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ICANN Mentors Young Leaders in Asia Pacific

15 August 2019

SEOUL, Republic of Korea – 15 August 2019 – The Internet of tomorrow might well be influenced by 53 young people from the Asia Pacific region who are meeting this week to learn about a wide range of subjects relating to Internet governance.

They are attending the fourth Asia Pacific Internet Governance Academy (APIGA) now taking place in Seoul, South Korea from 12 – 16 August. The five-day academy is organized by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). APIGA aims to improve participants' understanding of how the Internet works, the "bottom-up consensus building" model of Internet governance, and how they can take part in shaping the evolution of the Internet for the next generation.

"Developing the leaders of tomorrow is critical to strengthening the diversity of the multistakeholder model of Internet governance," said Göran Marby, ICANN President and Chief Executive Officer. "Events such as APIGA are key to achieving this goal, and ensuring that today's students are equipped to shape the future of the Internet tomorrow."

APIGA has been successful in nurturing relationships with alumni that remain involved in the Internet governance ecosystem, including ICANN. Today, it is recognized as a premier platform in the Asia Pacific region for youth engagement on Internet governance issues.

Since its inaugural launch in 2016, 124 young adults have attended APIGA. Approximately 25 percent of these are currently active alumni, participating in ICANN Supporting Organizations, Advisory Committees, Working Groups; or joining Internet governance related groups like Internet Governance Forums (IGFs) and Internet Society (ISOC) Chapters.

APIGA is an extension of ICANN's youth engagement programs. They aim to reach out to the next generation and mentor future leaders. Other ICANN programs include:

  • NextGen@ICANN – held on the sidelines of ICANN Public Meetings, for youths interested in becoming active in their regional communities and in shaping the future of global Internet policies.
  • ICANN Fellowship – targeted at individuals from underserved and underrepresented communities to become active participants in ICANN.

APIGA is co-organized by ICANN and the Korea Internet and Security Agency (KISA), and supported by partners such as the Asia Pacific Network Information Center (APNIC), DotAsia, and the Internet Society (ISOC).

For more information about APIGA, please visit here.

About ICANN

ICANN's mission is to help ensure a stable, secure, and unified global Internet. To reach another person on the Internet, you have to type an address – a name or a number – into your computer or other device. That address must be unique, so computers know where to find each other. ICANN helps coordinate and support these unique identifiers across the world. ICANN was formed in 1998 as a not-for-profit public-benefit corporation and a community with participants from all over the world.