Chula Welcomes Participants of the Chula Global Youth Leadership Program 2026
On August 24, 2026, at Room 105 of the Maha Chulalongkorn Building, Prof. Dr. Wilert Puriwat, President of Chulalongkorn University, presided over the opening ceremony of the Chula Global Youth Leadership Program 2026 on SDGs, organized by Chulalongkorn University’s Office of International Affairs and Global Network.
A total of 31 students from 12 leading universities around the world participated in the inaugural program, held under the theme “Sustainability and Climate Resilience: Collaborative Learning through Coastal and Urban Experiences in Thailand.”
The one-week program aims to enhance students’ knowledge, skills, and perspectives; promote a deeper understanding of sustainability issues; and develop their analytical abilities to consider their own roles in addressing sustainability challenges.
Participants visited important cultural sites in Bangkok, including the Temple of the Emerald Buddha (Wat Phra Kaew) and Wat Arun Ratchawararam, as well as various locations within Chulalongkorn University and the Chulalongkorn University Museum. They also traveled to Samae San Island and Si Chang Island in Chon Buri Province to take part in lectures, workshops, field-based learning, community activities, and environmental learning activities. These activities were conducted in collaboration with Chulalongkorn University’s Aquatic Resources Research Institute, providing participants with opportunities to connect academic knowledge with real-world environmental and community contexts.
A key activity toward the end of the program is the Sustainability Challenge Hackathon. Participants are divided into four teams, with each team bringing together students from different academic disciplines and countries. They are challenged to apply the knowledge and experiences gained throughout the program to address sustainability issues affecting island ecosystems and communities.
Each team is required to develop a tangible output, which may take the form of a Policy Brief, Solution Prototype, Awareness Campaign, or Sustainability Roadmap, and present its proposed solution during the group presentation session.
The various activities throughout the program help strengthen participants’ skills in analyzing sustainability issues, intercultural communication, teamwork, and problem-solving.
David Zachary Cuthbert, a master’s student in Chemical Engineering at the University of Edinburgh, expressed his hope that “participating in this program will provide me with a deeper understanding of sustainability challenges and approaches to environmental restoration in very different cultural contexts. I also hope to exchange ideas and perspectives with other students from around the world.”
The program is organized by Chulalongkorn University’s Office of International Affairs and Global Network. The inaugural program brought together students from leading universities including National University of Singapore, The University of Hong Kong, Nanyang Technological University, Peking University, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, The University of New South Wales, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, The University of Edinburgh, The University of Tokyo, The University of Queensland, University of California, Los Angeles, and Chulalongkorn University.
