IATSS Forum

Konnichiwa. I am Aida from Malaysia. It is less than 50 days before the real adventure and exciting 54th IATSS Forum starts in Japan. Being selected to represent Malaysia to this ASEAN Leadership Program is like a dream comes true. Meeting other young leaders of ASEAN is a precious opportunity for me to learn, to grow, to shape and to build my leadership skills as I believe that leaders are not born, but they are made by hard effort, which is the price of all of us must pay to achieve any goal that is worthwhile” (Vince Lombardi). Different countries may have different cultures and travel may broaden our minds. Japan is an amazing country. Having an experienced working for a short research with Japanese company (Yakult) had widen my view on Japanese working culture. They are passionate, punctual, focus and very detail in performing their task. Definitely I will learn more during my 2 months stay in Japan. Apart from that, participation of young leaders from different countries with different occupational backround and experience during IATSS Forum may also enhance my ability to view problems from many angles and perspectives. As a leader, the ability to make wise decision is very important and I do believe that good decisions do come from good experience. Being part of 54th IATSS Forum would be a priceless experience that I dont wanna miss. The spirit of all would enable me to enlighten my aim to soar higher in my career development. Therefore, I hope I would be able to grasp, digest and practice all positive vibes during 54th IATSS Forum in order for me to be a good leader and eventually to create more leaders in my institution and my country in general, as leaders dont create followers, but they create leaders. Just cant wait to see you guys in Japan! ~InsyaAllah~ Warm Regards, Aida, Malaysia

“HONDA: The Power of Dreams”. Yes, this is the fact that HONDA had made my dream comes true. As a young leader, I always seek for any leadership programme that can help me to polish my leadership skills. I always wanted to know, “what makes a good leader?”. IATSS Forum is the best place for me to understand leadership style and skills through observation and experience from other participants of 9 different ASEAN countries as well as from Japan. Different cultures and of course, different field of expertise had widen my view on many perspectives and these really helps in wise decision making – a quality of a good leader. To all 55th batch participants, congratulation and I really hope that you guys undergo this IATSS Forum with full of energy, enthusiasm and spirit! IATSS Forum is just like a magic tunnel that will transform you into a brand NEW leader upon the completion of this programme - as long as you are willing to sacrifice your sound and deep sleep as well as your free time. A very worthy investment I must say. This is not to scare you, but the IATSS Forum was designed with a very tight schedule. Participants need to organize and manage their time very well between seminars, group discussions, report writing, presentations as well as some cultural shows. Its tiring, but I bet, this gonna be the nicest experience ever! The best place where you will learn to tolerate with others, understand that other people may not behave or acted the way you wish them to and most importantly how you fit into the group of great young leaders of ASEAN. This is the place where you value the friendship to the maximum and realize that a good leader does not always have to be upfront but can also lead from behind. Be clear of your objectives and you’ll surely find that IATSS Forum is what you always dreamt for. Im blessed to be part of IATSS Forum family and I wish you all the best!