Junior high school students participate in Hyundai New Thinkers Summit

TO INSPIRE and train student participants to become future leaders and innovators in the field of science and technology, the Hyundai New Thinkers Summit was launched recently with the theme “The Power of Youthinking: Youthink. Youtalk. Youtransform” through the HARI Foundation Inc. (HFI), the corporate social responsibility arm of Hyundai Asia Resources Inc. (HARI), and the Department of Science and Technology-Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI).

Designed to be a premier local leadership and learning convention where outstanding high school students interact with industry experts and idea generators of the country, the Hyundai New Thinkers Summit is for its pilot year invited 80 third year high school students from 40 public high schools in Metro Manila and Regions III and IV to engage in activities and dialogue on innovation and climate science.

HARI Foundation Inc. president Ma. Fe Perez-Agudo and Science and Technology Undersecretary Fortunato T. Dela Peña graced the event’s opening ceremony to welcome the New Thinkers.

Dr. Aletta Yñiguez of the University of the Philippines-Marine Science Institute (UP-MSI) and Dr. Carlos Primo “CP” David of the University of the Philippines-National Institute of Geological Sciences (UP-NIGS) tackled pressing issues on climate change during the Climate Science session.

ABS-CBN chief digital officer Donald Lim and Ideaspace founder Earl Martin Valencia shared about the New Thinker’s role as members of the “i-Generation” in the Youthink session.

Speakers in the Youtransform session—Synergeia Foundation president and CEO Milwida Guevarra and Mano Amiga Pilipinas founder Eleanor Pinugu—inspired the New Thinkers to be part of the change through bayanihan.

Columnist and entrepreneur RJ Ledesma and Lloydluna Communications CEO Lloyd Luna, meanwhile, empowered the New Thinkers to shift the paradigm of leadership during the Youtalk session. Rogel Mari Sese, key person of the Philippine Space Science Program, talked about the World Space Week Program which is conducted annually by DOST-SEI, now with the Hyundai New Thinkers Summit as the opening activity.

Climate Science is about climate change. Youthink addresses the “i-Generation” or the new breed of young techies or digital natives. Youtalk, on the other hand, tackles “Leadershift,” or the ability of the youth to take on leadership roles in society. And Youtransform focuses on “Kin+Ethics,” or youth-inspired advocacy and campaigns for nation-building.

The New Thinkers actively engaged in the plenary sessions and activities including a T-shirt designing activity dubbed Youshout where they expressed themselves as New Thinkers.

HARI, through its CSR arm, HFI, commits to localizing Hyundai Motor Company’s (HMC) global bid to promote a lifestyle of authentic caring and sharing. HFI aims to be an upstanding agent of change to empower Filipinos to lead productive and responsible lives and to contribute its share in building a strong and proud Filipino nation.

This will be realized through HFI’s mission of spearheading relevant, creative, and results-oriented social, economic, and environmental programs to effect positive societal change, engaging and inspiring its stakeholders, industry partners, and the local communities to work together towards sustainable nation building.

HARI Foundation Inc.’s partner in the News Thinkers Summit initiative, the DOST-SEI, is one of the service institutions of the DOST which is engaged in providing scholarships, awards, and grants and developing, implementing, and supporting programs to promote science and technology culture. The goal is to create a pool of scientists and engineers for the country.

SEI plays a critical role in the development of innovative ways to teach and learn science and technology to improve the quality of science education in Philippine schools.