By Leow Si Wan

THE European Union (EU) wants to reach out to youth here, and working with students at Tampines Junior College (TPJC) is its first step towards forming this relationship.

A group of 12 TPJC students - who had met policy officers of the European Commission in Brussels during the December holidays - is preparing for a forum to be held at the school in May.

At the event, they will present research on how the EU has tackled three issues - liveable urban spaces, water security and human trafficking - and propose ways how South-east Asian countries can adopt these solutions.

So far, representatives from the EU delegation to Singapore and the German Embassy here have confirmed their attendance. The school is also inviting MPs and academics to the event.

Head of the EU delegation to Singapore, Ambassador Holger Standertskjold, said: 'This project with TPJC is the first of a series of projects we have in mind...We are looking at working with other schools if they are keen to do a similar programme.'

He said the EU is facilitating such activities to provide students with knowledge of the EU, increase awareness of its importance to Singapore and the region, and promote Europe as an alternative destination for higher education.

During the trip to Brussels, the students visited EU institutions and attended lectures on topics ranging from fund distribution to climate change. They also went through a home-stay programme in neighbouring Germany to find out more about the way of life there.

While the EU provided a stipend for the students' stay in Brussels, the school subsidised most of the trip, which cost more than $2,000 for each student.

Said TPJC principal Helen Choo: 'When I found out the EU was keen on reaching out to youths in schools here, we decided to approach it with the idea of getting students to visit the EU and a member state and to do presentations.'

She hopes that beyond developing communication skills and friendships, students will acquire a deeper understanding and appreciation of what the EU is and widen their horizons.

She added: 'We are also working on getting the Asean Secretariat in Jakarta to visit the school for the students to present their proposals.'

Meanwhile, the students involved in the project are excited about the opportunity to present their ideas in May.

Said Darrell Ong, 18: 'We are very busy now because we have to juggle both studies and the forum, but it is a rare opportunity to have all these important people making time to listen to us.

'I didn't expect such a big programme to be available at TPJC and it will definitely make my two years here very memorable.'

Next >>