YOUTH FORUM at

ITU TELECOM ASIA 2008

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs)

ITU is delighted to announce that our next Youth Forum will take place at ITU TELECOM ASIA 2008 in Bangkok, Thailand
from 2 to 5 September 2008.

1. Youth Forum Activities
   Youth Forum Programme

   Background – About the ITU Youth Forum
2. What are the objectives of the Youth Forum?
3. How will the Youth Forum be managed?
4. Will mentoring be provided?
5. Why is the ITU making such an investment in young university students?
6. Where, and in what language does the Youth Forum take place?
7. Will the Youth Forum experience be documented and evaluated?
8. How can talented university people apply for a Youth Forum Fellowship
9. What is the funding strategy
10. Eligible countries
11. Who to Contact?

The ITU Youth Forum is a unique and successful initiative for its focus on information and communication technologies (ICT) as a tool for social and economic development. Created by ITU in 2001, the Youth Forum has built itself an outstanding reputation for knowledge sharing. It has been a regular ITU TELECOM event since its launch at AFRICA 2001.

The Youth Forum offers both a regional and global platform in which all ITU Member States can participate. Since 2001, young people have discussed topics ranging from “enabling technologies and their applications”; “policy and regulation” and “finance and business,” making it a place where their ideas are developed, analyzed, evaluated and disseminated.

In addition, the Youth Forum enhances synergies among governments, the private sector, universities, and other institutions of higher learning for the greatest benefit for all.

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Promoting the development of ICT
The rapidly expanding use of ICT is having an increasingly significant impact on the global economy and on existing regulatory structures. In light of these developments, ITU appreciates the need to improve the knowledge base and enrich the experience of talented young people in the ICT sector as they indeed, are our future leaders!

What happens during the Event?
These special youth-driven sessions draw industry and political leaders who address various technical, regulatory and financial issues, as well as other relevant ICT concerns.

Since 2001, a wide spectrum of topics has been discussed at Youth Forum sessions. These include the basics of technologies and their possible uses; the relationships between policy/regulation and market structure in the world; the fundamentals of building a dynamic communications environment; and how business is related to the world of communications.

Group discussions also scheduled especially for fellows include associated speakers and sponsors including representatives from ITU headquarters and regional offices. Diversity is highly valued and deliberately pursued in order to enhance understanding and to give fellows the opportunity to work in a multi-cultural environment in which they establish their Declaration and Action Plans.

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The ITU Youth Forum is primarily a capacity building event. As a result of discussions at the Youth Forum, the youth explore facts and experiences about various aspects of ICTs gathered by the ITU and the entire industry. This Forum also enables exceptionally talented university students of both genders from all ITU member states to share their ideas and access ICTs.

The Youth Forum is managed by the ITU in collaboration with ITU member states worldwide, ITU regional offices, other international organizations, industry representatives and universities. ITU headquarters in Geneva provides centralized monitoring, information-gathering and project implementation services for the programme as a whole.

Mentoring support services are provided to motivate participants and to ensure their safe and healthy participation in the programme.

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There is an urgent need to improve the knowledge of Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) amongst the talented young people who will be future government and industry leaders, particularly given the increasing importance of ICT in the global economy and on existing regulatory structures. The Youth Forum builds on the ITU's long-term commitment to assist and support low income and least developed countries (LICs and LDCs) in their efforts to progressively improve the standard and scope of their telecommunication infrastructure and to bridge the digital divide. Plus, it is an important part of ITU’s commitment to helping the entire world communicate. 

ITU appreciates that university level youth are the driving forces in their community in making improvements.

The Youth Forum is held at all ITU TELECOM Regional and World Events. The next Youth Forum will be in Bangkok, Thailand from 2 to 5 September during ITU TELECOM ASIA 2008. During ASIA 2008, all Youth Forum Sessions will take place in English.

The ITU will document and assess the Youth Forum programme, including the fellows’ performance.

Through ITU Member States’ Ministries of Communications (or their equivalents).  

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There are however, a number of exciting opportunities for promotional visibility while at the same time supporting these important activities through sponsorships. For example, by hosting a lunch session for the Youth Forum participants, sponsors also contribute capacity building as these sessions always lead to lively debate and a better understanding of key ICT issues.

For details of sponsorship opportunities, please do not hesitate to contact us at youthforum@itu.int or through the coordinates listed below.

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