AsTW is a two-week international study program focusing on ASEAN and East Asian affairs. It is designed for university undergraduate students from around the world. The courses are mainly instructed in English. AsTW was launched in March of 2009 in Thailand. From 2009 to 2011, AsTW was co-organized by Kyushu University (Japan) and Mahidol University (Thailand). From 2012 to 2014, Kyushu University worked together with Ateneo de Manila University (the Philippines) and hosted AsTW in the Philippines. From 2015 to 2017, AsTW was held at Vietnam National Universiy, Hanoi (Vietnam). From 2018 to 2020, the AsTW sessions were held at University of Malaya (Malaysia). From 2021 to 2022, the program was conducted online due to COVID-19 and was jointly hosted by Kyushu University and Mahidol University. In 2023, it will be held on-site on the campus of Mahidol University.

ASEAN today continues to realise the vision of its Founding Fathers and the aspirations of its peoples to live in peace, harmony, and prosperity. In this context, we recognize the important role of our youth as a catalyst for economic, social and cultural progress. We strive to instil in them a spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship, which is crucial for future ASEAN leaders.

In line with this, programmes such as ‘ASEAN in Today’s World’ are welcomed in strengthening ASEAN awareness among the peoples of the region, as well as in promoting a culture of peace and mutual understanding. To this end, I commend the ‘ASEAN in Today’s World’ initiative for enabling the region’s young people to get to know each other better while developing the knowledge and life skills they need to successfully navigate today’s world and the future.

The ASEAN Secretariat remains committed in promoting positive initiatives such as this, with a view towards increasing people-to-people interactions and mobility within and outside the ASEAN region.

Dato Lim Jock Hoi
Secretary –General of ASEAN

The AsTW curriculum consists of ASEAN Studies (AS) and Asian Languages & Cultures (ALC) courses, supplemented by co-curricular Study Trips, providing students with an enriched and unique learning opportunities.
The AS component gives AsTW its distinction as a rigorous introduction to selected ASEAN issues that increasingly affect global and regional “ASEAN+3” relations.
Students will broaden their knowledge and gain a deeper understanding of ASEAN and “ASEAN+3” cooperation through the AS courses. A valuable part of the program is the opportunity to approach ASEAN and East Asia topics from different perspectives.

The ALC component provides students with an intensive Asian language study experience designed to build proficiency in the language chosen and to help with acquisition of basic knowledge of the related culture in an integrated approach. Students will gain a general understanding of the culture and sociolinguistic context of each language. By the end of each course, students are expected to have developed some fundamental skills in listening and speaking as well as an understanding of daily conduct in the appropriate cultural setting.
The combination of AS and ALC studies will contribute to the students’ synthetic understanding of the ASEAN and East Asia communities.