"Change doesn’t happen overnight.  It requires that you stay active and involved over the long term.  And it requires you to develop some practical tools.  And that’s why, I launched the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative -- or YSEALI.  And the goal is to empower young people like you with the skills and the resources, and the networks that you need to turn your ideas into action."

— Remarks by President Obama at YSEALI Town Hall, May 25, 2016

YSEALI Academy

Launched in 2013, the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) is U.S. government’s signature program to strengthen leadership development and networking in Southeast Asia. YSEALI seeks to build the leadership capabilities of youth in the region, strengthen ties between the United States and Southeast Asia, and nurture an ASEAN community. YSEALI is partnering with Fulbright University Vietnam (Fulbright) in Ho Chi Minh City to launch the YSEALI Academy at Fulbright.

The YSEALI Academy at Fulbright offers executive-level seminars for entry to mid-level professionals around the themes of technology & innovation, public policy, and entrepreneurship. Participation will be open to applicants from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam. YSEALI Academy at Fulbright aims to deliver 16-20 high-quality seminars in the next five years to rising leaders (Fellows) across Southeast Asia. These seminars will address regional challenges from regional perspectives, feature leading regional and U.S.-based experts in industry and academia, and involve individual and group-based, experiential learning activities designed to create lasting professional relationships between Fellows of different nationalities and foster skills which can be applied in their careers.