SINGAPORE — A new programme offering tertiary students funding for immersion trips to China, India and countries in South-east Asia to learn more about “thriving Asia” was unveiled in Parliament on Friday (March 6).

Students aged between 15 and 35 can apply for the trips under the new Asia-Ready Exposure Programme (AEP), Ms Grace Fu, who heads the Ministry for Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) said.

The AEP is a tie-up between the National Youth Council (NYC) and the higher learning institutes, Ms Fu told Parliament. It is the latest addition to an array of programmes offering regional exposure to youth, she said.

She added: “In an age where Asia’s economy is growing in significance, our youths need to understand regional markets to thrive in the future economy.”

Students enrolled at institutes of higher learning, polytechnics and autonomous universities, are eligible for the AEP funding. MCCY is still working out the amount of funding it will provide.

It added that an AEP immersion could range from four days to four weeks and will include interactions with people in the country and learning journeys to companies and organisations in varying industries, MCCY said on Thursday.

This will allow students to better understand the country’s economy and socio-cultural context.

The AEP will contribute to the “70-70” target for students announced by Deputy Prime Minister Minister Heng Swee Keat in his Budget statement last month, which aims to cultivate a deeper understanding of regional economics and geopolitics among students. The goal is for 70 per cent of tertiary students to take part in overseas exposure programmes, and for 70 per cent of them to do so in selected Asian destinations.

Education minister Ong Ye Kung said on Wednesday that opportunities for students enrolled in institutes of higher learning, the universities and polytechnics to gain exposure overseas will be increased in time to come.

These opportunities will come in the form of academic exchange programmes, overseas immersion programmes, internship placements and service learning trips, particularly to China, India and Asean.

The Ministry of Education said that one in two university and polytechnic students take part in such programmes currently.

NYC will also partner the higher learning institutes to curate programmes to best meet their learning objectives, said the MCCY.

NYC’s existing regional programmes for youth, which include the Youth Expedition Project and Youth Expedition Project plus — an enhanced version of the overseas service-learning programme — currently provides about 5,000 youths a year with the opportunity to experience the region.

With the addition of the AEP, the number is expected to double, up to 10,000 annually by 2022.

CLARIFICATION: An earlier version of this story said that the AEP would be fully-funded by MCCY. MCCY has clarified that it is still working out the amount of funding it will provide.