Michael V L Chhandama, a Ph.D. scholar working under the guidance of Dr. Kumudini Belur Satyan, Department of Biotechnology, School of Sciences (Block-I), was selected for the first online Asia Pacific Youth Exchange (APYE) Global Social Innovation Idea Competition co-organized by United Nations Development Programme and Asian Development Bank. Michael was selected based on his “Statement of Proposal” and merit at APYE, Thailand earlier this year in January with full funding.
The finals of the event were held online on 28th August 2020, where Michael and his 4-member team titled ‘CHAWIKAN’, which translates to “to uplift the Mizoram society”, won the runner-up award under the “Ideation” category. More than 30 teams from nations across Asia pitched their project proposal before a panel of experts from diverse fields. Out of these 30, eight teams were shortlisted for the final round.
The prize conferred includes a certificate, resources to pursue the project, and a 50 % scholarship to attend the next APYE event.
Founded in 2016, APYE is a regional youth program, which responds to the global need of actively engaging youth in localized Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) initiatives. Currently, APYE has its presence in South Korea, Thailand, and The Philippines with more than 1500 alumni from over 25 nations. It also aims to help young people around the world to lead and implement projects addressing community impacts of COVID-19.
