GOODWILL between people is the key to making globalization successful.
This was the message stressed in the International Student Symposium 2005 of the Singapore International Foundation, last Aug. 3 to 6 at the Grand Compton Waterfront Hotel in Singapore.
Kevin Relopez, the UST delegate and Thomasian Debaters’ Council president, said his participation in the symposium provided an opportunity for the University to network and interact with other Southeast Asian universities.
“Our country can relate to a lot of economic problems discussed in the symposium, such as chronic corruption and poor economic policies,” Relopez said. “The symposium was really helpful in voicing these problems out in the international scene and get feedbacks from economic experts from other countries.”
According to Relopez, the symposium focused on particular areas of development in Southeast Asia and featured economic experts, including Lim Hwee Hua, Singapore’s finance and transport minister, as speakers.
The symposium also served as an eye-opener to the concept of globalization in relation to the emergence of Southeast Asian nations.
Forty-five delegates from the nine countries, including nine students from schools like Ateneo De Manila University, Ateneo de Davao University, University of the Philippines (UP) – Diliman, and UP – Visayas, were given grants by the foundation to be able to attend the meeting.
With the theme, “The Asian Century: Possibility or Pipe Dream,” the foundation provided a positive outlook for the future of Asia 20 to 30 years time. Further, it meant to harness the power of goodwill among members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, including the Philippines. Jianne dL. Yamzon
