Cyber Youth Singapore (CYS), a prominent youth-led organisation dedicated to nurturing Singapore’s digital future, recently concluded its highly successful event, CYSummit 2023, focused on empowering young individuals in the tech industry.
This momentous occasion brought together industry leaders, government representatives, and talented youths to foster collaboration, innovation, and growth.
The event’s highlight was the prestigious gala dinner hosted by CYS and graced by Guest of Honour Minister Edwin Tong, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth & Second Minister for Law, Singapore.
Minister Tong delivered an inspiring address and presented tokens of appreciation to the valued sponsors, recognising their significant contributions to the event’s success. The gala dinner also served as a platform for networking, celebration, and recognition of achievements. Highlighting the importance of collective effort, Minister Edwin Tong said,
“I hope we can all continue to work together to support our youth in navigating and thriving in the digital age. This is so that our youth will be better equipped to take advantage of digital tools, resources and technology to build a better community, pay it forward, convert challenges into opportunities and to drive a continuous cycle of positive change in society.”
Significant milestones were achieved during the event. CYS formalised valuable partnerships through the signing of Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with nine leading Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLS) in Singapore (SP, TP, NP, NYP, RP, SIT, NTU, PSB, and ITE), as well as the DIS.
These partners are committed to collaborating closely with CYS to empower youths in the tech industry, providing them with unparalleled growth and development opportunities.
Via the signing of an MOU, CYS and Exabytes Group also agreed to collaborate in co-creating opportunities to support youths in discovering their passions and interests in technology, developing their technological skills, and maturing an active and interconnected digital youth community.
Both organisations will explore potential ideas, initiatives and programmes to reach this goal. Furthermore, both organisations will continue to develop and enhance the Digitalise Singapore (DS) programme to further nurture Singaporean youths-in-tech on their digitalisation journey towards our Digital Future for Singapore.
CYSummit 2023 showcased three flagship programmes: YouthxIndustry, YouthxWorkshops, and YouthxForum.
YouthxIndustry provided a space for participants to gain valued mentorship and advice from industry leaders, learn about various emerging technologies, and establish valuable connections with sponsors of CYSummit 2023, namely EY, NCS Group, PSB Academy, ST Engineering, Singapore Armed Forces’ Digital and Intelligence Service (DIS), Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA), Centre for Strategic Infocomm Technologies, Microsoft Singapore, UOB, and Goldbell Group.
YouthxWorkshops provided tailored sessions to develop essential skills for the digital landscape. In one workshop session, participants understood the transformative power of cloud technologies and how these technologies enhanced scalability, flexibility, and cost-efficiency for organisations.
In another workshop, participants learned the fundamentals of digital forensics and its significance in cybersecurity. Participants investigated a fictitious cyber incident and applied their newfound skills to respond appropriately.
YouthxForum was presented as a series of panel discussions covering various tech topics, including cyber law, consulting, cybersecurity, tech and national security, and more.
Led by youths and featuring insights from experts and young tech leaders, the forum aimed to explore the evolving landscape of the tech industry and inspire confidence among young people.
NCS Group, a leading technology company, showcased their early talent programmes and future business direction, demonstrating the industry’s potential for growth and innovation. Other highlights included discussions on the next generation of cyber defenders by ST Engineering, technology’s influence on banking and financial services by UOB, and the multifaceted nature of consulting by EY.
Reflecting on the success of CYSummit 2023, Ben Chua, President and CEO of Cyber Youth Singapore and President of the CYSummit’s committee, said,
“These programmes have collectively exemplified CYS’s commitment to empowering and nurturing young talents in the dynamic tech industry. We are more determined than ever to continue our mission to enable and equip youths in the tech industry with the necessary skills and knowledge to thrive in the digital age.”
CYS celebrates the remarkable achievements of CYSummit 2023 and extends gratitude to all participants, sponsors, and partners for their invaluable contributions, which played a pivotal role in making CYSummit 2023 a resounding success.