An unexpected wave of optimism is rippling through the university halls of Southeast Asia, as a recent survey reveals that the overwhelming majority of students feel confident about their economic futures, despite deep-rooted concerns about corruption, inequality and territorial disputes.
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Undergraduates from six countries across the region said they were optimistic, with Vietnamese students the most confident at 88.1 per cent of respondents, according to the report by the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore.
This was followed by Malaysia at 84.1 per cent, Singapore at 83.1 per cent, the Philippines at 70.9 per cent, Thailand at 70.5 per cent and Indonesia at 62.6 per cent.
The “Youth and Civic Engagement in Southeast Asia” report released on January 6 was based on a survey of more than 3,000 students across various disciplines.
When asked if they were optimistic about their government’s economic plans for the next five years, the students also expressed high confidence.
The respondents from Vietnam were again the most optimistic, with 90.1 per cent agreeing with the statement, followed by their counterparts from Singapore (85.3 per cent), Malaysia (81.8 per cent), the Philippines (68.8 per cent), Thailand (63.9 per cent) and Indonesia (57.5 per cent).