The experience of a lifetime!

What a week! It was a once in a lifetime experience to spend a week with such amazing people from all over the world. Thank you to the All China Youth Federation for organising such a productive and enjoyable week.

For those short for time, check out the video summary here https://goo.gl/tMrHqR

Before the Summit

In the month leading up to the summit, delegates were doing research and exchanging views on the summit key themes. These key themes were:

1. Poverty Elimination and Joint Development
2. Entrepreneurship and creative thinking
3. Social justice and equal opportunities
4. Green life and sustainability
5. Partnership and global governance

Each country was required to submit a 3000 word report summarising their countries position on the themes and policy recommendations. The organising committee then took all these reports and synthesised for common recommendations. These common recommendations were complied into one 3 page document that would serve as our draft communiqué. This is the starting point from which we would fine tune into a final communiqué at the Summit. In addition to writing our country reports, delegates exchanged opinions and ideas regarding the summit themes using the online forum.  

The Summit in pictures

Sunday

Icebreakers and introductions from summit organiser All China Youth Federation

Monday

Guided tour of the Temple of Heaven or Forbidden City

Meeting at Great Hall of the People with Vice President Li Yuanchao

Tuesday

 Visit to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs





Australian Delegate Samuel Keitaapaa asking a question to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials

High Speed Train to Shanghai (300km/hr!)

Welcome Banquet in Shanghai

Wednesday

 Official Opening Ceremony of Y20 at Fudan University

Round Table Discussions

There were separate, simultaneous round table discussions for each of the five summit themes.

Representing ‘Straya at the Poverty Elimination and Joint Development round table

River cruise around The Bund

Thursday

 More round table discussions

 The Poverty Elimination and Joint Development team

 Shanghai Circus  (think Cirque du Soleil on a grander scale!)

Meanwhile, Head Delegates were still at work consolidating 
the final communiqué… from 8pm until 8am!

Friday 

 Plenary Meeting

Read our final communiqué here https://goo.gl/LrtVPB

Tour of the Shanghai ‘Silicon Valley’ district and Shanghai Museum. Adell our fantastic Fudan University volunteer for the Australian delegation

Gourmet buffet dinner in the rotating restaurant at the top of the Pearl Tower

See-through floors – why not?!

Summit afterparty at rooftop bar

Another cool thing about the week was being constantly followed around by swarms of Chinese media. Check out some of the news stories on the y20 here http://on.china.cn/2aFJMaH and http://bit.ly/2aESoME

Wrapping up

Being a Global Voices delegate is probably the best thing I’ve done whilst being at university. I’ve learnt new skills (like having to do media interviews), been pushed (the academic research was very challenging for me), am now very interested in Australian policy and politics (prior, I couldn’t really care too much), have got to meet awesome people from all over Australia (and diverse academic backgrounds) and have had the honour to represent my country at an international event and contribute to the youth voice on contemporary economic issues.

I would like to thank Global Voices and the UNSW Coop Program for this opportunity. In particular thank you to Elizabeth Dymock and the rest of the Australian delegation - Sam Keitaapaa, Rachael Dymock and Jerome De Vera for being great friends and colleagues.

To future peoples - If you have the chance to apply for this opportunity make sure you do!

The whirlwind Canberra pre-departure briefing!

Timeline: April 9 – July 23

When I found out I was going to be part of the Y20 I was surprised and super stoked! There was a bit of time to celebrate, before Global Voices sent through a big document outlining what the jam packed agenda for the next 3 months would entail (including free Qantas frequent flyer membership – the perks!). It was hectic! Multiple research pieces to submit, Canberra briefings in less than a month, interviews with local papers and radio - I’ve got to admit I was a bit intimidated because of all the stuff I already had on but was still very excited at the same time! I categorise the events of the next 3 months into three areas: a) pre-departure briefings in Canberra, b) Research Fellowship and c) preparing for the Y20.
This blog post is all about part a):

Pre-departure briefings in Canberra: May 9 – Wednesday May 11

In the lead-up to Canberra, I was trying to do my best to fit in time to learn about Australian public policy strategy. Coming from a civil engineering background, this is not an area that I have learnt about through my uni degree and I didn’t want to be behind the eight ball. Canberra itself came so quickly – I finished an assignment at 1am and then eight hours later I was on a Qantaslink (thanks Qantas!) flight to the nation capital. This was very exciting for me as someone who’d never been to Canberra (I missed the classic year 6 trip everyone does :( ).

In total there were fourteen delegates (plus the Global Voices staff!) in attendance from across Australia studying a wide range of degrees from fashion through to electrical engineering, aviation and paramedics. Each of us was attending one of four conferences: ECOSOC, OECD, Y20 or NATO. Over three days we had the opportunity to meet with Australian Government experts in economics, trade and foreign policy. We also participated in question and answer sessions with relevant think-tanks and strategic policy institutes. Normally delegates get to meet with more politicians but given our visit coincided with the timing of the double dissolution election all the politicians were out of town. This meant that we got to spend more time with the people who likely have the most influence on Australia’s policies – the public servants themselves.

On Monday, I jumped straight off the flight and into a taxi and immediately into a tasty welcome lunch with the entire Global Voices team, including the Board of Directors and other delegates (right). Chris Pearce, the Chair of Global Voices gave an inspiring speech that outlined what we had in store for ourselves over the next three days. From there, we went into a meeting with the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. ASPI is one of the most authoritative contributors to strategic policy and defence issues in Australia. A lot was covered in the one hour meeting but the most interesting takeaways for me were related to the discussion on the economic benefits of the European refugee crisis. From there, we had a bit of free time so a few of us delegates made the 15 minute walk from the apartment over to Parliament House to take photos at sunset. The entire group reconvened for a debrief session with the Global Voices staff (where we got our own GV business cards) before a nice relaxed dinner at a local restaurant. This was a great time to start to get to know the other Y20 delegates – Rachel from Central Queensland Uni, Samuel from Charles Darwin Uni and Jerome from Uni of South Australia. We all stuck together closely over the three days.

Y20 team hard at work

Tuesday morning started in the best possible way – with a terrific all you can eat buffet breakfast (<3) followed by splitting into separate delegations and drafting each other’s research reports.

Our first meeting with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade focused on insights from DFAT staff on what the Y20 and OECD forums were likely to be like and some tips on how to get the most out of the experience. 

This was followed by another DFAT meeting with the public servants who played a major part in the formation of Australia’s emission reduction targets. They shared information about the behind the scenes domestic and international diplomatic forces that shaped the targets, both in the lead up to and during the 2015 Paris conference. From here, we were lucky enough to have a meeting at the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet with Australia’s Head G20 Sherpa (the top person who shapes Australia’s position on the G20 agenda) David Gruen. He gave us privileged access to Australia’s priority outcomes from the G20, and the process that the G20 strategy team goes through in preparing for the G20.

Just when you thought things couldn’t get better, in the afternoon we were treated to a private access all areas tour of Parliament House with Chris Pearce. Tuesday was capped off with a networking dinner with Global Voices alumni and a very impressive address from the Acting Vice Chief of the Defence Force. Amongst a wide variety of discussion points, he gave us insights into advanced future military technology, Australia’s position on tensions in the South China Sea, and making changes to workplace culture towards women in the Defence Force. My mind was blown by the privileged access to high profile people that the Global Voices team have. Here I was just having a casual beer with the Acting Vice Chief of the Defence Force!?

Global Voices Semester 1 delegations with
the Governor General and Lady Cosgrove

Our final day Wednesday started with a morning tea at Government House with their Excellencies the Governor General and Lady Cosgrove. Their Excellencies were very down to earth to talk with and Government House is like something out of another age!

From Government House, we headed over the US embassy for a question and answer session with Matt Murray. We discussed a broad range of Australian – United States diplomatic issues. Our final session for the incredible three days we’d had was a media training and Q&A with Global Voices staffer Amelia Rhodes to prepare us all to be able to pitch our research to journals and news outlets in the lead up to our delegations. Then homeward bound! The Canberra experience was incredible, a completely different world for me.

Co-op Global Policy Scholarship 2016

Sam Johnson, Civil Engineering Co-op scholar
Y20 Delegate

This blog series covers a whole load of topics associated with my Global Voices experience. It has been written specifically with the purpose to be a comprehensive guide for potential future applicants so that you know what is involved in the experience and to be able to put forward the best possible application. This entry (Part 1) focuses on the application and interview process. I go through in detail what the key criteria for assessment are and the approach that I took. Part 2 moves into a recount of what is involved in the time period from acceptance through to the actual overseas delegation itself including discussion about the Research Fellowship, pre-departure briefings in Canberra and the preparation process for the delegation. Part 3 is the most exciting – this will be about the delegation in China itself; all the awesome experiences that we have there! Finally, Part 4 will wrap it all up with a reflection on the entire Global Voices experience and some learnings and tips to pass on to future delegates! In short, the Co-op Global Voices experience is a once in a lifetime opportunity – the best of its kind. You would be mad to not apply! I hope you get something out of this blog series :D

Part 1: Y20 China - The Application

The Global Voices youth delegations were an opportunity that I had had my eye on for a while. In 2014 I first came across their website and saw the experiences that they offered and thought how great it would be to get to do that! Students heading off to conferences like the World Bank annual meetings, the Youth Summit of the Y20, UNESCO – unparalleled opportunities! I was thrilled when the Coop Program came on board as a sponsor of Global Voices in 2015 and sent its first delegate Laura Sacks to the Turkey 2015 Y20 in Semester 1 and I followed her experience closely (see her blog here). When it came round to 2016 and I was eligible to apply, I was super keen to put in my application. Co-op was sending one delegate to join four others from universities around Australia to attend the G20 Youth Summit (Y20) in Shanghai in July. 

Me: 

But before I get into the application process details, some important to clarify: 

a) who is Global Voices,

b) what is the Y20 and 

c) what does the Co-op Global Voices experience actually involve?

Global Voices

Global Voices is a unique organisation that exists to make a difference in the world by providing young Australians the opportunity to attend prestigious international events and engage with foreign policy abroad. Global Voices is based in Melbourne and consists of a part-time team of six young professionals and a Board of Directors, chaired by The Honourable Chris Pearce, former Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer and Shadow Minister for Financial Services, Superannuation and Corporate Law. Global Voices selects, prepares and coordinates delegations of Australia’s future leaders to a variety of major international events. They also run a domestic events program designed to bring Australia’s future leaders face-to-face with key international decision-makers.

To further build the global policy credentials of Co-op scholars, the Co-op Program initiated a partnership with Global Voices in 2015. The Co-op Program now offers 2 fully funded Global Policy Scholarships per year, for final year Co-op scholars, to join Global Voices organised programs to some a of the World’s most significant policy events.

What is Y20

The Youth 20 (Y20) is a youth summit that brings together young people from the G20 countries to discuss issues closely related to the topics of the G20 Leaders’ Summit. The G20 Summit is the premier economic summit to connect the 20 leading industrial and developing economies to discuss key issues affecting the global economy. It was originally formed in 2008 to deal with the immediate issue of the Global Financial Crisis, and has since morphed to serve broader purposes. The theme and focus of this year’s conference is ‘Innovation and Partnership for an Inclusive World.’ Delegates collaboratively decide the topics that will be addressed, selecting priority policy recommendations and drafting the outcome document of the Summit. The major result of the Summit will be adoption of the Final Communiqué, which will be presented to the G20 leaders in September 2016.

What the opportunity involved

In a nutshell, the Global Voices experience involves three parts; a) the Research Fellowship (very important – lots of work!), b) the Canberra pre-departure briefings (3 jam packed days in May) and c) the international summit itself (this one is about a week in winter uni break, extremely jam packed!). It’s a 5 hours a week + commitment from April – August.

Submitting an application

The application had two components, a) a Statement of Intent and b) a Research Proposal. The Global Voices (GV) team and Coop Program were fantastic in organising a useful Google Hangout with GV CEO Amy Coetzee and Coop GV alumni Laura Sacks who gave us tips and tricks and answered questions. 

Check out the attachment here for a breakdown of my application

Interview

About a week after submitting the application I got a phone interview from the Y20 Head Delegate from Global Voices Elizabeth Dymock. Elizabeth is super friendly and we had a 20 minute chat, just going a bit deeper into the responses given in the Statement of Intent and my plans for the research proposal. About two weeks later, Global Voices got back to me and let me know the good news! Kudos to Global Voices – can’t believe how quickly they get stuff done! I was stoked with the great news!

Tune in for Part 2 of the blog that details what the Global Voices experience had in store for me from April to July – including a trip to Canberra, writing a professional research report and more!