Vietnam and Australia’s next generation of leaders gathered in Ho Chi Minh City this weekend as part of an alumni gathering hosted by the Australia-Vietnam Young Leadership Dialogue (“AVYLD”) in Vietnam following APEC week. The participants are those selected from more than 1400 expressions of interest to be chosen as the 20 inaugural delegates of the AVYLD.
Vietnam and Australia’s next generation of leaders gathered in Ho Chi Minh City this weekend as part of an alumni gathering hosted by the Australia-Vietnam Young Leadership Dialogue (“AVYLD”) in Vietnam following APEC week. The 20 inaugural delegates of the AVYLD were selected from more than 1400 expressions of interest.
The group of young leaders met to discuss how they can further cross-border collaboration to create positive impact in their respective communities and countries specifically their role in achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals for Vietnam and Australia.
The Prime Minister of Australia, the Honorable Malcolm Turnbull, met with the founders of AVYLD in Danang, Vietnam, during APEC week. He was impressed with the initiative and glad that the Australian government was a key supporter.
AVYLD was launched a year ago in Sydney with the support of the Australian Government through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s Australia-ASEAN Council (“AAC”).
AVYLD held its inaugural Dialogue in Sydney in May this year, which had a line-up of influential speakers from across Australia and Vietnam such as Christine Holgate (Board Chair of the Australia-ASEAN Council), Kien Tran (Chairman and CEO of Thien Minh Group) and Andrew McIntyre (Deputy Vice-Chancellor of RMIT).
Elouise Hahn, one of the delegates stated that AVYLD was “A ground-breaking experience. Unforgettable. Transformative.” Khoi Nguyen, representing Vietnam stated “AVYLD changed me from the inside out.”
AVYLD’s first cohort of delegates, now alumni, includes prominent Vietnamese business figures and young leaders from across industries including business, start-ups, research, social enterprise, non-for-profit and media.
Ms. Thao Nguyen, Board Chair of AVYLD stated, “The Dialogue was a platform to nurture collaborative relationships between young leaders to accelerate the impact they can make for a better future for all. We are proud to have started a movement”.
The AVYLD alumni event in Ho Chi Minh City was made possible by the generous and visionary support of RMIT, Alumni Partner, Thien Minh Group, Major Sponsor and the Australian Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City.
“Key priorities for RMIT are the creation transformative experiences for our students, getting them ready for life and work, and nurturing RMIT alumni on their journey. As a global university with a vision to help students and alumni shape the world through innovation, RMIT is proud to support the AVYLD,” said Gerard Shanahan, Director, RMIT Global Entities and Experiences.
Kien Tran, Chairman of TMG and Major Sponsor of the alumni event, stated “The members of AVYLD embody the dynamism, creativity and spirit of ‘daring to think – daring to do’ of young Australian and Vietnamese entrepreneurs. I believe the Dialogue is practical and highly valuable as its outcome will directly affect the relationship as well as the economic development of the two countries. Over 23 years of development, Thien Minh Group has also been cooperating with many partners located in Australia. I truly hope that AVYLD is the place where the businesses can share the common ideas and have more effective partnerships in the future.”