Khon Kaen University's Humanities and Social Sciences students participated in the ASEAN Youth Leaders forum, discussing the "boiling world" to formulate policies driving sustainable economy and addressing climate change.

Khon Kaen University’s Humanities and Social Sciences students participated in the ASEAN Youth Leaders forum, discussing the “boiling world” to formulate policies driving sustainable economy and addressing climate change.

1 May 2026
12:17

From March 30th to April 3rd, 2026, representatives from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, including Mr. Naphat Piwitha, a first-year student in Sociology and Anthropology, and Ms. Patthathida Phutthasi, a second-year student in Southeast Asian Studies, participated in the 10th Young ASEAN Leaders Policy Initiative (YALPI 2026) at Chulalongkorn University. The event was held under the theme “Thriving Together in a Boiling World: Advancing Economic Growth and Climate Resilience in ASEAN.” Ms. Suchada Mekthara, Deputy Director-General of the ASEAN Department, had the honor of presiding over the opening ceremony.

The conference aimed to provide a platform for youth leaders from ASEAN member countries to exchange diverse perspectives and visions on climate change, environmental sustainability, and economic transition. This exchange led to the development of policy concepts and incentive mechanisms to reduce environmental impacts across all sectors, as well as to expand the ASEAN youth network through strengthening cooperation at the youth leadership level. This serves as a crucial foundation for driving a strong and sustainable ASEAN Community.

The activities students participated in included Keynote Lecture, Policy Case Study, Workshop, YALPI Talk, and Content Discussion, integrating interdisciplinary knowledge. These activities focused on analyzing the connections between political science, economics, and environmental dimensions to find ways to improve economic systems to keep pace with current geopolitical and technological changes. There was also Policy Pitching, where representatives from the YALPI 2026 network, academics, and stakeholders attended to listen to presentations and provide policy recommendations to relevant agencies and organizations. The student group also won first prize for their presentation on “Nature Protection and Sustainable Livelihood Framework (NPSLF) for Forest Communities in the Philippines.”

The Young ASEAN Leaders Policy Initiative was established by the Political Science Student Club of Chulalongkorn University to serve as a conference forum for ASEAN youth on political science issues and regional challenges.