Apply for STEAR Annual Virtual Conference: The Future of Asia-Europe Relations in the Post Covid-19 World. STEAR will organize its first Annual Conference on 6 and 7 November 2021. It is inviting students and young professionals from around the world to an incredible experience, sharing your thoughts and visions about the future of international relations with other engaged youth from all across the world.

The Student Think Tank for Europe-Asia Relations (STEAR) aims to strengthen relations and deepen cultural ties between the two billion people living across Europe and Asia. It carries the vision to serve as the first and leading policy institute for students and young professionals in Europe and Asia, to provide a bridge between the two continents, and to strengthen multilateral cooperation and international prosperity. STEAR’s mission is based on three foundations: non-partisan policy publications; cultural exchanges; and events.

Main Activities

• The Pre-Conference Training Workshops will provide a capacity-building experience for our conference participants, conveying necessary soft skills and sharing the knowledge required to complete research on comparative foreign policy. These lectures, seminars, and workshops will combine inputs from STEAR members as well as guest lecturers, researchers, diplomats, and UN professionals from around the globe. Dates of the workshops: 12 September, 2 October, and 16 October.
• The workshops will conclude with a Policy-Writing Competition, for which participants will form international teams of up to five people, collaborating on tackling the topic: How do we fight growing economic disparity through multilateral cooperation?. Teams will be decided based on participants’ backgrounds, interests, and academic expertise by the STEAR conference team. In addition, each team will have one moderator who answers questions and offers advice throughout the pre-conference preparation process. Each team will present their ideas at the conference; and will get the chance to discuss it with a leading international diplomat.
• And there is more! The top three teams will be announced during the closing ceremony, and they will win an amazing price!
• The conference itself will consist of two Keynote Speeches and four Panels and will engage world-class politicians, diplomats, and business leaders. Two of our panels will focus on giving youth leaders and activists the stage. In line with our organizational values, one of our panels will be on cultural exchange. Learn more about the detailed conference program (including speakers and panels) here!
• Additionally, there will be Networking Sessions in order to maximize the value of this online conference. We will set the tone for this with an interactive launch event and will ensure that we take every opportunity to host networking events between sessions. The pre-conference sessions will also allow us to begin this process far before the conference itself, getting young people talking about key issues.
• What would a think tank be without Policy Presentations and Policy Publications? From opportunities to present recently published STEAR journal articles to crowning the winners of the pre-conference policy competition, It will make the STEAR conference a place where policy knowledge, policy writing, and cultural interests converge. To this end, we invite young people to take the stage and share their expertise with us.
• Following the conference, we will launch an ambitious Post-Conference Programme: First, our post-Conference publication will include a collection of policy proposals and recommendations as outcomes from the conference. Second, we will announce the launch of our first physical STEAR Chapter! This will, once the pandemic allows, act as a base for us to connect with local schools and educational institutes to ensure that STEAR’s capacity-building mission remains just as relevant as its cultural and political goals.

Key Information

• Title: The Future of Asia-Europe Relations in the Post Covid-19 World
• Date: November 6 – 7, 2021
• Participants: 40 students and young professionals (18-30 years old)
• Location: Zoom
• Fees: None

Timeline

Here’s the timeline for STEAR Annual Virtual Conference 2021

• 1 August: Applications open
• 31 August: Applications close
• 12 September: Application results published
• 18 September – 16 October: Pre-conference policy-making workshops
• 6 – 7 November: Virtual conference
• November – December: Post-conference activities
• January: Collection of the delegates’ policy recommendations published

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