The ITU is pleased to announce the second ITU Asia Youth Forum,  to take place at ITU TELECOM Asia 2004 in Busan (Rep. of Korea), the 7 to 11 September 2004. At the Official Closing Ceremony of the previous Asia-Pacific Youth Forum held in Hong Kong (ITU TELECOM Asia 2002), the youth began their Declaration by stating: “The digital divide has many faces. It may involve inequality based on socio-economic standing, geographical location, gender, age or physical ability We see that the most important aspects of the digital divide in priority order are:
ICT literacy - the ability to operate technology effectively and having technology that is user-friendly when we consider that the user may be disadvantaged by factors such as age and physical disability Access - the ability to access technology as regards infrastructure, economical factors and standardisation. Cultural issues - such as gender, language, traditions and customs, ethnicity and social standing.  Our Vision Our vision is a world in which the digital divide has been bridged, where communication is a fundamental right, a world where we become closer in a global human network. In the following declaration we will demonstrate how we may achieve our vision.
Asia 2004 TELECOM Youth Forum Designed to cultivate the business and government leaders of tomorrow, the Youth Forum is a unique opportunity for talented young people to acquire new knowledge and perspectives of ICTs and how they might be used to facilitate economic, social and other development in their countries and the Asia Pacific region; build understanding of each other and contacts with leaders of their governments and the ICT industry, and influence the future of  their countries and region by creation of an Asia Youth Forum Declaration and Action Plan and through personal commitment to action.  This will be the second ITU TELECOM Asia Youth Forum in the Asia-Pacific Region, and once again 110 expected youth from 55 countries have the opportunity to learn and interact together and share experiences and visions in what might well be a life-altering experience.  To view the Youth Declaration Asia 2004, please click here. Please view the remainder of the Youth Declaration Asia 2002, the statement of their mission and their recommendations at http://www.itu.int/ASIA2002/forum/youth/declaration.html

Contents

• Youth Forum Programme

• Fellowship Programme

• Eligible Countries

• Frequently Asked Question

• Selection Procedure

• Sponsorship Options

• Contact

Youth Forum Programme

Participants attending the Asia Youth Forum will also be encouraged to  attend sessions of the main Forum of ITU Telecom Asia 2004 (Busan, 7-11 September 2004) as well as its Exhibition.  A  special Youth Forum programme of 3 interactive sessions with government and industry leaders in addition to opening and closing youth programmes and other activities will also be scheduled to introduce the young people to the primary components of the communication sector, namely, and to provide the basis for their production of a Declaration and Action Plan. The three interactive sessions focus on:

• Technology and applications

• Policy and regulation

• Finance and business opportunitie

To view the Final Youth Forum programme, please click here.

Fellowship Programme

The ITU will initiate a Fellowship Programme to fund one young woman and one young man of university age (18–23) from each of its Member States in the Asia-Pacific Region to attend the ITU Telecom Asia 2004 event. The candidates will be selected on the basis of a competition, which aims to broaden the talent pool of future leaders in the Information and Communication Technology sector. For each candidate, travel, accommodation and subsistence costs will be borne by the ITU. The Fellowship Programme will assist 110 fellows from the Asia and Pacific region to attend the Youth Forum.

Eligible Countries

Applicants from the following countries must be both nationals and residents in order to be eligible for the Asia 2004 Youth Forum Fellowship Programme:

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is the objective of the programme?

The programme's goal is to enable exceptionally talented university students (men and women) from all of the Asia-Pacific Region Member States of the ITU to access the Information Communication Technology (ICT) sector, influence leaders of the Asia region and develop personal and collective tools, ideas and plans by which they can affect the ability of people from their countries and region to benefit through the use of ICT. The combination of their experiences at ITU Telecom Asia 2004 and their academic excellence will prepare them to join a corps of future leaders in the ICT or other fields.

How will the Youth Forum be managed?

There are three levels of organisation:  a Steering Committee for the TDS and Youth Forum for Asia provides guidance and support and is comprised of industry, Governments, Asia Youth Forum alumni, representatives of the host country Korea (Rep. of) through the National Coordination Committee, and ITU Secretariat staff.  Staff of the ITU and host country provide logistical and on-site support.  The Youth Fellows themselves increasingly throughout the week drive the discussions and substance.

Will mentoring be provided?

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

Why is the ITU making such an investment in young university students at this time?

One of ITU’s key missions is to accelerate and facilitate the spread of ICTs amongst the talented young people who will be Asia’s future government and industry leaders, given the increasing importance of ICTs in the global economy and on existing regulatory structures. The programme therefore builds on the ITU's long-term commitment to assist and support developing and emerging economies and the underserved in all societies in efforts progressively to improve the standard and scope of their telecommunication infrastructure and to bridge the digital divide.

Where and in what language does the Youth Forum take place?

The Youth Forum will be held in Busan, Korea in the Bexco (Busan Exhibition & Convention Center) from 6 to 9 September 2004 under the umbrella of ITU Telecom Asia 2004 Exhibition and Forum. All sessions will take place in English.

Will the Youth Forum experience be documented and evaluated?

The ITU will document and assess the Youth Forum programme, including the fellows’ performance.  The Youth Forum Declaration/Action Plan will be posted on the web site following the Forum and will be sent to all ITU Member governments in the Asia region.

How can talented university people apply for a Youth Forum Fellowship?

Please see Selection Procedure.

Selection Procedure

• The ITU Member Administration transmits this invitation to the national Universities or institutions of higher education and invites them to submit candidatures.

• The Universities inform their students about this opportunity and the conditions of participation. Candidates must be nationals, aged between 18 to 23 and must be attending national universities and higher institutes at the time of submission. All sessions will be in English; therefore a working knowledge of English is needed to communicate with other fellow students of the Youth Forum programme and to participate actively in the programme.  Candidates must have completed two years of university study by 30 June 2004. ITU seeks a mix of competencies and interests, and there is no preference for any special area of studies.

• Candidates may not be related to any member of the national selection committee.

• Candidates may not be alumni of previous ITU TELECOM Youth Fora.

§    Interested students should fill in the nomination form and write a short essay (250-500 words) in English on the subject “The role of youth in Asia-Pacific’s leadership in ICT development”.  The students submit their essays and CVs to their respective universities for selection and evaluation.

• The Universities transmit the candidatures considered most appropriate to the ITU Member administration, together with a recommendation from the university or institute where the candidate is presently enrolled, stating the reason the candidate would benefit from attending the Forum, and that the candidate is allowed to be absent from the course for the duration of the Youth Forum award
  (6 to 9 September 2004 and travel period).

• The ITU Member Administration selects not more than two male and two female candidates (interview recommended) and transmits their candidatures with the Universities’ recommendation to the ITU. The candidatures must reach the ITU not later than 6 August 2004. No applications received after this date will be considered.

• The Selection Panel appointed by ITU makes a final selection of one male and one female candidate from each country.

• By the end of July 2004, ITU informs the Member Administrations of the final selection made.

• The decision by the Selection Panel is final and no replacements will be considered.

• By August 2004, ITU provides the successful candidates with all the required information: authorization for departure, visa formalities, medical certificates and guidelines, as well as participants’ obligations whilst attending the Youth Forum.

• Successful candidates will need to submit a medical certificate and will be required to obtain a visa, where necessary.

ITU will publish the successful essays and the CV of their authors in paper form and on the Web.

Sponsorship Options

With its partners SK Telecom, Vodafone Group Services, Intelsat and PTT Norway, ITU is making it possible for the selected youth to attend the Youth Forum and the ITU TELECOM 2004 by providing fellowships to cover the travel, accommodation and subsistence expenses of the Youth Fellows.

ITU would welcome organizations as a partner in this worthwhile project if they were to join through the following sponsorship options:

• Contribute to the fellowship fund to subsidize travel and accommodation expenses. Open to a single sponsor at CHF 300,000 or to co-sponsorship in multiples of US$ 20,000. Other contributions may be considered.

• Offer students post-fellowship internships or training in their home country to introduce them to the sponsors’ business and to increase their interest in ICTs.

• Donate networking hardware/software to equip the students’ IT laboratories and help them achieve academic excellence

Benefits of sponsorship:

• For a single sponsor, an opportunity for the CEO to deliver a keynote speech at the Joint Forum Opening.

• For co-sponsors, the name of their company will be mentioned in the exhibition catalogue (both in the CD-ROM version and in the print Exhibition Guide), on the ITU Telecom website and on panels in the exhibition halls

• Globalizing the sponsors’ presence through joint ventures and partnerships in a client country

• “Join the real world".

If you are a potential sponsor looking to Sponsor and would like to have more information please contact: Ms. S.Bekele

Contact

For more information, please contact:

Ms Tsehai Bekele
Project Officer
TDS & Youth Forum 
International Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT) 
International Telecommunication Union (ITU) 
Place des Nations 
1211 Geneva 20
Switzerland
E-mail: sunny.bekele@itu.int
Tel:+41 22 730 5179
Fax: +41 22 730 5432

Please access http://www.itu.int/asia 2004/forum for the Main ITU TELECOM ASIA 2004 Forum.