Our Chapter Leaders
We are garnering a number of talented individuals from various locations around the ASEAN region to be our Chapter Leaders.
The Young SEAkers Chapter Leaders bring to the table strategic leadership in the development and stewardship of the local chapter. They play a vital role in our mission to move and create a new generation of ASEAN-China savvy youth leaders in their home country.
Aung Zin Phyo Thein
Myanmar
Aung Zin currently works as a Senior Analyst at BowerGroupAsia, a strategic advisory firm that specializes in the Asia Pacific, and serves as a Nonresident Fellow at the Pacific Forum, a US think tank. He has an undergraduate degree in International Relations from Durham University, and undertook graduate studies in public policy at the University of Nottingham.
#WhatHeSays
"With the Young SEAkers, I aim at being a driver to deepen a greater understanding of ASEAN-China relations for youths in Myanmar to take advantage of changing geopolitical landscape."
Chhayheng Soth
Cambodia
Chhayheng is an undergraduate student at Thammasat University pursuing a Bachelor of Political Science Program in Politics and International Relations with a minor in Governance and Transnational Studies under a full scholarship. Previously, he has completed two internships at two international foundations in Cambodia and Thailand. He firmly believes that youths can play crucial roles for national and regional prosperity.
#WhatHeSays
"To me, SEAkers is an identity! And a grand project that will produce many impacts for the people and the region long forward. Let’s grow together!"
Bryan Michael Chiew
Singapore
Bryan Michael Chiew (赵森) is a former national swimmer with 7 years of experience studying and living in Beijing, China. He was the 29th President and current Advisor (to the President) of the Students' Union at Nanyang Technological University. He is in his penultimate year pursuing a Bachelor of Social Science (Hons) with a Major in Public Policy and Global Affairs. As a country delegate in the Inaugural Singapore-Fujian Youth Leaders Exchange and 7th AUN ASEAN Student Leaders Forum, Bryan finds passion in building meaningful bridges across cultures.
#WhatHeSays
"With The Young SEAkers, I aim to create a platform of collaboration and intercultural understanding between ASEAN and China, because together, there are no boundaries for success!"
Ezra Valentino Purba
Indonesia
Driven by his vision to empower and maximise youths’ potential, Ezra has served as the president in one of the most reputable student-led incubator in Indonesia, StudentCatalyst.
As a person who holds the principle of “collaboration over competition”, his mission in The Young SEAkers is to build a strong collaborative ecosystem between youth in ASEAN and China to empower the region.
#WhatHeSays
“Going forward, I believe that there will be a solid integration between youth across ASEAN. Tied by cross-border competencies and regional mindset, I believe The Young SEAkers will become a complete ecosystem for ASEAN youth to share knowledge, collaborate, and grow together."
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Jan Chichary
Thailand
Jan Chichary graduated from Chulalongkorn University in 2020 and was an exchange student at Tsinghua University (Beijing) in 2019. During her university years, Jan participated in several conferences and collaborations between ASEAN and China. Jan finds it delightful to see how much the community has grown over the past years. As Thailand's Founding Chapter Leader, Jan is on a mission to be a do-er and a creator, to go beyond sitting in a conference and being a participant.
#WhatSheSays
"I joined TYS because I want to be a part of a community with a common purpose, that cultivates cultural intelligence and beyond. In this interconnected and ever complex world, it is important to raise questions about how we can strengthen our community together to drive changes and innovate for a better future."
Renzo Racadio
Phillippines
Renzo graduated with a degree in Business Economics at the University of the Philippines, Diliman. As a self-described mad scientist, he tries to engage in different activities that pique his interest. From wild food concoctions to highly debatable opinions, Renzo is an embodiment of the saying, “curiosity killed the cat
……but satisfaction brought it back.”
Through his experience as a postgraduate student in Beijing, and as a senior analyst at an e-commerce company that serves the Southeast Asian community, he hopes to educate Filipinos on the importance of building relationships with the rest of the ASEAN community.
#WhatHeSays
"I joined TYS because I want to give young Filipinos opportunities to meet people from our neighboring countries. By doing this, I hope to expand their perspectives so that they may be able to make more informed decisions."
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Trinh Anh Thy
Vietnam
Trinh Anh Thy studies International Relations at Vietnam National University. She enjoys writing analyses on the latest global issues and studying the foreign policies of ASEAN countries, ASEAN Centrality and Free and Open Indo - Pacific Strategies of the U.S. She values every opportunity that empowers her to bring her enthusiasm towards something new and challenging, and is a good team player who will give support to others when in need.
#WhatSheSays
“Every country in Southeast Asia should know more about each other to enhance the connectivity in the region. That’s what I always believe in. I yearn for a day when a Vietnamese youngster can connect and make friends easily with others in not only Southeast Asia but also China and vice versa. With TYS, I can make it happen!"
Ari Jeffry
Brunei
Hi everyone! I'm Ari Jeffry, an undergraduate studying Biological Sciences at the University of Brunei Darussalam. Aside from that, I'm also serving as the Vice President of Education at my university's Toastmasters Club. My interests mainly lie in history and politics, the environment and sustainability, and also a bit of swimming, badminton and hiking in places with a beautiful landscape!
#WhatHeSays
"I have an array of interests, self-development in one and curiosity in the matters of the region in another. TYS is a fascinating platform that offers both of those opportunities, not only to fulfill those interests but also to realize this innate need within me to connect to different people in other countries; to learn more from them and grow."
Phetmany Viyadeth
Laos
Phetmany Viyadeth (Churnchurn) graduated from Royal Holloway University of London. She was also a Chinese language student at Fudan University, Shanghai in 2019.
Currently she is working as a communication specialist at the United Nations Population Fund and is also the founder of UTD education based in Laos.
Churnchurn has involved herself in various areas of education to support many young people in reaching their full potential and shaping their own lives.
#WhatSheSays
"With The Young SEAkers, I hope to establish a platform to engage young people in the community to understand our ASEAN region and China better. Thus, preparing them well to tap on the full potential of the region and create a better future for themselves."
Hidayat Fahmi
Malaysia
Hidayat currently works in the multimedia and communications industry in Malaysia. Prior to this, he worked as a fundraising analyst in a CRM-based company after graduating as an Arts English graduate from the University of Malaya. His deep interest in non-profit and ASEAN came from his active participation in the two areas during his time as a student. Hidayat believes in the notion that everyone can and should attempt to make a difference in the community. To realise this belief, he passionately promotes the empowerment of youth through the various programmes he took part in his extra time.
#WhatHeSays
"It is a fact that ASEAN and China are both major powers in the global market. As an ASEAN youth myself, I realised that there are not many platforms (if any) that I can tap into to learn about the relationship between these two regions. The Young SEAkers came to me as a perfect solution to serve as a platform to empower youths from ASEAN and China to learn more about one another."
Our Chapter Advisors
The Young SEAkers Chapter Advisors are former Chapter Leaders who bring to the table their relevant experiences to give advice and recommendations to the current local Chapter Leader. They are crucial in mentoring their successors on the ins and outs of team building and national leadership, while serving as a source of institutional knowledge to enable the continued success and growth of our local chapters.
Lim Chhay
Cambodia Founding Chapter Leader 2020/2021
Lim Chhay earned his B.A. in International Studies with Honours from Royal University of Phnom Penh. During his academic years, Chhay served as an interpreter and assistant to Royal Government Spokesperson of Cambodia from 2018 to 2019. Chhay was also the National Intern for the United Nations Development Programme in charge of Communications and Knowledge Management. Chhay pursues his passion in research on ASEAN-China affairs by joining a Cambodia-based youth think-tank as a research fellow.
Touch Likhedy
Cambodia Founding Chapter Leader 2020/2021
Li Khedy graduated with a B.A. in International Studies and Law in Cambodia. Khedy believes in the power of youths to influence the world, thus she applied for and was selected to be a part of many international workshops, including the ASEAN Foundation Model ASEAN Meeting and the Futures Thinking and Scenario Planning Workshop for Youths in Singapore to discuss practical policies for the region.
Yeo Yan Yin @ Amanda
Malaysia Founding Chapter Leader 2020/2021
Yeo Yan Yin @ Amanda is a Research Analyst at EMIR Research, Malaysia. Prior researching socio-economic issues in Malaysia, she served as Private Secretary to both Minister of Youth and Sports of Sabah and Minister of Health and People's Well-Being of Sabah.
Amanda earned her MSc (International Relations) at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.
