On 6 July 2026, the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) joined the ASEAN+–EU Summer School on Digital Literacy as a knowledge partner, delivering the lecture “Digital Opportunities in Youth Engagement” to young professionals and students in Bordeaux and Singapore.

The Summer School, co-organised by the ASEAN Youth Organization (AYO) and STEAR (Student Think Tank for Europe-Asia Relations), brings together participants from Europe and ASEAN+ to explore contemporary digital challenges and practical pathways towards more inclusive digital transformation.

Why digital literacy and youth engagement matter

In her lecture, ASEF’s Youth Project Lead, Ms Freya CHOW-PAUL spotlighted ASEF’s Education Department, which connects and empowers young professionals, students, teachers, educators, higher education leaders, and policymakers through non-formal education, capacity building, and network-based programmes. Participants were invited to see digital youth engagement as part of ASEF’s broader mission to connect, facilitate, and innovate between Asia and Europe.

Framed within the Summer School’s focus on digital literacy, the lecture emphasised that digital literacy includes participation, critical thinking, creation, and communication in digital environments. It proposed a six-part framework for digital youth engagement: Voice, Community, Co-creation, Dialogue, Leadership, and Impact, and linked these dimensions to the programme’s “Dream Project” component, where participants develop collaborative outputs and present them in a final pitch.

The session drew on insights from ASEF’s youth work, including the ASEM Youth Report on youth leadership across ASEM countries and the ASEF Youth Report on Society 5.0, which explores youth perspectives on technology-informed societal leadership and a human-centred digital future. These references illustrated how structured evidence and cross-regional dialogue can strengthen youth voice and leadership in Asia-Europe cooperation.

In closing, Freya noted that digital youth engagement is not only about being online. It is about building participation, connection, contribution, and impact in ways that are informed, inclusive, and human-centred. Asia–Europe cooperation can strengthen all four dimensions by creating spaces where youth can connect across borders, share evidence-based perspectives, and co-create solutions for a rapidly changing digital world.

Through its role as a knowledge partner for the ASEAN-EU Summer School, ASEF continues to support youth leadership, interregional dialogue, and collaborative learning between Europe and ASEAN+, contributing to a digitally literate and resilient generation of young leaders.

Partnership with the ASEAN Youth Organization (AYO) and the Student Thinktank for Europe Asia Relations (STEAR)

ASEF has been collaborating for several years with the ASEAN Youth Organization (AYO), and the Student Thinktank for Europe Asia Relations (STEAR). Our shared commitment to youth empowerment and regional cooperation has provided the building blocks of a strong partnership with AYO and STEAR for many years, with AYO and STEAR representatives joining ASEF’s youth projects yearly, and ASEF being invited regularly to contribute to AYO and STEAR events.