The Young Leaders Development Programme (YLDP), an initiative organised by the AIA Foundation, celebrates its 21st anniversary this year. More than 490 local university students have participated in the programme since its inception. For the 2018-19 intake, 17 exceptional students from local universities were selected to take part in the six-month programme. With the theme of “A Hand to Lead, A Vision to Serve”, the programme helped equip participants with the skills to become tomorrow's socially responsible young leaders.
Ms. Bonnie Tse, General Manager, Corporate, Strategy and Wealth Management of AIA Hong Kong & Macau, and board member of the AIA Foundation, said, “The AIA Foundation Young Leaders Development Programme reaffirms our long-term commitment to nurturing a healthier and more productive next generation human capital to drive the social and economic development of our society. We were delighted to see participating students embark on their own personal growth journey and engage in new experiences through a series of activities. As 2019 is also the year of the AIA Centennial, we look forward to building on our achievements and marking a new milestone in giving back to the community through various initiatives that help people live healthier, longer, better lives.”
YLDP provides a wide variety of in-depth and comprehensive training courses to enhance participants' leadership abilities, and equip them with practical knowledge and skills. This year's diversified curriculum included: A five-day/four-night Adventure and Leadership Camp, which tested students' physical fitness, willpower and ability to face adversity; Career Workshops and a Business Etiquette Training Workshop, giving students foundational know-how in the areas of life planning and preparing for the job market; A Star Speaker Forum featuring Mr. Arnold Chan, Founder and CEO of Teach for Hong Kong and a sharing session by two Hong Kong-based coaches from the Premier League's Tottenham Hotspur, on the topic of key leadership traits and advice for aspiring leaders. The programme also arranged for students to participate in various community service opportunities involving the elderly and children with special needs.
Several awards, including the “Outstanding Young Leaders Award”, “My Favourite Young Leader Award” and “Best Local Community Service Award” were presented to recognise students' outstanding performance, while AIA Hong Kong also offered summer internship opportunities to the best performers. Five students received such recognition in 2018-19. Outstanding Young Leaders Award winner Kate Cheng, from The Chinese University of Hong Kong, said, “The programme provided me with enriching experiences, and helped strengthen my leadership and communication skills while building my resilience.” Benjamin Chu, from The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, winner of the My Favourite Young Leader Award, said, “YLDP helped me build up the courage to try new things and accept challenges. It also made me believe in the power of teamwork.” Best Local Community Service Award winner Keris So, from Hong Kong Baptist University, said, “YLDP integrated elements of community service into the programme, enabling us to recognise our social responsibility to help underprivileged members of the community.”
