Last April, Shao Di Tam – a student from NIIE Institute, Nguyen Tat Thanh University (NTTU) – became one of four representatives from NTTU participating in the Youth Model ASEAN Conference (YMAC) 2026 in Singapore. This is one of the region’s most prestigious ASEAN simulation conferences for students, organized by Singapore Polytechnic (SP) and bringing together young delegates from countries across Southeast Asia.
For students, international academic platforms like YMAC are not simply opportunities to “travel and experience,” but also valuable chances to challenge themselves in a multicultural environment, use academic English, and approach regional issues from broader perspectives. In particular, the participation of an NIIE student in this year’s program once again demonstrated the proactiveness, confidence, and readiness for international integration of NIIE students in global academic activities.
The Youth Model ASEAN Conference 2026 is an ASEAN conference simulation program designed for students. Here, delegates represent countries within the region to discuss, debate, and propose solutions for shared ASEAN issues. With the overarching theme “Strengthening ASEAN,” YMAC 2026 focused on urgent topics such as strengthening regional identity, human resource development, responding to population aging, and promoting green connectivity.
Within the program, Shao Di Tam was assigned to represent Singapore and focused on the topic “Harnessing the Silverwave.” This topic addresses the issue of population aging—an increasingly important concern for many countries in the region. Participating in discussions as a representative of another country required students to demonstrate strong capabilities in contextual research, policy analysis, and persuasive communication.
Throughout the five-day conference in Singapore, the NIIE – NTTU students actively participated in various conference activities, including discussion sessions, opening speeches, SEA Showcase presentations, and contributions to the Joint Working Group Statement—the collective policy document developed by each working group. This is one of the most important components of the program, reflecting the perspectives and proposals of ASEAN youth regarding current regional challenges.
Beyond academic discussions, YMAC 2026 also provided students with practical experiences through learning visits to major organizations and enterprises such as Amazon Web Services, Sembcorp, and community development centers in Singapore. These activities helped students connect classroom knowledge with real-world contexts while broadening their perspectives on economic, social, technological, and sustainable development issues within ASEAN.
For Shao Di Tam, the YMAC 2026 journey was an opportunity to strengthen many important competencies. From critical thinking, research skills, negotiation, teamwork, to intercultural communication, each activity helped students better understand how regional issues are analyzed and addressed in international environments. In particular, using English throughout all working sessions also gave students the opportunity to demonstrate their strong language foundation, confidence, and global integration capabilities.
Shao Di Tam is known as an active student with many outstanding academic achievements at NIIE. Earlier in 2026, Tam participated as a speaker at TEDxNTT University 2026, sharing stories and perspectives of young people in the modern era. Prior to that, Tam also achieved several notable accomplishments, including First Prize at the R&D Innovation Award at Vietnam National University, Hanoi 2024, Second Prize at the VietFuture Award 2024, Third Prize at UNIVSTAR 2024, and First Prize in NIIE Scientific Research 2024. These achievements reflect Tam’s strong learning spirit, research capabilities, and persistence in personal development.
The participation of NIIE students in programs such as the Youth Model ASEAN Conference 2026 also reflects the Institute’s educational orientation toward international integration. In addition to professional knowledge, students are encouraged to develop foreign language proficiency, soft skills, critical thinking, and adaptability in multicultural environments. These are all essential competencies for the younger generation in a rapidly changing regional and global context.
Once again, congratulations to Shao Di Tam for representing NIIE students at YMAC 2026 and achieving another memorable milestone in the journey of academic growth and international experience. Hopefully, the spirit of proactiveness, confidence, and continuous learning demonstrated through this journey will continue to inspire many NTTU students in general, and NIIE students in particular, in the future.
