KUALA LUMPUR: AFS Intercultural Programs, the world's largest intercultural learning organisation, has announced the appointment of Yasmin Ahmad Merican as a trustee on its global board.
Yasmin, a former partner of EY Malaysia and a consulting partner of Ernst & Young International (EY), joins 13 others from around the world to lead the governance of the programme operating across more than 63 countries.
She is also founder and CEO of Trax Associates and former president of the Malaysian AEON Foundation.
Dedicated to the building of stronger bridges across communities and cultures, the organisation is present in Malaysia as Yayasan AFS Antarabudaya Malaysia (AFS Antarabudaya) and has pioneered student exchanges through cultural immersion programmes since 1958.
In Malaysia, AFS Antarabudaya is chaired by Khalilah Mohd Talha and operationalised by national director, Atty Sulaiman with the support of the Ministry of Education's school system, and a large community of national and multinational sponsors and volunteers.
To promote intercultural learning not just with other countries, but also across cultures at home, AFS Antarabudaya launched its first short-stay domestic exchanges in Malaysia on shared family experiences in 2018.
Today, the programme sends young Malaysians abroad and hosts students from more than 10 countries, with the United States, Japan, Italy and Germany as key participants.
Globally, AFS is a consulting partner to UNESCO, supporting the United Nations sustainability development goals (SDG) in quality education, climate action and justice through stronger institutions.