Key Takeaways
- Leadership Beyond the Fellowship Cycle
The ReUnion Meet reaffirmed that AJYELN’s leadership development does not end with the fellowship year but continues through sustained engagement, collective learning, and long-term collaboration among fellows and alumni.
- Strong Readiness for an Alumni-Driven Network
Alumni demonstrated high willingness to actively build the AJYELN Alumni Network through mentorship, operational roles, partnership facilitation, and knowledge sharing across ASEAN and Japan.
- Clear Need for Institutional and Infrastructural Support
Participants clearly articulated the importance of communication platforms, institutional credibility, seed funding, and capacity-building mechanisms to ensure the Alumni Network’s sustainability and effectiveness.
- Growing Momentum for Cross-Border Environmental Action
Country teams showcased impactful, diverse projects addressing marine plastic, waste management, AI-based monitoring, and community engagement, reflecting AJYELN’s ability to translate youth leadership into tangible regional environmental action.
- High Enthusiasm for Continued Engagement and Future Gatherings
Strong positive feedback and calls for more frequent interaction underscored participants’ desire for deeper, more regular engagement within the AJYELN community beyond formal programme activities.
Overview
Last December 13, about 60 current and former fellows (alumni) of the AJYELN program convened online to launch the first-ever AJYELN ReUnion Meet. With the theme “Bonds Beyond the Year”, the gathering marked a significant milestone in the evolution of the ASEAN-Japan Youth Environmental Leaders Network (AJYELN), bringing together current fellows and alumni from across ASEAN and Japan in a shared space for reflection, reconnection, and future-oriented collaboration. After three years of programme implementation, AJYELN has grown into a vibrant regional community of more than 100 youth leaders committed to advancing environmental sustainability, social responsibility, and cross-border cooperation.
Alumni speakers illustrated how AJYELN shaped their leadership trajectories, confidence, networks, and sustained commitment to environmental advocacy, inspiring current fellows to pursue long-term impact. Fellows presented diverse projects including marine plastic reduction (Vietnam, Japan), AI and satellite-based monitoring (Thailand), community-based waste management (Indonesia, Laos, Cambodia), inclusive upcycling (Myanmar), and large-scale public engagement (Malaysia, Brunei, Philippines, Singapore), demonstrating AJYELN’s broad thematic and geographic impact.
The Alumni Network was also formally introduced as a platform for long-term collaboration. The vision, structure, and future direction of the network were shared, laying the foundation for a long-term regional ecosystem of youth environmental leaders. Through breakout discussions, participants collectively defined strategic pillars—Support, Contribution, Activities, and Membership—providing a concrete and actionable roadmap for network development.
In her welcome remarks, Dr. Katrina Navallo emphasized the growth of AJYELN from an initial concept into a vibrant regional community of 103 young leaders across ASEAN and Japan, highlighting the significance of bringing together past and current fellows for the first time in a shared space. She underscored that the AJYELN ReUnion Meet 2025 represents a critical step toward sustaining engagement beyond individual fellowship cycles through the soft launch of the AJYELN Alumni Network, envisioned as a long-term ecosystem of mutual learning and collaboration. Framed by the Japanese bōnenkai (year-end) tradition of reflection and renewal, she encouraged participants to reconnect, imagine future pathways together, and continue advancing collective impact toward a more sustainable, peaceful, and resilient region, while also acknowledging the vital role of mentors in shaping the leadership journeys of AJYELN fellows.
Journey of Impact Beyond the Fellowship: AJYELN Alumni Share Their Journeys post-AJYELN
Ms. Jana Hupp (AJYELN 2024 Fellow, Philippines)
Participation in AJYELN profoundly shaped Jana Hupp’s personal development by strengthening her identity as a community organizer and sustainability advocate, equipping her with practical know-how such as logistics, planning, navigating bureaucracy, and mobilizing people around environmental causes. Through founding and leading the SEAlayan Network, she deepened her advocacy by integrating environmental action with social justice using an intersectional lens that links environmental degradation with labor rights, inequality, and youth justice. Post-fellowship, Jana is accepted to study at Harvard University but still continuing her pathway by organizing remotely. She even secured USD 4,000 in community service grants and conducted climate awareness survey, demonstrating sustained leadership beyond the program. The fellowship significantly expanded her confidence and networks, as reflected in multi-country project reach and partnerships, reinforcing her long-term commitment to environmental leadership. Her implicit advice to current fellows is to build strong, tightly bound communities—symbolized by the “sturdy broom”—and to dare boldly beyond comfort zones, sustaining passion through collective strength and continuous organizing.
Ms. Aina Zulaikha Azmil (AJYELN 2024 Fellow, Malaysia)
Aina Zulaikha Azmil’s AJYELN experience shaped her personal development by empowering her to bridge environmental sustainability with social advocacy, reinforcing her identity as both a science student and a youth leader. Her advocacy deepened through hands-on activities such as removing 173 kg of waste, organizing marine pollution campaigns, and launching environmental podcasts, translating awareness into community-level impact. Post-fellowship, her pathway expanded into regional leadership as she was appointed ASEAN Youth Organization Ambassador for Malaysia (2025), signaling a transition from local activism to regional influence. The fellowship strengthened her confidence, networks, and long-term environmental commitment by connecting her with youth across 28 institutions globally and positioning her within ASEAN-level initiatives. Her advice to current fellows is clearly articulated in “Trust the Process,” encouraging them to value project management skills and persist regardless of career paths, while embracing the “AND mindset”—pursuing academic excellence and community leadership simultaneously.
The current AJYELN fellows also presented on their project updates, which will be featured in an upcoming environmental youth forum in the Philippines in March 2026.
Launch of the AJYELN Alumni Network
The AJYELN Alumni Network was also launched, and alumni members were asked for insights and suggestions on how to strengthen the network and identify their needs as environmental advocates that the network can support even after their stint as AJYELN fellows. Members requested stronger communication infrastructure, institutional credibility, financial and resource support, and ongoing capacity building from the AJYELN program. In return, alumni are prepared to contribute through mentorship, operational roles, partnerships, and knowledge sharing. Proposed inaugural activities for the alumni network in 2026 include individual project showcases, skill-sharing, collaborative cross-border initiatives, and country-led projects. Other suggested incentives include an ambassador program, active and hands-on engagement, and enhanced visibility through advocacy, testimonials, and outreach to schools and youth communities.
Overall, the alumni demonstrated strong network ownership and provided a concrete, action-oriented roadmap for establishing a sustainable, inclusive, and impactful AJYELN Alumni Network, reinforced by positive participant feedback on the program’s inspirational and collaborative nature.
