A 12-person committee has been formed to select members of a youth advisory group that will advise the government on issues relevant to young people in Taiwan, the Executive Yuan announced today. Spokesperson Sun Lih-chyun said the diverse make-up of the committee—six representatives from the private sector and six from the government—will help make the selection process fairer.
The private-sector representatives include Sophia Tong, chief executive officer of Test Rite Group; Chu Ping, founder of the Canmeng, Canbran and Canlove salon products and restaurant group; Tom Wang, founder of Dream School; Zoe Ni, radio and television program host; Lin Yi-ying, chief executive officer of Hondao Senior Citizen's Welfare Foundation; and Yeh Ping-cheng, associate professor of electrical engineering at National Taiwan University. They will be joined by Minister of Education Chiang Wei-ling, Minister of Transportation and Communications Yeh Kuang-shih, Mainland Affairs Council Minister Wang Yu-chi, ministers without portfolio Feng Yen and Tsai Yu-ling, as well as Executive Yuan Spokesperson Sun.
Applications for the youth advisory group will be accepted until June 17 based on self-recommendation or recommendation by others. Applicants must submit an essay of under 1,000 words describing their education and work backgrounds and explaining their objectives for joining the advisory group. Also required is a video of three minutes or less expressing the applicant's views on current policies or youth issues. The selection committee will review the essay and video submissions and put together a youth advisory group that fairly represents the genders and the different sectors.
Applications are open to young people who are interested in public affairs, have leadership experience, previously volunteered at nonprofit organizations, have organized public affairs discussions on social networking websites, or have held public forums. (Registration website: http://www.ey.gov.tw/yadvise/.)
Once received, applications will be screened by the Ministry of Education for eligibility before being reviewed by the committee. The review will be based on the candidates' policy views and purposes for joining the advisory group. The final name list will be submitted to the premier for official appointment.
The advisory group is set to meet once every three months and will hold smaller group meetings if needed. Ministers, scholars and experts from related fields will be invited to these gatherings so as to bring the views and opinions of young people directly back to government agencies.