In a bid to empower the youth of the South East Asian region in science and technology (S&T), the Philippines will be hosting the first Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Youth Science Summit (AYSS) in July at the Traders' Hotel, Pasay City.
Under the theme “Power Up for the Future through Science and Technology,” the AYSS aims to empower the students to plan for their future with the end in view of using S&T to harness the region's natural resources wisely.
Dr. Ester B. Ogena, Director of Department of Science and Technology-Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI) and chairperson of the AYSS Inter-Agency Organizing Committee, said the AYSS seeks to serve as a venue to discuss the need to act, with resolve and urgency, on the global and regional issues affecting present and future generations.
Ogena said the summit would also enhance cooperation, networking, and coordination among the youth towards greater involvement in issues of regional and global concern.
“We want the youth to be more reflexive and aware of their capacity to act on present as well as future problems and solicit their commitment and participation towards addressing such problems, now and in the future,” she said.
Ogena said the AYSS would coincide with the ASEAN Science and Technology Week which would have the ASEAN-Committee on Science and Technology (COST) meeting with all the Science Ministers and Sub-Committee representatives of the 10 member-countries attending as well as dialogue partners including China, India, Japan, Pakistan, Korea, New Zealanda, Canada, Australia, and the US.
“The AYSS would be the complementary activity to the ASEAN-COST meeting as this would involve the science-inclined youth of other nations where they would discuss with each other relevant scientific and global issues,” she said.
Ogena disclosed that a total of 153 participants, local and abroad, which would include 102 students and 51 teachers are expected to come to attend the AYSS.
“Most of these students are outstanding achievers in natural sciences including physics, chemistry, earth science and life science as they belong to the top 10% of their class,” she said.
Ogena said participants of the AYSS would be focusing on spatial science, extreme games, nuclear energy and genetically-modified food as topics in their discussion-groups.
On the other hand, Ogena said teachers would be having a parallel session where they would be talking about best practices in teaching science and mathematics.
The DOST-SEI has also forged a memorandum of agreement with the Philippine Society of Youth Science Clubs and the Philippine Science Journalists Associations, Inc. for the conduct and coverage of the AYSS, respectively.
