Asia-Pacific Youth Organisation

A new initiative for engaging with Asia has come up this year, called the Asia-Pacific Youth Organisation (APYO). The APYO originated at the Australian National University in 2010 with the mission of increasing engagement among young leaders about the key issues facing the Asia-Pacific region, including law, business, and politics.

2014 marks the beginning of the journey for APYO’s Melbourne branch, led by a group of third year JDs. The Melbourne team hopes to address the engagement deficit of young people in key regional issues by hosting seminars and discussions which address a range of relevant issues. The Melbourne team will also be working closely with their headquarters at ANU in order to facilitate international engagement events where students can apply their knowledge and leadership skills at regional summits and conferences.

The APYO Melbourne Branch successfully held its first event last month, where Mr Andrew Godwin spoke about Australia’s potential leadership role in the Asia-Pacific with regard to law, regulation, and finance. About 30 people were in attendance, and lively discussion followed Mr Godwin’s talk. Wine and cheese were served after the event, and attendees had the chance to network and further discuss Asia-Pacific affairs.

This month, the APYO is planning their second event, featuring PhD candidate Ms Rheny Pulungan. She will discuss her thesis during a Teatime Talk, on the topic of ‘Piracy and Maritime Terrorism’ in the Malacca Strait. The event will take place on Thursday, 17 April from 1:00-2:00pm in room 223 of the law school. Tea, biscuits, and other refreshments will be served.