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WELCOME TO THE ITU TELECOM WORLD 2003 YOUTH FORUM
  
Helping the world's youth keep pace with rapidly changing ICT technology
  
One of the missions of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is to speed up the delivery of digital opportunities, and their benefits. One way of doing this is to bring young people together to establish common goals – and ITU TELECOM WORLD 2003 is the perfect environment for this kind of networking.

Young people not only have the right to communicate their wishes and dreams – they also have the power to shape the future not just of their own lives, but of the whole telecommunications sector. What we hope, therefore, is that the world’s young people will come to the ITU TELECOM WORLD 2003 event, learn a great deal while they are there, and return to their countries as empowered individuals, ready for total immersion into the digital world.

As a result, university students from around the world will be invited – on a competitive basis – to come to the ITU TELECOM WORLD 2003 Youth Forum.

The Forum hopes to design, guide and evaluate ICT-based initiatives and programmes involving youth in a number of issues of critical concern focusing on:
  
CONTENTS
    

  

"What can be done for them, and what they can do for their country and the world?”.

  
THE ORGANIZER
   
The history of the ITU and telecommunications are as one. From the earliest days of cross-border telegraphic transmission, like-minded nations saw a common interest in the orderly development of international communications. What began in 1865 has evolved into a global organization coordinating the interests of 189 Member States and nearly 700 network operators, equipment manufacturers, research institutes and others in one of the world’s most influential technology sectors.

The ITU is an important part of the United Nations Organization, and its mandate includes regulation and standardization across member countries. But beyond the complexity of technical, commercial and governmental interests inherent in its work lies a simple humanitarian goal: that as many people as possible should have access to and enjoy the benefits of modern telecommunications services.
  
YOUTH FORUM PROGRAMME
  
Participants in the Youth Forum will visit the ITU TELECOM WORLD 2003 Exhibition (Geneva, 12 to 18 October 2003) and will attend the Forum sessions of their choice. Four sessions will be specifically devoted to the Youth Forum.

These special youth-driven Youth Forum sessions will feature industry and political leaders, and will address the technical, regulatory and financial issues, as well as other concerns relevant to Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) as a tool for social and economic development.

Specific subjects will 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; the relationships between policy, regulation and the business world; and how business is related to the world of communications.

For further information

If you wish to be a speaker at the Youth Forum on one of the above mentioned topics, please send your abstract and a copy of your short biography to

sunny.bekele@itu.int
tel.: +41 22 730 5179
fax: +41 22 730 6444

Your request will be reviewed at the next meeting of the ITU TELECOM WORLD 2003 Youth Forum steering committee.

  
FELLOWSHIP PROGRAMME
  
The ITU will initiate a Fellowship Programme to fund one young woman and one young man of university age (18–25) from each of its Member States in the world to attend the ITU TELECOM WORLD 2003 within the scope of its ongoing commitment to fellowships programmes. The candidates will be selected on the basis of a competition, which aims to broaden the talent pool of future leaders in telecommunications, and specifically in the Information and Communication Technology sectors. For each candidate, travel, accommodation and subsistence costs will be met by the ITU, in cooperation with Youth Forum sponsors. The Fellowship Programme will assist approximately 380 fellows from around the world. Post-fellowship training is planned in the country of origin where an opportunity exists for a placement within an ICT company or an operator which can offer such training. A post-fellowship career advancement component is also planned – this could include internships offered by government agencies or companies in the private sector.
  
POST-FELLOWSHIP INITIATIVES
  
Post-fellowship training is planned in the country of origin where an opportunity exists for a placement within an ICT company or an operator which can offer such training. A post-fellowship career advancement component is also planned – this could include internships offered by Government agencies or companies in the private sector.

ITU invites national governments, through their official Member State administrations, to assist in the initial screening process with the purpose of selecting candidates from each country to receive a fellowship to participate in the Youth Forum.

The procedure is as follows
  

 

  • The ITU Member Administration should transmit this invitation to the national universities or institutions of higher education and invite them to submit candidatures.

  • Universities should inform their students about this opportunity and the conditions of participation. Candidates must be nationals, aged between 18 and 25 and must be attending national universities or higher institutes at the time of submission. All sessions will be in English, French and Spanish, so they must be able to participate in one of these three languages. A working knowledge of English is needed to communicate with other fellow students of the Youth Forum programme Selection Procedure and to comprehend briefings which would be conducted in English. They must have completed two years of university study by 30 June 2003. We seek 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.

  • Interested students should fill in the nomination form and write a short essay (250-500 words) on the subject "It is widely believed that ICTs can contribute to the economic and social development of a country; if you were head of state in your country, what role would you have young people play to make this a reality, or make the development of your country a reality?". The essay may be written in English, French, Spanish, Russian, Arabic or Chinese. Students should submit their essays and CVs to their respective universities for selection and evaluation.

  • Universities should 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 (12 to18 October 2003, plus travel time).

  • The ITU Member Administration should select not more than two male and two female candidates (interview recommended) and transmit their candidatures with the Universities’ recommendation to the ITU. The candidatures must reach the ITU not later than 30 November 2002. No applications received after this date will be considered.

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

  • By June 2003, ITU will inform the Member Administrations of the final selection made.

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

  • By July 2003, ITU will provide 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, (see http://www.itu.int/WORLD2003) for entry into Geneva, Switzerland.

ITU will publish the successful essays and the CVs of their authors in paper form, on the Web and on CD-ROM.

SELECTION PROCEDURE

ITU invites national governments, through their official Member State administrations, to assist in the initial screening process with the purpose of selecting candidates from each country to receive a fellowship to participate in the Youth Forum.

The procedure is as follows

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

    Universities should inform their students about this opportunity and the conditions of participation. Candidates must be nationals, aged between 18 and 25 and must be attending national universities or higher institutes at the time of submission. All sessions will be in English, French and Spanish, so they must be able to participate in one of these three languages. A working knowledge of English is needed to communicate with other fellow students of the Youth Forum programme and to comprehend briefings which would be conducted in English. They must have completed two years of university study by 30 June 2003. We seek 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.

  • Interested students should fill in the nomination form and write a short essay (250-500 words) on the subject "It is widely believed that ICTs can contribute to the economic and social development of a country; if you were head of state in your country, what role would you have young people play to make this a reality, or make the development of your country a reality?". The essay may be written in English, French, Spanish, Russian, Arabic or Chinese. Students should submit their essays and CVs to their respective universities for selection and evaluation.

  • Universities should 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 (12 to18 October
    2003, plus travel time).

  • The ITU Member Administration should select not more than two male and two female candidates (interview
    recommended) and transmit their candidatures with the Universities’ recommendation to the ITU. The candidatures must reach the ITU not later than 30 November 2002. No applications received after this date will be considered.

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

  • By June 2003, ITU will inform the Member Administrations of the final selection made.

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

  • By July 2003, ITU will provide 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, (see http://www.itu.int/WORLD2003/) for entry into Geneva, Switzerland.

ITU will publish the successful essays and the CVs of their authors in paper form, on the Web and on CD-ROM.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)

What is the objective of the Youth Forum programme?

The programme's goal is to enable exceptionally talented university students (men and women) from all the ITU’s Member States to access the Information Communication Technology (ICT) sector. The combination of their experiences at ITU TELECOM WORLD 2003 and their academic excellence will prepare them to join a corps of future leaders in the ICT field.

How will the Youth Forum be managed?

The Youth Forum will be managed by the ITU in collaboration with the ITU’s Member States worldwide, the ITU Regional Offices, other International Organizations, industry representatives, and University Associations and Universities. ITU headquarters in Geneva will provide centralized monitoring and information-gathering and project implementation services for the programme as a whole.

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?

There is an urgent need to improve the knowledge of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) amongst the talented young people who will be future government and industry leaders, given the increasing importance of ICT in the global economy and on existing regulatory structures. The programme therefore 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.

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

The Youth Forum is being held in Geneva, at Palexpo, from 12 to 18 October 2003, at the same venue as the ITU TELECOM WORLD 2003 event. All sessions will take place in English, French and Spanish, with simultaneous interpretation.

Will the Youth Forum experience be documented and evaluated?

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

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

Through the ITU Member States’ administrations. For more information on the Youth Forum, interested individuals should contact the ITU Secretariat directly.

Please also feel free to contact the Youth Forum Manager directly:

Ms Tsehai Bekele
sunny.bekele@itu.int
tel.: +41 22 730 5179
fax:  +41 22 730 6444

SPONSORSHIP OPTIONS

ITU would welcome partner organizations in this worthwhile project. The following sponsorship options are available:

  • Contribute to the fellowship fund to subsidize travel and accommodation expenses. Open to a single sponsor at USD 1,000,000 or to co-sponsorship in multiples of USD 50,000. Other contributions may be considered.

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

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

Sponsor Youth Forum Update Sessions with lunch

With the participants coming from such a diverse range of backgrounds, countries and cultures, we feel that the experience of the Youth Forum could be greatly enhanced by providing Update Sessions which will lead to lively debate and a better understanding of some of the key issues and technologies in the field of telecommunications during the event over lunch, and that it would be both useful and appropriate if the Youth Forum Sponsors were to provide the content for these sessions.

Over the four days from Monday 12 to Thursday 17 October 2003, four lunchtime Update Sessions will be held. Why not sponsor one of these sessions?

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 on site.

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

  • Shaping the future of the industry.

ELIGIBLE COUNTRIES

Applicants from the following countries must be both nationals and residents in order to be eligible for the ITU
TELECOM WORLD 2003 Youth Forum Fellowship Programme:

Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria,
Azerbaijani, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia
and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon,
Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Rep., Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Costa Rica, Cote-D’Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus Rep., Czech Rep., Dem. Rep. of Congo, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Rep., Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabonese Republic, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Korea (Dem. P.R.), Korea (Rep. of), Kuwait, Kyrgystan, Lao (R.D.P.), Latvia (Rep. of), Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Libya, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria (Fed. Rep. of), Norway, Oman (Sultanate of), Pakistan, Panama (Rep. of), Papua N. Guinea, Paraguay (Rep. of), Peru, Philippines, Poland (Rep. of), Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome et Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somali Democratic Rep., South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, St. Vincent & Grenadines, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syrian Arab Rep., Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vatican City State, Venezuela, VietNam, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

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