This five-month programme serves as the first urban-centric mentorship platform aimed at creating opportunities for individuals, particularly students and young professionals in ASEAN, who are engaged in or looking to enter the ASEAN urban industry. The programme seeks to guide and support young urban leaders as they navigate the challenges and opportunities of the urban sector, fostering their professional growth and helping them build meaningful networks. Mentors and Mentees will be paired based on their career interests and aspirations.
This year, the mentorship programme is organised into two tracks:
Professional Track
emphasising professional skill-building, career positioning, and job market readiness.
Student / Academic Track
emphasising research capability development, academic writing, and postgraduate (Master’s/PhD) application guidance
Sign up as a mentor or a mentee and meet a community of other young people passionate about urbanism and building cities of tomorrow!
Upcoming Mentorship Cohort
1 April 2026 to 30 August 2026 (5 months)
Application Deadline
28 February 2026, 23:59 SGT
🧑🏻💻 Mentor Selection
For Academic Track,
Mentor Applicants should:
- Be affiliated with a university, research institute, think tank, or academic research centre, and committed to knowledge exchange, mentorship, and capacity-building beyond their institution.
- Be actively engaged in academic or research roles related to Southeast Asian urbanism, such as PhD candidates (late-stage), postdoctoral researchers, or early-career faculty (eg. Assistant Professors or equivalent).
- Demonstrate a strong research focus or scholarly expertise in urban studies, planning, policy, governance, infrastructure, sustainability, or related disciplines within the Southeast Asian context.
For the Professional Track,
Mentor Applicants should:
- Possess strong expertise and experience in Southeast Asian urbanism.
- Be currently engaged in a professional role within the urban sector, with a minimum of five years of relevant experience.
- Ideally have a self-initiated or ongoing side project related to urbanism that they wish to further develop with a mentee through the programme.
- Come from diverse backgrounds, including the public or private sectors, academia, civil society organisations, or international organisations.
Mentors will participate in an introductory session and monthly 1:1 meeting with their mentee(s).
YUSEA will provide guiding questions and suggested structures for 1:1 meetings. Mentors are encouraged to have a side project to work with a mentee on (either research, development of frameworks etc) for this programme, they should indicate it in their application form.
◾ Contribute to nurturing future leaders in the urban industry.
◾ Opportunity to reflect on career and share learnings.
◾ Develop mentoring and relationship-building skills.
◾ Opportunities to connect with fellow urbanists and professionals from Southeast-Asia.
◾ An opportunity to be featured on YUSEA’s website and social media channels.
👩🏻💻 Mentees Selection
The programme is open to youths from all ASEAN countries aged between 18 and 25 years old*. Mentees should apply to the program with specific goals in mind to make this engagement meaningful.
Student / Academic Track
- Receive academic and research-oriented mentorship to strengthen research skills, academic writing, and critical thinking.
- Gain guidance on preparing competitive applications for postgraduate studies (Master’s/PhD), including research interests, statements of purpose, and academic pathways.
- Work on a research- or policy-oriented urban topic with your mentor to gain exposure to academic or applied research processes.
- Connect with academics, researchers, and peers across ASEAN’s urban studies and planning ecosystem.
- Be featured on YUSEA’s website and social media channels, highlighting your participation and work.
Professional Track
- Receive tailored career guidance and professional development support to navigate entry into ASEAN’s urban industry.
- Gain practical insights into industry expectations, roles, and career pathways across the urban sector.
- Collaborate with your mentor on an applied urban project to gain hands-on experience and exposure to real-world urban challenges.
- Build professional networks with urban practitioners and fellow mentees across the ASEAN region.
- Be featured on YUSEA’s website and social media channels, highlighting your participation and work.
Mentees are expected to participate in an introductory session and monthly 1:1 meetings with their mentor(s). Mentees are expected to take the initiative to reach out to their Mentors during the course of this programme. Mentees should work closely with the mentors during the entire programme and complete the side project as assigned.
◾Advice and feedback on career and/or activism goals.
◾Increased knowledge of urban topics.
◾Higher preparedness for urban jobs and application resources.
◾Opportunities to connect with fellow urbanists and professionals from the ASEAN region*.
*Please note that this mentorship program is not designed to help with specific projects (such as college theses or academic research), but is rather a path to broaden your network and gain clarity on your urban journey.
Be a part of this transformative journey!
All participants who complete the program will be provided with a certificate of completion from YUSEA. For any queries, contact us at events@yusea.org.