The population of young people has reached 1.8 billion, accounting for 25 per cent of today’s global labor force. It is therefore critical that their voices are heard. How the next generation thinks, learns and acts will determine not only their own future, but also the future of the whole world.

On 11 May, at the Development Policy Seminar on Frontier and Emerging Issues organized by UN DESA Economic Analysis and Policy Division (EAPD), students from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs presented their policy recommendations on how to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Asia.

The Seminar was part of the final presentation of the class titled “Achieving Sustainable Development Goals in Asia,” taught by Professor Jin Sato. In Asia, population growth and environmental problems bring specific challenges to sustainable development. The class aims at addressing the main dilemmas Asian countries face, as well as generating solutions feasible to the real world.

“We should have real clients to solve real problems. It is great that my students go out of the classroom and get educated in the real world,” said Mr. Sato.

After a whole semester’s study, the future policy experts presented their ideas on how the UN, the world’s most influential intergovernmental organization, can better support sustainable development in Asia.

The presentations covered topics such as: supporting vulnerable populations, in particular, empowering women and educating men to achieve gender equality in Asian countries, where the tradition of male-dominance is deep-rooted; stimulating economic growth in Asia; using infrastructure aid as a way to boost both the economy and collaboration of countries; and ensuring efficient monitoring of the SDGs.

After the presentation, students received feedback on each project from Hamidur Rashid, Chief of the Development Research Branch of EAPD and from other participants. There was also a spirited question and answer session where the students were able to provide more insights and implications of their research.

Not only students benefited from the real-world experiences, the UN also took the chance to reach out to the young generation. Before the Seminar, Marcelo LaFleur, Economic Affairs Officer of EAPD, gave a lecture to this class at Woodrow Wilson School about the work of the UN, in order to help the students prepare for this client-oriented presentation.

He recalled the lecture as an opportunity to break the stereotype that the UN is a large and monolithic organization. This helped the young professionals get an idea of how the UN system works and what it will take to achieve the SDGs.

“It is important that we know how our future leaders think. The UN cannot achieve the SDGs solely by itself. We need all parts of the society to work together, and academia is definitely an important partner,” Mr. LaFleur said.