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Hitachi Launches 11th Hitachi Young Leaders Initiative with Vietnam Deputy Prime Minister as the Guest-of-Honour (PDF Type, 37 kByte)

Jan 09, 2012

Hitachi Launches 11th Hitachi Young Leaders Initiative with Vietnam Deputy Prime Minister as the Guest-of-Honour

— Into its 11th edition, the initiative sees a strong line-up of speakers gathered in Hanoi to discuss Asia’s challenges with 28 selected young leaders from the region —

Hanoi, January 9, 2012 – Hitachi, Ltd. (NYSE: HIT / TSE:6501) today announced the official opening of the 11th Hitachi Young Leaders Initiative (HYLI). Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister, H.E. Hoang Trung Hai, was present to grace the event as the Guest-of-Honour.

The event, which is held between 9 and 13 January 2012, sees a strong line-up of speakers from the region.

“It is no mean feat for a CSR programme to run for a good 16 years with 11 editions,” said Mr. Takashi Kawamura, Chairman of the Board, Hitachi, Ltd. “It is encouraging to know that the vision we have set out to achieve in 1996 is supported by some of the most respected and prominent leaders from the region. Without them, HYLI would not have been possible,” he added.

The politicians and thought leaders present at the event will be speaking on and discussing Asia’s challenges with 28 selected young leaders from the seven participating countries in the region.

STRONG SUPPORT FROM REGIONAL LEADERS AND POLITICIANS

Themed The New Stage for Asia – an Asian Perspective on Managing Sustainable Development and Economic Integration, the speakers will touch on the various topics under the two sub-themes: (1) Energy and the Environment and (2) Economic Partnership and Integration.

Speakers who are present at the event include (in the order of speech):

  • M.R. Sukhumbhand Paribatra, Governor, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (Thailand)
  • Dr. Ngo Doan Vinh, President, Development Strategy Institute, Ministry of Planning and Investment (Vietnam)
  • Datuk Ir. Ahmad Fauzi bin Hasan, Chief Executive Officer, Energy Commission (Malaysia)
  • Dr. Ir. Djadjang Sukarna, Secretary of Directorate General, New, Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation (Indonesia)
  • H.E. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Yasuaki Tanizaki, Embassy of Japan in Vietnam (Japan)
  • Hon. Gregory L. Domingo, Secretary, Department of Trade and Industry (Philippines)
  • Datuk Dr. Rebecca Fatima Sta Maria, Secretary General, Ministry of International Trade and Industry (Malaysia)
  • Professor Yukiko Fukagawa, School of Political Science and Economics, Waseda University (Japan)
  • Mr. Tran Duc Minh, Former Vice Minister of Trade, Former Deputy Secretary General, ASEAN Secretariat (Vietnam)
  • Dr. Tran Dinh Thien, Director, Vietnam Institute of Economics (Vietnam)

Mr. Kiyoshi Kinugawa, Chief Executive for Asia, Hitachi, Ltd. and Chairman of Hitachi Asia Ltd. said, “It is amazing to see the passion and enthusiasm our regional leaders have in grooming the future generation. Their very presence at the 11th HYLI is a positive endorsement and empowers the team with the renewed energy to continue with our efforts.”

Senior representatives from Hitachi, Ltd. are also present at the event. They include:

  • Mr. Takashi KawamuraChairman of the Board, Hitachi, Ltd.
  • Mr. Toshiaki Kuzuoka, Senior Vice President and Executive Officer of Hitachi, Ltd.

Please refer to the Programme Agenda for more details.

SELECTING THE CREAM OF THE CROP

Since its inauguration in Singapore in 1996, HYLI has been successful in bringing the best and brightest students in Asia together. Each year, four outstanding students below the age of 28 are chosen to represent their country for the programme. These students come from seven Asian countries namely Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and Japan. For the 11th HYLI, a total of almost 250 applications were received from 37 universities in the region.

“We are happy to endorse the 11th Hitachi Young Leaders Initiative (HYLI) programme in Vietnam from January 9 to 13, 2012. The 11th HYLI will be a good opportunity for students to show their talents, knowledge and apply their good understanding of economical and societal issues which they learned in school during their discussions with prominent leaders, speakers and students from other countries in Asia,” said Mr. Tran Quang Quy, Vice Minister, Ministry of Education and Training, Vietnam.

All student applicants were put through a rigorous selection process based on their academic results, participation in extra-curricular activities, awards achieved, fluency in the English language and knowledge of current regional issues. A total of 28 students were selected to represent their countries for the event.

Ms. Nguyen Ngoc Quynh, selected student from the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam, said, “I am really thrilled to have been selected to participate in the 11th HYLI. I look forward to the opportunity to cooperate and share my point of view with representatives from the six other Asian countries on urgent issues affecting Asia.”

A FIRST AT THE 11TH HYLI

Apart from various forums and workshops designed to ensure students rich networking and learning opportunities, Hitachi has also specially organised an overnight field trip to Ha Long Bay. A first in HYLI’s history to arrange for an overnight expedition, Hitachi hopes this will enhance the students’ learning experience out of the conference venue.

At this UNESCO World Heritage Site, students will have the opportunity to marvel at the beautiful landscape and marine life. More importantly, students can learn about the conservation of such natural wonders amidst the various industrial, commercial and urban developments.

“We hope that this overnight expedition will bring a whole new learning experience to the students,” said Mr. Toshiaki Kuzuoka, Senior Vice President and Executive Officer of Hitachi, Ltd. “On this trip, we believe that the students will see how human and natural ecosystems can co-exist and develop interdependently to achieve sustainable economic development. And hopefully, they can gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of Vietnam’s heritage,” he added.

About Hitachi Young Leaders Initiative (HYLI)

Hitachi Young Leaders Initiative (HYLI) is a regional corporate social responsibility programme which aims to identify young Asian leaders by providing a platform for top students to discuss key issues and establish contacts with prominent regional opinion leaders from the private, public and academic sectors. Four of the best university students from each participating country are selected to represent their country at each HYLI. For more information, please visit at http://www.hitachi.com/society/global/hyli/

About Hitachi Asia Ltd.

Hitachi Asia Ltd., a subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd., established in Singapore in 1989, operates across six Asian countries (Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam). Business includes information systems, power and industrial systems, digital media systems, and international procurement. For more information about Hitachi Asia, please visit the website at https://www.hitachi.com.sg.

About Hitachi Ltd.

Hitachi, Ltd., (NYSE: HIT / TSE: 6501), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a leading global electronics company with approximately 360,000 employees worldwide. Fiscal 2010 (ended March 31, 2011) consolidated revenues totaled 9,315 billion yen ($112.2 billion). Hitachi will focus more than ever on the Social Innovation Business, which includes information and telecommunication systems, power systems, environmental, industrial and transportation systems, and social and urban systems, as well as the sophisticated materials and key devices that support them. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company’s website at http://www.hitachi.com.

Enquiry

Corporate Communications Group,
Hitachi Asia Ltd.

ccg@has.hitachi.com.sg