The Singapore-China Young Business Ambassadors (YBA) program marked a decade of business and cultural exchange between the two countries with the launch of a commemorative book Monday.

The book, A Decade of Exchanges, A Lifetime of Friendships, features personal essays and anecdotes from 17 Chinese and 15 Singaporean YBA alumni. Their stories offer insights into the significance of the program.

Young professionals from 50 host organizations have participated in the program. The host organizations include state entities and companies from industries such as finance, telecommunications, education, hospitality and the arts. The YBA sets up young professionals with positions in the same industry in the other country, where they work for 11 weeks.

Over its 10-year life, the YBA has created a close-knit network of 90 alumni - 43 Singaporeans and 47 Chinese. About 30 alumni, including participants from all 10 years, showed up at the anniversary celebration Monday at the Jin Jiang Tower's ballroom.

The YBA is run by the Singapore International Foundation (SIF) in conjunction with the Shanghai People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (SPAFFC) and the Shanghai Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs (SAFEA).

One essay "My YBA Experience" is by Zhou Ji, who works in finance and joined the YBA program in 2010 at Singapore's DBS Bank. He was appointed the SIF representative responsible for furthering YBA alumni engagement in the city and fostering friendship between the Singaporean and Chinese communities.

"As two global cities, Singapore and Shanghai have much in common and share great potential for mutual cooperation," Zhou wrote. "The Singapore-China YBA program plays an important role in promoting the exchange of young business professionals as a platform for boundless partnership opportunities."

He added that YBAs in Shanghai would sometimes gather and talk about their experiences in Singapore. "We all felt that the Singapore stint gave us insights into the international scene and helped to further our careers," Zhou said.

His sentiment was echoed by YBA 2014 participant Hu Qianli, who works for Shanghai Jinjiang International Travel Co. She was posted to Sentosa Development Corp. "Singapore and Shanghai share a long-standing heritage of open exchange and learning from diverse cultures," she said. "Through my YBA experience, I've gained a deeper understanding of how the people and cultures of both cities are vibrant and continue to be characterized by openness to growth and innovation."

Hu is one of the YBA's 13 participants this year. It is the program's largest cohort to date. During the ceremony, each of this year's participants made presentations and reflected on how they grew their personal and professional networks and cultivated a stronger understanding of each other's countries and cultures.

Loh Guo Wei, a product manager from DBS Bank who was posted to Shanghai Pudong Development Bank, said he was impressed by Shanghai's convenient and efficient online and mobile banking services and suggested this is somewhere Singaporean banks could work to catch up. "Shanghai Pudong Development Bank is interested in the idea of entering the Southeast Asia market, so I shared useful knowledge and experience," Loh said.

SIF governor David Chong said this year's YBA participants had the opportunity to gain insights into the head, heart and soul of their host cities. "These new insights and understanding have enabled the deepening of friendships and collaborations among alumni," Chong said.

Chong said the YBA program is much more than a business exchange program. "Our YBAs are passionate about promoting international friendship and understanding, have volunteered to rebuild homes for families affected by the April earthquake in Sichuan Province, and regularly engage in cross-cultural sharing sessions," Chong said. "We look forward to more friendships being forged to effect positive change and enrich lives."

SPAFFC Vice President Yu Jianhao said it is a delight to contribute to stronger personal ties between Singapore and China through the program. "Moving ahead, 2015 marks the 15th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Singapore and China, bringing opportunities for more exchanges and cooperation between the two countries," Yu said. "We hope to continue working together with partners such as the SIF to explore and broaden areas for future partnership and cooperation."

The YBAs take a group photo with the Consul General of Singapore in Shanghai, Ong Siew Gay (fifth from right).

 

SIF governor David Chong gives a speech Monday.

 

Zhou Ji (right), who joined the YBA program in 2010.

 

Two YBA program participants talk to a guest.

Photos: Courtesy of Golin