Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative Professional Fellows Program (YSEALI PFP)City of Dubuque
City Council Meeting
Presentation(s) # 03.
Copyrighted
July 5, 2022
ITEM TITLE: Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative Professional Fellows Program
(YSEALI PFP)
SUMMARY: Assistant City Manager Cori Burbach will introduce the city's two fellows
hosted through the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative
Professional Fellows Program (YSELI PFP): Hieu Nguyen and Siti
Hajar Mohammad.
SUGGESTED
DISPOSITION:
ATTACHMENTS:
Description
YSEALI Fellows Bio
Type
Supporting Documentation
YSEALI PFP Fellowship Placement
Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative Professional Fellows Program hosted through the
International City/County Managers Association (ICMA)
Fellow 1: Hieu Nguyen, Vietnam: Hieu has had 6 years working on issues of conservation, environment
and sustainability with NGOs, schools and businesses. Position himself as a leader for sustainable
development, for the past 12 months his focus has been around composting projects for schools,
community garden and business. He successfully secured $25,000 in grant money to implement a
community garden that involve business participation in Danang, Vietnam in March 2022. Today Hieu's
managing a for -impact coffee start-up called the Black Lotus Coffee House whose commitment is to give
at -risk young adults and ex -convicts second chances in life through mental health programs and career
empowerment. His ambition is to combine his deep passion for the environment and the therapeutic
nature of gardening to his mission to heal and transform at -risk young adults in Vietnam. Hieu is
interested in establishing an "edible school" and edible school community gardens.
Fellow 2: Name: Siti Hajar Mohammad
Preferred Name: Siti Hajar
City, Country: Kajang, Malaysia
Job Title: Research Officer
Place of Work: UKM-YSD Chair for Sustainability, University
Kebangsaan Malaysia
Professional Interests: Siti wants to learn how to foster strategic
collaborations among academia, industry and society in promoting
sustainability.