HARI Foundation, DOST-SEI set to launch Hyundai New Thinkers circuit

MANILA, Philippines - Shaping the next generation of Hyundai New Thinkers. HARI Foundation, Inc. (HFI) and the Department of Science and Technology – Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI) join forces to launch the Hyundai New Thinkers Circuit (HNTC), an innovative education program focused on leadership, innovation, and community building that is envisioned to nurture today’s young talents to become tomorrow’s leaders and innovators, or “Hyundai New Thinkers.” 

Driven by its vision to advance national competitiveness through quality education, HARI Foundation, Inc. (HFI), the corporate social responsibility (CSR) arm of Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc. (HARI) and the Department of Science and Technology-Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI), inked another ground-breaking partnership to launch the Hyundai New Thinkers Circuit (HNTC).

HNTC, designed to be a trailblazer in the country’s existing youth learning programs, aims to address gaps in quality education of high school students who have the potential to become the Philippines’ next generation of leaders and innovators, or “Hyundai New Thinkers.” 

“HFI is creating new standards in learning beyond the classroom to train competent young talents who can lead the future. The Hyundai New Thinkers Circuit will serve as our educational program for deserving high school students who can be groomed to become key talents of our country,” said HFI President Ma. Fe Perez-Agudo. “Given our fast-changing world and the competitiveness issues of our country, we’ll be looking for bright young students who can grow and adapt to the challenges of the real world and make a real difference to our society.”

HNTC’s pilot year will focus on Innovation and Climate Science. A series of four major activities are slated to inspire participants to become Climate Science New Thinkers. These activities are: (1) The Hyundai New Thinkers Summit, where students engage in learning and dialogue with climate science experts and innovators; (2) Hyundai New Thinkers Camp, a weeklong science exploration activity where participants discover new and practical ways of solving specific concerns of their communities; (3) Hyundai New Thinkers Bayanihan Project, where participants implement and test their community development programs; and (4) Hyundai New Thinkers Spotlight, where participants present their community development projects to a panel of experts.

For its pilot year, HNTC will be open only to selected schools. A total of 80 student delegates from 40 public high schools in Metro Manila and Regions III and IV-A will be chosen to attend the program. Each school team will be represented by two (2) students and one teacher delegate.

Each HNTC activity will require students to complete assignments and challenges to move on to the next round. At the end of the program, HFI will award college scholarships to the top 20 students who demonstrate the highest aptitude for becoming a Hyundai New Thinker.