USM PENANG, 6 Aug 2022 – Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) recently joined efforts with the Penang Youth Development Corporation (PYDC), Han Chiang University College of Communication (HCUC), INTI International College Penang, Batu Lanchang Vocational College (BLVC) and Big Domain to organise the 2nd International Youth Conference 2022 (IYC 2022), themed ‘Better Mental Health and Well-Being for Youth’.

The conference is scheduled to take place on 17 December 2022 at USM, with the aim to explore and build mutually beneficial cooperation between industries and higher academic institutions, especially in matters relating to research and projects focusing on the mental health and well-being of youth.

The objective of IYC 2022 is to provide a platform for youngsters from multiple backgrounds, such as young researchers, professionals, scholars, academicians, and university students from various tertiary institutions to share their knowledge, opinions and new ideas while discussing on current development relating to the conference theme.

USM School of Management Dean, Professor Dr. Noor Hazlina Ahmad said that IYC 2022 is a dynamic youth engagement platform for young people to understand the importance of good mental health.

“With IYC 2022, our youth will be recharged with positive energy and momentum.

“IYC can be a potential means for engaging our youth, bringing benefits not only to the youth themselves but also to the community, which gains through the energy, ideas and values that our youth can contribute,” she said in a specially arranged press conference held here on 5 July 2022.

Noor Hazlina hoped that IYC 2022 will be a successful conference that will bring the youth together from diverse backgrounds and geographical locations to express their feelings about significant issues, talk with other youth about their experiences and allow the exchange of ideas and information to benefit the youth and the community.

Meanwhile PYDC General Manager, Dr. Gwee Sai Ling in her speech said, “I believe IYC 2022 can be an arena for exchange and sharing of insights, information and creative approaches among the youths, as this allows for the emergence of different points of view coming from participants of diverse backgrounds.”

“I believe that we will be able to learn and get new ideas from the papers that will be presented,” she said.

Sai Ling further said that interested participants are required to submit their original works to the organisers according to the theme and participants are required to be fully prepared to present their work at the conference.

“All submissions will be evaluated in terms of their relevance and originality,” she added.

Also present were USM School of Management Associate Professor, Dr. Daisy Kee Mui Hung; Han Chiang University College of Communication Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Beh Kok Hooi; Dean, School of Business and Management, Han Chiang University College of Communication; Director of Student Experience, INTI International College, Damian Lee; representative from SENTRAL College Penang, Tan Peng Hooi; Head of Unit, Industrial Liaison and Training, Batu Lanchang Vocational College, Oh Zi Jian and Big Domain representative, Henry.

The conference is open to Malaysians and non-Malaysians between the age of 15 to 35, and Malaysian local and international students get to participate for free, while Malaysians who are non-students will be charged RM40 and a fee of US$10 will be charged to foreign participants.

For more details about the conference, interested participants can register and visit www.pydc.com.my/iyc2022 or the official Facebook page of PYDC, https://www.facebook.com/pydc.my from 5 July to 25 November 2022.

Text: Nur Farrah Ezlin Mohd Suhaimi