JAKARTA, 16 February 2012 - In line with the Cha-am Hua Hin Declaration on Strengthening Cooperation on Education to Achieve an ASEAN Caring and Sharing Community, the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC) is helping to encourage regional cooperation by offering scholarships in selected ASEAN universities for students wishing to study programs relating to business and technology. The scholarship application deadline is 31 May 2012.  For requirements and application procedure, please click here <http://www.asean.org/BAC/Letter-Vol.1_018_ASCC_EYTD_GEN_ASEAN-BAC.pdf>. The ASEAN-BAC Scholarship program aims to foster “ASEAN youths with ASEAN hearts", and is a way for the private sector of ASEAN to continually contribute towards the enhancement of “People-to-People Connectivity" (P2P). This initiative received full support of ASEAN Leaders when ASEAN-BAC presented it as a key recommendation during its annual dialogue session with the ASEAN Leaders on the sideline of the 19th ASEAN Leaders Summit in Bali, Indonesia.

As a start, ASEAN-BAC has agreed to work with Tan Tao University (TTU) in Viet Nam to offer scholarships for 50 students from throughout ASEAN Member States, worth up to USD 27,500 per student, in the 2012 and 2013 school year. It is hoped that this pilot project between ASEAN-BAC and TTU will spur other universities in the region to offer similar programs for students ASEAN-wide.