I think this Model ASEM was such a really great conference for youth to raise their voices and their ideas! It was very well organised. I learnt a lot from this conference. As I represented Italy, I really got to know more about it and also the other European nations. I gained a lot of experiences. I also feel I know have more responsibility on carrying on ASEM relations. And the Cultural programme… it really impressed me.
I really enjoyed the conference; it was a great opportunity to see how such a meeting works. One can study the topics, read about the meetings but he or she can never get such a deep insight and realize how difficult it can be to reach a common agreement among so many participants representing completely different cultures and interests. Therefore I am really grateful for having had such an opportunity.
Model ASEM was a very challenging but meaningful experience for I had to act as a head of a European country though I am originally from Asia. It was not easy to make statements and raise questions in a position of a European country, but as I did research about the country and began to learn about it, I gradually realized the goal of the meeting, which is to create deeper understanding between Asia and Europe. It also taught me what cooperation is. One of the impressive things regarding the process of Model ASEM was that it enabled us to cooperate and collaborate with each other for the common goal. To draw out the final declaration, we tried a lot to reflect everyone's opinion. Therefore we had to discuss, ask and carefully correct even small expressions. Within a truly international environment, I had a chance to learn the importance of political discussions to bring about a positive change and understand each other. I am sure Model ASEM bridges political and cultural divides and foster a better understanding between Asia and Europe.
From an academic view, Model ASEM stood out because of the delegations’ in-depth knowledge of the country and topic they were representing. The schedule allowed for discussions beyond the prepared statements, which genuinely put the participants’ diplomatic talents to a test. On the other hand, Model ASEM was unique because of the collegial atmosphere amongst participants. At the end of each day activities, such as a Karaoke evening, helped to further foster the Asian-European relations. Ms. Dong Xia, Deputy Secretary General of the All-China Youth Federation, has described it best after the final session of Model ASEM, when saying that she had not come for closing this event, but for opening lifelong friendships. I would like to thank the hosts and organizers, but also the participants, for making this, in many respects exceptional, experience possible. It was a pleasure to find and define with you our common vision for Asia and Europe!
I find it really amazing meeting to discuss with more than 140 friends from Europe and Asian people I didn’t know before. It was my first time to exchange my nationality to Austrian and be a representative of that country. It was quite funny when some delegates talked about some information which they had got from the Internet about the country they represented and it actually was not true anymore. I was impressed by my roommate from France who represented Myanmar. He really concentrated on updating news about Myanmar every morning from my laptop.
It was an amazing experience to be a part of the interaction among Asian and European students in Beijing. Also, I had a great pleasure in representing Ireland in the Model ASEM 2008. After the 4-day event, I made a lot of friends, learned a lot about Ireland, and learned how such an international meeting works as well as how each country needs to move to achieve its own agenda. I believe MA will continue to serve as an important event to promote the dynamics between future's leaders of Asia and Europe.
The 2008 Model ASEM was a very special experience for me. I have never seen so many sophisticated students coming from so many different countries working together for one common goal: the enhancement of the understanding among nations leading us to a better world. Indeed, it was a pleasure and honour to take part. I was able to learn a lot thanks to this amazing event and therefore I really can recommend participating to every young person interested in diplomatic affairs and intercultural dialogue.
Model ASEM 2008 was an immensely enjoyable experience for me. It provided me with a valuable platform to meet and exchange views with participants from diverse backgrounds, and enabled me to understand their perspectives on many political, economic and social issues. I appreciated being given the opportunity, as the representative of France, to chair political pillar discussions between the member states, together with ASEAN, the EU and China. Although Model ASEM 2008 was, in the end, only a simulation of the actual process, I believe that it will go a long way in fostering mutual understanding between the future leaders of both continents. Finally, I feel that the organising committee did an excellent job in flawlessly coordinating this massive event and I would like to express my appreciation and gratitude to them for their effort in having provided us with this valuable learning opportunity.