YSEALI AI FutureMakers Regional Workshop

Objectives

• YSEALI is the U.S. government’s signature initiative to engage emerging leaders in Southeast Asia.  The program aims to create a network of young Southeast Asian leaders who work across national borders to address common problems. Through a variety of programs and engagements, YSEALI seeks to build the leadership capabilities of youth in the region, strengthen ties between the United States and Southeast Asia, and develop a community of leaders addressing regional concerns.
• YSEALI is open to young leaders ages 18-35 who are both citizens and residents of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member countries (Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam) or Timor-Leste. YSEALI programs focus on four themes (Economic Growth, Sustainable Development, Education, and Civic Engagement) because youth in the region identified them as priorities.
• YSEALI also organizes annual Regional Workshops across Southeast Asia on strategic topics. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a transformative technology with profound implications for society, government, the economy, and the environment worldwide.  Within ASEAN, governmental, societal, and economic actors are actively engaged in discussing the applications of this technology and the role of regulation, for example in the ASEAN Guide on AI Governance and Ethics approved at the 4th ASEAN Digital Ministers Meeting (ADGMIN) on February 2, 2024. Development of AI within Southeast Asia is complicated by the wide variation in economic development and technological capacity between member states, and 2025 is an opportune time to engage the YSEALI community in efforts to leverage AI to foster shared, sustainable, and inclusive growth throughout the Indo-Pacific Region.
• The YSEALI AI FutureMakers Regional Workshop will convene young people from throughout Southeast Asia to leverage the power of science, technology, and active civil society participation to address critical challenges and expand opportunities in Southeast Asia. The workshop will emphasize the importance of strengthening people-to-people connections, ensuring that technological advancements benefit not just economies, but societies at large, reinforcing the bridge between innovation and human-centric development. Through this workshop, the participants will not only address immediate challenges but will also lay the groundwork for long-term partnerships and collaborations that will drive positive change and development across the region.
• This workshop will bring together 60 YSEALI members from ASEAN countries and Timor Leste with a keen interest in leveraging technology to address regional and global challenges.  It will offer a unique opportunity for YSEALI leaders to delve deeply into the transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI), with a focus on at least one of the YSEALI’s core themes: economic empowerment, civic engagement, education, and environmental sustainability.  Participants will engage in comprehensive discussions and hands-on activities aimed at harnessing AI for sustainable change.

Funding Information

• Length of performance period: September 2024 to December 2025
• Number of awards anticipated: One
• Award amounts: Award may range from a minimum of $150,000 to a maximum of $250,000.
• Total available funding: $250,000

Participants and Audiences

• The recipient will coordinate with U.S. Embassy Bangkok and with the U.S. embassies in ASEAN and Timor-Leste to recruit and select the final 60 participants. Participants will be between the ages of 18-35 and a keen interest in leveraging AI technology to address and solve one of the following issues: economic empowerment, civic engagement, education, and environmental sustainability, as well as collaborating with others from diverse backgrounds and building networks for future initiatives. The recruitment process should ensure that the pool of applicants reflect different regions of the country, not just capital cities.
• All participants must be proficient in written and spoken English. All programs must include participants from all ten ASEAN member countries and Timor-Leste.

Eligibility Criteria

• The following organizations are eligible to apply:
  • U.S. public and private educational institutions
  • U.S. not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks
  • Foreign public and private educational institutions
  • Foreign not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks.

For more information, visit Grants.gov.