US government sponsors $5 million to establish YSEALI academy in Vietnam

The US government provided $5 million to set up YSEALI academy in Vietnam

The US Department of State is working with the Congress to provide $5 million for the new YSEALI Academy at FUV in Ho Chi Minh City. YSEALI Academy at FUV plans to offer executive-level capacity-building seminars for entry- to mid-level professionals aged 25-40 from across Southeast Asia around the themes of technology and innovation, public policy, and entrepreneurship.

Via the academic fellows programme, participants aged 18-25 can travel to the US for a five-week fellowship held on the campus of a US college or university. More than 1,200 young people have taken part in the fellowship, which includes an on-campus academic residency, leadership development, interaction with American peers, and community service activities.

In addition, the academy will offer the professional fellows programme for participants aged 25-35. Notably, they will spend five weeks in the United States in individually-tailored work placements with non-profit organisations, government agencies, or private sector offices across the country. American hosts also travel to Southeast Asia on reciprocal exchanges. There have been more than 1,200 participants in this fellowship.

The academy will organise regional workshops and summits. Young leaders will be able to develop practical skills and collaborate on cross-border projects in human capital development-focused regional workshops held across Southeast Asia. Since 2014, alumni gather at the annual YSEALI Summit to strengthen their networks and to discuss solutions to shared regional challenges. The YSEALI Summit takes place in the ASEAN chair country for that year. More than 3,000 young leaders have participated in the regional workshops and summits.

Last but not least, the US government has provided more than $1.7 million in small grant funding to support young Southeast Asian leaders’ innovative ideas for civic engagement, economic development, education, and sustainable development.

YSEALI is the US government’s signature programme to educate and provide skills training to the people of Southeast Asia. The programme, along with other US-sponsored people-to-people initiatives, showcases the US government’s commitment to strengthening the ties among the combined one billion people of the United States and Southeast Asia.

Through a variety of programmes, it also seeks to build the leadership capabilities of youth in the region and foster a community of leaders who work across borders to solve shared challenges.

YSEALI is open to young people from all ASEAN member countries. There are more than 5,000 alumni of its programmes, and nearly 150,000 young people belong to the network.