Indonesia and Singapore Forge Partnership to Strengthen Youth Development
The Indonesian Government and the Singapore Government have established a partnership to strengthen youth development in both countries, aiming to prepare a generation of leaders who are competitive on the global stage.
“Through cooperation with Singapore, we aim to produce future leaders who are adaptive to technology and possess a high sense of empathy with strong social dedication,” said Minister of Youth and Sports Erick Thohir in an official statement in Jakarta on Tuesday.
The partnership was marked by the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Erick Thohir and Singapore’s Minister for Culture, Community and Youth David Neo, as part of the Southeast Asia Ministerial Meeting on Youth and Sports (SEAMMYS) 2026 in Sanur, Bali.
In the MoU, both countries commit to expanding collaboration in aspects of youth empowerment, entrepreneurship, leadership, and volunteerism through synergies between youth organisations.
Additionally, the partnership emphasises the creation of a safe digital ecosystem to support youth innovation.
Erick stated that this collaboration represents a concrete step in enhancing the quality of Indonesia-Singapore cooperation.
In a session presenting material titled “Strengthening Youth Resilience and Supporting Success in the AI Age,” David Neo emphasised the importance of building youth resilience in a world full of uncertainties.
Empowering the younger generation, he said, is necessary so that they can leverage artificial intelligence (AI) technology to achieve success, accompanied by a joint commitment to creating a safe and conducive digital environment for youth innovation.
He added that the collaboration holds strategic value, given Singapore’s position as the world’s number one in the Global Youth Development Index (YDI) 2023.
Through this strengthening of youth diplomacy, Neo hopes to create stronger people-to-people connectivity to produce outstanding leaders and athletes who are competitive on the world stage.
In addition to focusing on youth, the cooperation between the two countries also covers accelerating sports achievements through the integration of sports science and sports technology.