2019 Asia Foundation Development Fellows Meet in Korea and Indonesia

Seoul, Korea, April 16, 2019 — The Asia Foundation welcomes the 2019 class of Asia Foundation Development Fellows coming together for the first time as a community of young changemakers for a Leadership Training Program in Seoul, in partnership with the KDI School of Public Policy and Management. The 2019 cohort were greeted by the Foundation’s president David Arnold, and received a surprise visit from eighth UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

“This program will provide, undoubtedly, a very good opportunity to appreciate what [the] development challenges [are] for each and every place in Asia…” Ban Ki-Moon remarked. “We are living in a world tightly integrated at this time. There is not much difference between where you are from…whether you are coming from India, Mongolia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka it doesn’t matter, we are all in this together. So I hope you will learn and appreciate what should be done [in] each and every place you are going to visit.”

Photo: Amanda Bensel

The cohort of 12 emerging leaders, all under age 40, represent 12 Asian countries—Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Korea, Laos, Mongolia, Myanmar, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam. Each of the Development Fellows brings unique insights and experiences to the cohort, as well as a track record of accomplishment in an Asia Foundation focus–governance and law, economic development, women’s empowerment, environment, or regional cooperation. Learn more about the 2019 Asia Foundation Development Fellows.

The 2019 Asia Foundation Development Fellows will continue on to Indonesia later in April for an applied Workshop on Asian Development, where development challenges and innovations will serve as a contextual backdrop for applying concepts in international development. This year’s applied workshop will see the Development Fellows visiting Jakarta, Yogyakarta, and Bali. Previous workshops have taken place in the Philippines, Nepal, Mongolia, Vietnam, and Sri Lanka.

Photo: Amanda Bensel

The Asia Foundation Development Fellows: Emerging Leadership for Asia’s Future program is at the heart of The Asia Foundation’s mission, bringing exceptional individuals into a powerful network of emerging leaders working to improve lives across a dynamic and developing Asia. Now in its 6th year, the program includes 70 current and alumni Fellows across Asia, forming an active and inspirational network of the region’s most promising leaders. Later this year, the program will take the Development Fellows on a two-week program in the United States.

To learn more, watch this video featuring these emerging leaders across Asia.

The Asia Foundation is a nonprofit international development organization committed to improving lives across a dynamic and developing Asia. Informed by six decades of experience and deep local expertise, our work across the region addresses five overarching goals—strengthen governance, empower women, expand economic opportunity, increase environmental resilience, and promote regional cooperation.

Read more about the  Foundation’s work.

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Media contact

Eelynn Sim, Director, Strategy and Programs
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