By Antonio Luis Carreon

Far Eastern University BA International Studies (FEU-IS) students were selected as ambassadors of the Philippines during the FORSEA: ASEAN Youth Career Summit (AYCS) 2021 last September 9 to 10.

AYCS 2021 aims to gather multinational corporations, government organizations, and embassies to provide insights for young professionals and students of international studies regarding future opportunities in their fields. 

The two students selected were FEU International Studies Society (FEU-ISS) Vice President Jan Domingo and Public Relations Officer Stacey Naval. 

Guest Speakers for the event include Tunku Zain Al-'Abidin of Malaysia, DLSU Brother President Bernard S. Oca, FSC, and Deputy Secretary-General (DSG) of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) for ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community, H.E. Kung Phoak.

As an IS student, Domingo recognizes the importance of collaborative efforts in improving ASEAN through the event.

In addition, Naval said that she learned the significance of ASEAN diplomats and policymakers in handling existing crises from the ASEAN Community. 

“It also opened my eyes to [the] pool of opportunities in the ASEAN region as well as the various ways to promote business development and international relations through the said event,” said Naval. 

Despite the productive event, Domingo shares that he prefers the event be conducted in a face-to-face setting instead of its recent virtual launch. 

“I hope it was under a better circumstance because the program was informative and exciting at the same time, so it would’ve been more exhilarating if we experienced it in a face-to-face setting,” Domingo shared. 

Further, he said that it was a ‘humbling’ moment to have an insightful discussion with the delegates from other countries, which also expanded his network. 

Naval hopes that the experience will be an advantage to their future profession. 

FORSEA is an international event organized by De La Salle University Model United Nations Community (DLSU-MUN).

(Photo courtesy of Jan Domingo and Stacey Naval)