Recap and thought on my aboard programs
First of all, I would like to introduce myself. My name is Sakhone from Laos. I am a boy who has many dreams. I have a dream that one day I can go aboard and do good things to my country; I have a dream that I wan to participate Social Entrepreneurship program; I have a dream that I want to visit animé town akihabara, Japan, and etc.
If you want to go aboard, learn from other countries or turn vision to do social projects for your local communities you can check out these aboard programs:
My aboard program
1. YSEALI Academic Fellowship
About program: a 5-week exchange program on academic topics.
Themes: Civic Engagement, Environment and Natural Resource Management, and Social Entrepreneurship and Economic Development.
Other Key Values: Leadership, and Project initiative.
Location: USA (host university is based on theme)
Type: fully funded
Amount of batch (cohort): 2 cohorts: Fall & Spring
- Fall:
Application Duration: April-May
Program Duration: Sep-Oct
- Spring:
Application Duration: Oct-Nov
Program Duration: Mar-April
Applicant age: College/University students or graduated students who are 18–25 years old.
Follow Link (based on U.S embassy in each country): https://web.facebook.com/usembassyvte/
My experience: YSEALI Academic Fellowship Fall 2019 — Social Entrepreneurship and Economic Development (SEED), Brown University, the United States.
Key learning: #Project #Initiative #YoungLeader
2. YSEALI Regional Workshop
About program: 3–5 workshop on critical issues in ASEAN region.
Theme: based on the interest of the host country such as Civic Engagement, Economic, Environment, Education, etc.
Type: fully funded
Location: based on the host country
Amount of programs in one year: 5–6 workshops/year.
Application Duration: all along the year.
Program Duration: all along the year.
Applicant eligibility: different criteria based on the programs but mainly are during 18–35 years old.
Link: https://web.facebook.com/yseali/
My experience: YSEALI Empowering South East Asian Educators 2019, Malaysia.
My sharing experience blog:
Key Learning: #Educators #ProjectBasedLearning #StudentCenteredLearning
3. LIMEC* ACADEMIC INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE (LIMAC) towards Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
About program: presented academic researches to NU professors, scholars, students, entrepreneurs, educators and related partners.
Theme: Economic & Sustainable Development
Type: Based on each year
Location: Naresuan University (NU), Phitsanulok, Thailand
Application Duration: June
Program Duration: August
Applicant eligibility: College/University students or researchers.
Follow Link: https://web.facebook.com/slsc.nu/
*LIMEC = Luangprabang — Indochina — Mawlamyine Economic Corridor
Key Learning: #Research #SDGs #Logistics
4. ASEAN Foundation Model ASEAN Meeting (AFMAM)
About program: role play as country leaders in Model ASEAN Simulation
Theme: based on ASEAN theme in each year
Sub-themes: based on main ASEAN theme and 3 ASEAN pillars — ASEAN Economic Community(AEC), ASEAN Political and Security Community (APSC) and ASEAN Social and Cultural Community (ASCC)
Type: fully funded
Location: based on the host of ASEAN chairman in each year
Application Duration: March-April
Program Duration: July
Applicant eligibility: 6 Team Members who are college/university students between 18–25 years old and 1 Team Advisor who are above 25 years old.
Link: https://web.facebook.com/ASEANFoundation/
My experience: AFMAM 2018 at Singapore — Innovation and Resilience
ບົດຄວາມເພີ່ມເຕີມ:
Key learning: #Consensus #ASEANway
5. NIDA Summer Camp
About program: international exchange program at National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA).
Theme: different theme in each year but related to sustainable economic development.
Type: Annual & Partly funded (cover all except flight ticket and insurance)
Location: Bangkok & some provinces in Thailand
Application Duration: January
Program Duration: June
Applicant eligibility: College/University Students who are 18–23 years old.
My experience: NIDA Summer Camp 2018 — Economic Development Vs. Sustainable Development
ບົດຄວາມເພີ່ມເຕີມ:
Key learning: #SufficiencyEconomyPhilosophy(SEP) #EconomicDevelopment #SustainableDevelopment
6. Mekong Business Challenge (MBC)
About program: Business plan competition
Theme: Social Venture
Type: Annual & fully funded
Location: Different host country in each year
Application Duration: September
Program Duration: March
Applicant eligibility: a team of 2–3 people who between 18–35 years old, and at least one member is college or university student.
Link: https://web.facebook.com/Mekong-Business-Challenge-136670849845304/
My experience: Mekong Business Challenge 2018 at Bhutan
ບົດຄວາມເພີ່ມເຕີມ:
Key Learning: #BusinessModelCanvas #Pitching
7. JICA Business Plan Contest
About program: Business plan competition
Theme: Any kind of businesses
Type: Award is different in each year
Location: Business plan competition in country level will be held in Lao-Japan Institute (LJI)
In some years, there is a regional level competitions with other countries (Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam)
In some years, there is a training program for entrepreneurs (3 contestants from each country) at Japan
Application Duration: June
Program Duration: July
Applicant eligibility: Not limited
Follow Link: https://web.facebook.com/LJILaos/
My experience: the winner of business plan competition at LJI, a contestant of regional business plan competition at Cambodia (Jul 2017) and then a training program at Japan (Jan 2018)
ບົດຄວາມເພີ່ມເຕີມ:
Ep 1:
Ep 2:
Key Learning: #BusinessPlan #Pitching #Training
8. Japanese-East Asia Network of Exchange for Students & Youths (JENESYS)
About program: people-to-people program between Japan-ASEAN on academics topics.
Theme: there are many batch and topics in each year such as peace building, mass media, environment and disaster, economics, and Japanese culture…
Type: Annual, fully funded, and many batches in each year.
Location: Japan
Application Duration: Depended on each batch (normally during October to April)
Program Duration: Depended on each batch (normally November to June)
Applicant age: high school & college/university students
Follow Link: https://web.facebook.com/embassyofjapaninlaos/
My experience: JENESYS 4th batch 2016 on theme: experiencing in Japanese culture.
ບົດຄວາມເພີ່ມເຕີມ:
Ep 1:
Ep 2:
Ep 3:
Key Learning: #Japanese #Culture #PeopleToPeople
9. Chulalongkorn University Youth Lingering and Enhancement of ASEAN Diversity (CU YLEAD)
About program: ASEAN exchange program during celebration ASEAN week at Chulalongkorn University
Theme: different theme in each year.
Sub-theme: different sub-theme based on main theme.
Type: Party funded (cover all except flight ticket)
Location: Bangkok & some provinces in Thailand
Application Duration: May
Program Duration: August
Applicant eligibility: College/University Students who are 18–23 years old.
Link: https://web.facebook.com/CU-Youth-LEAD-558962940945010/
My experience: CU YLEAD 2016 — Marine Conservation
ບົດຄວາມເພີ່ມເຕີມ:
Key learning: #ASEANweek #Sustainability #MarineConservation
10. ASEAN Impact Challenge (AIC)
About program: Business plan pitching competition
Theme: Social enterprises
Type: Annual & fully funded
Location: different host country in each year (Ex: Malaysia 2015, Singapore 2016, Philippines 2017...)
Application Duration: August
Program Duration: November
Applicant eligibility: 18-35 years old.
Link: https://web.facebook.com/impactasean/
My experience: ASEAN Impact Challenge (AIC) 2015 at Malaysia
ບົດຄວາມເພີ່ມເຕີມ:
Key Learning: #EntrepreneurSummit #BusinessPlan #Pitching
A list of those 10 aboard programs that I participated. In each programs has different values, memories, and feelings. Besides I mentioned above, I also participated 2 self-funded programs at Cambodia and Singapore and also got another scholarship that cover tuition fee on my last year university. During my early experiences, I failed a lot but I keep learning by being volunteers in social events and starting from participated some self-funded or partly-funded programs since it has more chance to be selected.
Did you notice somethings?
I have been to 7 countries (5 of them I went 2-3 times) since I would focusing on the program or theme rather than the country, that's why some countries I have been to 3 times.
I have decided to apply scholarships because I am interested in, I have dream(s) or I want to do something(like a project) after coming back home. Most of programs I participated is related to business field that I’m really passionate in. Out of these conditions, I won’t apply and it’s better to give opportunities to others. So, it’s not true that I applied all programs haha.
Are you fail?
I am not a smart person, I just only gritty* person who has passion and perseverance. I was selected for JENESYS on 6th time. I have applied YSEALI 11 times in total (Academic Fellow 7 times and Regional Workshop for 4 times). Some programs I also applied many time but not selected, some programs I applied until ineligible to applied. Only few people apply the first time and was chosen.
“I haven’t failed, I just found 10,000 ways that won’t work” — Thomas Elva Edison
What I would like to say is that if you fails, try to fail forward, reflect yourself, learn from mistakes, and keep improving yourself. If you are not good enough to be selected, keep developing yourself in order to reach your goal.
Last few things to say
In a class, I was a nerd student who focuses on studying (even honored certificate is not really special for me). Outside of a class, I am a proactive young leader who often create and engage in many social projects. For going aboard, I can't really explain, in Laos we call "ກຳໄລຊີວິດ" which is like a gifts in your lifetime(or study time). Many scholarship hunters said that exchange program is their Life-changing experience because they get out of comfort zone and become better version of their life. It’s worthy to work hard and take a risk in whatever it takes.
“It’s not a trip, it’s a second life” — unknown
The small thing I can do is to write this blog to share you guys. Hope it help you and best of luck!
Sharing is caring❤
Ps: If there is any mistake, please do apologize for me🙏
