Prince Qawi attends New Generation Seminar in Hawaii

Prince Abdul Qawi is in Hawaii on invitation to attend the 19th NGS, a two-week education and dialogue programme for young leaders from Asia, the Pacific and the United States. Before leaving Brunei Prince Qawi received a courtesy call from US Ambassador to Brunei, William E Todd.

The New Generation Seminar is designed to increase participants' understanding of regional issues and challenges and allows them an opportunity to meet and interact with their counterparts. The seminar is sponsored by the East-West Center, an education and research organisation established by the US Congress in 1960 to strengthen relations and understanding among the peoples and nations of Asia, the Pacific, and the United States.

Since the programme began in 1988, each year, the East-West Center (EWC) identifies participants from the younger, rising generation of leaders from the United States and Asia Pacific for this two-week programme developed around a thematic focus. The main objective is to help create a better-informed younger generation of leaders who have a greater understanding of regional issues and challenges.

A total of 277 participants from 25 Asia Pacific countries and the United States have participated in 18 NGS programmes.

This year's NGS is taking place from October 4-18, in three different countries - in Honolulu, Hawaii, Seoul, Korea, and Hanoi, Vietnam.

The thematic focus is "The Global Economic Crisis: Impacts and Responses in Asia". During the first week of the programme in Honolulu from Oct 4-10, participants will be exposed to some broad regional trends and issues that underlie the economic crisis in Asia in such areas as international relations, demographics, energy, environment, and strategic security with specialists in East-West Center and other experts from the Honolulu community.

In addition, experts will address specific economic challenges for Asia Pacific, including those for the regions' largest economies, China and Japan. Participants will also have the opportunity to engage in dialogue with each other on the critical issues facing the participants' countries.

Ambassador Todd and the US Embassy are pleased that Prince Qawi is among a select group chosen for this year's NGS seminar. The seminar includes 13 participants and the rest are from Singapore, China, India, Indonesia, Vietnam, Korea, Mongolia, Pakistan, United States and New Zealand. - Borneo Bulletin (6th October 2009)


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