On the occasion of the inaugural ASEM Day, the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) organised the Model ASEM Switzerland Spin-Off 2017 on 1 March 2017 in Lausanne, Switzerland. The youth conference was organised in partnership with the Diplo Foundation, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) and Model United Nations EPFL and supported by the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF). As the 4th spin-off edition of the Model ASEM series, this project brought together about 60 local and international students from Swiss universities to discuss “A Stronger Partnership for Future Generations”.
During the 1-day political simulation, students not only advanced their public speaking and negotiation skills, but also enhanced their understanding of the ASEM process and its role in strengthening the political, economic and socio-cultural links between Asia and Europe. The event concluded with a panel discussion, which included Ambassador Michael MATTHIESSEN, Ambassador of the EU to Switzerland and Liechtenstein; Ambassador Linggawaty HAKIM, Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to Switzerland; Ambassador Karsten WARNECKE, Executive Director of the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF); and Mr Thomas Meier-Nidecker, Deputy Regional Coordinator for Asia, the Pacific and ASEM of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland. The session was moderated by Ms Shada ISLAM from the Friends of Europe Think Tank in Brussels, Belgium.
The student awarded ‘best negotiator’ during this project was invited to participate in the 8th Model ASEM
, which will be held in November 2017 in Naypyidaw, Myanmar. The 8th Model ASEM is a 4-day youth conference and political simulation with visits to local diplomatic missions and offices of international organisations. Organised in conjunction with the 13th ASEM Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (ASEM FMM13)
, participants of the 8th Model ASEM will also have the opportunity to meet their respective Foreign Ministers, through a youth intervention on Asia-Europe relations at the ASEM FMM13. For more information on the 8th Model ASEM, please click here
.