Ivan, who is currently on exchange in Hong Kong, was identified by the organisation as “an exceptional young leader, committed to academic and professional excellence”.Organisers of the International Youth Leadership Conference were so impressed by Strathclyde Business School student Ivan Petkov’s participation in their Dubai event that they invited him to participate at their Kuala Lumpur event.
Ivan, who is currently on exchange in Hong Kong, was identified by the organisation as “an exceptional young leader, committed to academic and professional excellence”.
The IYLC Malaysia is a week-long youth forum that provides an international platform to young leaders from different cultural backgrounds. “Being a participant enabled me to travel to Malaysia and experience its rich culture while I practised my leadership skills though intense debating, delivering speeches, drafting resolutions, making executive decisions on relevant issues and participating in various other activities.
“Because of my previous experience from the simulations in Dubai, I was chosen to chair the simulation of the ASEAN summit which is an annual meeting held by the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in relation to economic, and cultural development of Southeast Asian countries. It was a profound experience which required all the knowledge I had gained during the International Business class in my second year.
“In the last two days we had a simulation of the International Criminal Court where we reviewed a case of bribery among the highest political ranks and, last but not least, we had a mock-up of the APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation) summit, a forum for 21 Pacific Rim member economies that seeks to promote free trade and economic cooperation throughout the Asia-Pacific region. The last summit was held in the Ministry of Sports and Youth of Malaysia.”
It wasn’t all work for Ivan though – in Dubai he enjoyed a desert safari and had a cultural day at the Sheikh Muhammad Center for Cultural Understanding as well as a tour of the Al-Fahidi Mosque. In Kuala Lumpur, his itinerary included a visit to the Ministry of Unity, which was followed by a tour of the Iron Mosque, the Buddhist Temple and the Bangsar SAI Center, an interfaith centre which promotes uniformity and understanding among all religions, as well as visits to the Batu Caves and the Senul Gurdwara temple.
Ivan added, “As a proactive student, I’m always looking for different opportunities to get more out of my studies and improve myself, and I was delighted to be involved in both these events.”