outside of study he is a Junior Writer for the ANU student-run media organisation elucidate. which aims to distill the complexity of academia into a more simple consumable format. Recreationally, in his spare time he loves to go bushwalking, read books (currently reading Outliers by Malcom Gladwell) or watch The Office on Netflix.
Podcast Officer
Chau Doan
Chau is an RMIT University graduate. She is a passionate learner who loves absorbing knowledge through books and meaningful conversations.
Chau loves hearing stories from all walks of life. With that interest, she is currently working in từ từ house, a youth-led startup that advocates for non-violent, compassionate dialogues for Vietnamese Community. The aspiration also leads her to be a part of ASSYP’s Podcast team where vulnerable, insightful and meaningful stories are explored.
Digital Events Director
Edwin Lai
Edwin is a Graduate Transport Engineer at the global consultancy Jacobs, working on city-shaping projects to improve the liveability and connectivity of communities. During university, he had the opportunity to study at KAIST in Korea, intern at Arup in Singapore and participate in the Mitsui Immersion Program in Japan as a New Colombo Plan Scholar.
Edwin has also worked in Cardno’s International Development team, where he gained a deeper appreciation of the role of capacity building and sustainable development while delivering infrastructure projects across Southeast Asia and the Pacific. Edwin is passionate about cross-cultural collaboration and the use of emerging technologies to create a more sustainable world for everyone.
He currently sits on the NSW Young Professional’s Network Committee as part of the Australian Institute of Traffic Planning and Management. Edwin holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) and Bachelor of Commerce (Finance) from the University of New South Wales.
Digital Events Director
Ricky Asuncion
Ricky is an undergraduate student from the University of the Philippines Los Baños under the degree program of BS in Human Ecology. He is an inspiring and conscientious youth leader with a strong background in team development and a strong passion for community development. He has participated in various leadership conferences, seminars, and student exchange programs.
He also undertook an internship at the Senate of the Philippines in 2021.
His areas of interest are civic engagement, leadership, governance, and climate action.
Digital Events Officer
Han Hong
Han is a final-year undergraduate student studying Communications at RMIT University Vietnam. Throughout her education journey, she has held a variety of event organizing roles, including the Event volunteer program and the TEDx series.
She had the opportunity to be the project leader for the TEDxRMIT online event series in 2021, and she has discovered a profound passion for the event planning and management field.
Digital Events Officer
Timothy Mae Reyes
Timmy comes from the Philippines and is studying International Relations and Diplomacy at Far Eastern University, Manila. In 2021, she previously worked as a foreign intern at the European Academy of Diplomacy and the Institute of Peace and Diplomatic Studies, as well as a volunteer for Events Management at the ASEAN-Australia Strategic Youth Partnership and the ASEAN Youth Advocates Network. On top of this, she was chosen by the National Youth Comission as a Philippine Participating Youth at the Ship for Southeast Asian and Japanese Youth Program 2021. Also, she previously served as a delegate at the Harvard College Project for Asian and International Relations.
Currently, she work as a Program Intern at Wedu Global to support the successful implementation of the U.S. ASEAN – Women’s Leadership Academy for YSEALI 2022 program under the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Mission to ASEAN.
Digital Events Officer
Huong Bui
Huong is a final-year undergraduate majoring in Digital Marketing at RMIT University Vietnam. She is a creative-driven marketer and a digital enthusiast who wants to make life better.
Digital Events Officer
Callum Macfarlane
Callum is currently in his fourth year as a student at UNSW studying international studies. Growing up in a coastal town of Australia he is keenly interested in surfing and soccer.
Having previously interned at Sydney FC and the Asia-Pacific Mock United Nations conference, he is keen to use his transferable skills to do his best to help out.
Digital Events Officer
Huong Dinh
Huong is a final-year undergraduate majoring in Digital Marketing at RMIT University Vietnam. She is a creative-driven marketer and a digital enthusiast who wants to make life better.
