Uniting Young Minds: HC-APYLS 2024 – A Week of Cultural Exchange and Global Solutions

By Liu Haoran (24S64) & Tan Yi Xuan (24S7E)

Edited by: Tan Wen Li, Glenda (24S6K)

Teachers and student delegates in front of the Hwa Chong Clock Tower.

From 13th to 20th July 2024, HCI organized and hosted the 16th Hwa Chong Asia-Pacific Young Leaders Summit (HC-APYLS). The Summit welcomed promising young leaders from China, India, Japan, the United States of America, South Africa, the Philippines, Estonia, France, Germany, Indonesia and Singapore. 

Conceptualized as an international forum, the Summit encouraged open discourse on pertinent global issues. Young leaders shared different perspectives and cultivated forward-thinking approaches. Five sessions conducted over seven days brought delegates through the process of problem identification, discussion and solution ideation. This provided them opportunities to craft various action plans. The facilitated discussions among delegates allowed them to draw parallels to their respective communities, in order to find multi-pronged solutions to salient issues. 

Forum delegates were introduced to various facets of Singaporean culture, from our food to the streetscapes. Throughout the week, delegates savoured local cuisine such as Lor Mee, Nasi Lemak and Mixed Vegetable Rice, which gave them insights into the Singaporean way of life. Learning journeys to landmarks in Singapore, such as Fort Canning, Gardens By The Bay and Bugis Street, helped delegates to make connections between Singapore’s past and present, and observe how we have grown as a country. 

A highlight of this year’s APYLS was the Cultural Performance Night, where all 11 countries’ delegates worked hard to capture core aspects of their culture into ten-minute performances, and every delegate definitely delivered. It would be an understatement to say that all the delegates thoroughly enjoyed both watching and staging the performances. The performances gave delegates a peek into different cultures, and increased their interest towards learning more about their peers’ home countries. 

The three months of preparation by the 36 Organising Team members culminated in a successful and memorable summit for all the delegates. The different committees worked tirelessly, coordinating every detail from venue selection to food options, and team bonding games to every Self-Guided Learning Tour route. Regular meetings within committees ensured that all organising team members were well-informed on the various developments, and any issues were promptly resolved. Mass work sessions involving all the organising team members helped to keep everyone on the same page. It was through the concerted efforts of all organising team members and teachers involved that this event unfolded smoothly.