Graduating students Joseph Kenneth Labastida and Jules Uel Evan Boldo of the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering (DABE) were selected together with 300 other student leaders from 14 countries in Asia to actively participate and engage in the Youth Ecosperity Dialogue (YED) held from June 4 to 10, 2023 in Singapore.

This event is mainly hosted by the College of Integrative Studies at the Singapore Management University and is a platform to tackle key challenges and opportunities in sustainability and regional prosperity in Asia. 

It connects leaders of tomorrow with global thought and business leaders to engage in a dynamic conversation that moves beyond conventional accounts of prosperity in financial and economic terms and takes its participants to innovative, inclusive, and transboundary possibilities.

YED 2023 includes multidisciplinary discussions, industry visits, and hands-on workshops with a sustainability focus, as well as a week-long collaborative “YED Challenge!” that provided mentorship opportunities for young environmental leaders in implementing collaborative work among their peers that will hopefully develop practical solutions for existing industry challenges.

Supported by the Temasek Foundation, which is a well-known non-profit and philanthropic organization in Singapore that provides endowment funds for various causes, YED 2023 was anchored on the theme of “Sources and Sinks: Reimagining Renewables and Waste in Smart Cities”.

As agricultural and biosystems engineering (ABE) students, both Kenneth and Jules have a deep understanding of contemporary global economic and environmental issues and have long committed to sustainability practices that they can readily apply in their respective communities.

They submitted a video application documenting their aspirations for a more sustainable future that includes responsible use of our existing resources that will not add harm to the environment. Because of this, they were admitted to this competitive program that allowed them to interact with leading experts and innovators in the fields of business, cities, and sustainability in Southeast Asia.

The dialogue sessions at the YED 2023 focused on sustainability, emphasizing the integration of different fields, including technology, food, agriculture, and commerce, to achieve a more sustainable environment. 

Waste management and the development of waste recovery techniques were also covered at the event which allowed students to acquire new knowledge on waste upcycling and treatment technologies. 

The discussions also emphasized responsible energy consumption, particularly within the tech industry, and the need for the responsible use of global energy resources. The role of national and regional governments in implementing existing environmental laws and policies, and safeguarding the well-being of the environment, economy, and society, was also a significant aspect of the conversations.

In one of these discussions, Jules was particularly selected to be part of a special group that had the privilege of a round table meeting with Singapore's Minister for National Development Desmond Lee. 

During this session, they discussed how Singapore achieved sustainable development despite limited natural resources, highlighting the importance of adopting green practices.

The same group also had an unexpected meeting with the Secretary General of the World Energy Council, Angela Wilkinson. Their discussion revolved around the significance of resilient energy abundance in combating climate change challenges related to energy production including the importance of implementing public-private partnerships (PPPs) as a means of collaboration to create a more resilient energy system.

For Jules, this once-in-a-lifetime experience of meeting global business leaders was a huge eye-opener for him.

“It was refreshing to know that business enterprises can change their current ways of working so that they can make their operations more efficient and ecologically sustainable for all of us. I hope that our business sector in the Philippines will also exert all means to follow suit because this is very important in securing the needs of the next generations,” he shared.

For his part, Kenneth thanked the Visayas State University administration for allowing them to participate in an international conference.

“We’re very grateful to VSU for this very unique opportunity that was afforded to me and Jules. The plane fare subsidy and the daily foreign subsistence allowance were important as the organizers only covered our food and accommodations. I really hope that more #ProudViscans will be given the chance to go overseas and experience similar events like this as the whole event provided us an international perspective to looking at things,” the student participant explained.

Both the plane and foreign daily allowances of the student participants were funded through the university’s Student Welfare and Development Fund and were positively endorsed and approved by the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs and Services (OVPSAS).

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