Students hone skills, ideas at Hitachi leadership forum<\/p>\n
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Kuala Lumpur<\/p>\n
\"I think this forum is very inspiring. That is why I am
\nenthusiastic to be here attending this event. For me, this is a
\ncomeback,\" Nina Juliana said, referring to the 7th Hitachi Young
\nLeaders Initiative (HYLI) held in Kuala Lumpur recently.<\/p>\n
Nina was one of four Indonesian students participating in the
\n5th Initiative in Singapore in 2002. Three years later, she
\nattended the same forum not as a student, but as a representative
\nof the Jakarta-based Gogirl Magazine, a lifestyle publication for
\nyoung women.<\/p>\n
Nina, who is also a marketing lecturer at the Atmajaya
\nUniversity in Jakarta, recalled that she learned a lot from her
\nprevious participation in the forum. The forum gave her a rare
\nopportunity to interact with students from different countries
\nand share ideas with them.<\/p>\n
\"This forum motivates students to move forward. That's what I
\nfeel,\" she told The Jakarta Post on the sidelines of the event.<\/p>\n
Hitachi, a Japanese heavy equipment manufacturer, launched the
\nforum in 1996 in Singapore in order to prepare and nurture young
\npotential leaders in the region. The 7th HYLI in Kuala Lumpur,
\nMalaysia, titled \"Balancing People, Planet and Profit in Asia's
\nFuture\", ran from July 10 through July 15.<\/p>\n
As in the previous forums, there were 24 student participants,
\nwho came from six countries: Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia,
\nPhilippines, Singapore and Thailand. Each country was represented
\nby four students, who had to undergo a selection process in their
\nrespective country to attend the forum.<\/p>\n
The four student participants from Indonesia were Angelin C.
\nSumendap and Marcella Widiarta from Parahyangan University,
\nBandung, Maesy Angelina from Atmajaya University, Jakarta, and
\nMuhammad Donny Eryastha from University of Indonesia, Jakarta.<\/p>\n
During the forum, the students discussed various issues that
\nare now challenging the region, particularly economic and
\nenvironmental issues.<\/p>\n
Some senior government officials and academics from across the
\nregion also conducted presentations during the forum, including
\nMalaysian Minister of Higher Education Dato' Shafie Mohd Salleh,
\nMasahiro Kawai of the University of Tokyo, former secretary at
\nthe Department of Environment and Natural Resources in the
\nPhilippines Victor O. Ramos and Leila Komala, deputy to the State
\nMinister for National Development Planning in Indonesia, who all
\npresented their thoughts at the seminar.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, the smaller workshops where the 24 students
\nexchanged ideas and debated various topics were closed to the
\npress. The organizer barred reporters from covering the workshop
\nin order to prevent the students from being disturbed.<\/p>\n
After completing the seminar and workshop programs, the
\nstudents took on two days of community work, during which they
\nvisited a dormitory run by the Malaysia Federation of the Deaf.<\/p>\n
There, the students were briefly taught how to communicate
\nwith deaf people using sign language.<\/p>\n
The students concluded the forum by presenting recommendations
\non how to build a better region and stronger solidarity among
\nAsian countries.<\/p>\n
\"It is a very good experience. We meet people from various
\nbackgrounds,\" said Marcella.<\/p>\n
\"In the beginning, I felt uneasy speaking in the forum. Later,
\nI found the atmosphere very stimulating as all of the students
\nwere open-minded,\" Maesy added.<\/p>\n
They called on Indonesian students who will take part in
\nsimilar forums as the HYLI to improve their English-language
\nskills and their knowledge of contemporary issues.<\/p>\n
\"We must understand national and regional issues to get
\ninvolved in the discussions. There is no other choice for
\nIndonesian students but to improve their English and knowledge,\"
\nsaid Donny.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/students-hone-skills-ideas-at-hitachi-leadership-forum-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}