UND welcomes new cohort of Young Southeast Asian Leaders

For second time this year, UND hosts delegates representing the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative Professional Fellows Program

Editor’s note: In the UND LEADS Strategic Plan, the Learning core value calls on the University to “foster a global perspective to prepare students for engagement and leadership, by promoting experiences that expand horizons even as they build skills” The story below, which UND Today originally published on Sept. 19, describes an ongoing effort to broaden the national and international outlook of the University, in a manner that accords with the UND LEADS Strategic Plan.

****

On Sept. 16, four fellows representing the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative Professional Fellows Program arrived at UND, the second such cohort to visit the University this year.

The U.S. Department of State-sponsored program was launched in 2013 by former President Barack Obama. It invites young leaders representing the Southeast Asian nations of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam to gain experience working in the fields of civic engagement, economic empowerment, governance and society, as well as sustainable development and the environment.

According to the State Department’s website on YSEALI, it is the “U.S. government’s signature program to strengthen leadership development and networking in Southeast Asia.”

In April, UND welcomed its inaugural cohort of YSEALI fellows who spent about a month exploring North Dakota and working with campus and community mentors on initiatives including restorative justice and food security.

The fellows who arrived Monday spent their first week in the United States in Missoula, Mont., visiting the Mansfield Center at the University of Montana — UND’s partner institution with the YSEALI program. Named after the state’s former U.S. Sen. Mike Mansfield — a veteran of multiple leadership roles, including Senate majority leader and U.S. ambassador to Japan — the center promotes global exchange and civic engagement.

UND Provost Eric Link welcomed the fellows to campus, calling the YSEALI program a reciprocal learning experience for participants and hosts alike.

“It is part of our mission as a university to continue to promote not only global relations, but also how we as a global community can learn and grow together,” he said. “The YSEALI program affords us the opportunity to do that very thing. From all our experiences with the first cohort, we learned as much, if not more, from the experience as the folks we were hosting.”

Randi Tanglen, UND vice provost for Faculty Affairs concurred, stating that the exchange aligns with the University’s mission and vision, along with its UND LEADS Strategic Plan.

“You enrich the life of our campus and community through the relationships you will build while here,” she said.

The four YSEALI fellows — who will be staying with host families during their time in Grand Forks — are as follows:

• Jayson “Jays” Maulit: A native of Antipolo City, Philippines, Jays currently serves as chief media officer for the office of the vice mayor of Pasig, Philippines. In addition to his role as a media professional, he is a chef and food sustainability advocate. He owns his own restaurant and serves meals inspired by the cooking of his grandmother.
• Pham Thi Ngoc Mai, preferred name “Mai”: A native of Hanoi, Vietnam, Mai works as a senior program officer with Aide et Action Vietnam. In her work, she works on many different community development initiatives, such as improving access to health care and social welfare, and addressing gender inequality. Mai also was awarded the Australia Awards Scholarship, which allowed her to earn a master’s degree in development studies from the University of Melbourne.
• Y Bdao, preferred name “Bdao”: A native of Kon Tum, Vietnam, Bdao works as a test engineer for the software development firm Groove Technology. She is passionate about increasing access to education in low-income communities and hopes to work on applying information technology to the field of English learning to reach more underserved ethnic minorities in her home country.
• Nan Moe Moe Maing, preferred name “Nan”: A native of Hpa-an, Myanmar, Nan works on youth empowerment initiatives in her community, particularly educational access. She hopes to improve her leadership, management and fundraising abilities through the YSEALI program.

>> Don’t miss it: The fellows’ visit will conclude with a celebration and panel discussion about their experiences at 3 p.m. Friday, Oct. 11, on the UND Memorial Union’s Social Stairs.

>> QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS about the UND LEADS Strategic Plan? Your thoughts are welcome! Please contact Mike Wozniak, coordinator of Leadership & Programming, and/or Ryan Zerr, associate vice president for Strategy & Implementation, the co-chairs of the UND LEADS Implementation Committee.

You also may offer your thoughts by visiting the UND LEADS Strategic Plan home page and clicking on the “Provide your feedback” link that you’ll find there.

Thank you for your support of the UND LEADS Strategic Plan!