Centered on the theme “Building a Better Future: Inspiring Youth for Sustainable Habitat”, the AUA Youth Forum 2024 (January 6-12, 2024) brought together 45 students from 14 AUA member universities across Asia to delve into the challenges, opportunities, and actions required for creating a sustainable future.
The forum offered a comprehensive program featuring keynote lectures, interactive workshops, thought-provoking panel discussions, and sharing sessions. These sessions, led by HKUST professors, sustainability experts, and entrepreneurs, focused on addressing pressing environmental challenges such as climate change, solid waste management, carbon neutrality, etc. The aim was to inspire the next generation leaders to act and contribute to the creation of a sustainable living environment. Apart from the talks, lectures and group activities, participants also had the opportunity to engage in a guided tour of the sustainable campus, visited the South East New Territories Landfill to gain first-hand knowledge about waste management practices, as well as exploring the local culture through an eco-tour to Tai O. The highlight of the event was the students' group presentations, where brilliant young minds shared their creative and practical solutions towards reducing waste on campus. These proposals are expected to have significant impact not only on HKUST but beyond, inspiring others to adopt sustainable practices.
The AUA Youth Forum 2024 went beyond sustainability. It also offered the opportunity for students from diverse backgrounds and cultures across Asia to interact and exchange ideas with each other, providing a platform that nurtured cross-cultural understanding and promoted global citizenship. The youth is the cornerstone of our collective future, the forum served as a catalyst for building connections and nurturing a network of future leaders committed to sustainable development and collaboration across borders.
(Source: HKUST)
