The contest is annually held by the International Union of Innovation Development in socio-economic sphere, the Russian Academy of Education (RAE) and the scientific journal “XXI Century Initiatives”.

As the President of the International Union of Innovation Development T.Solomatina commented upon the contest’s outcomes, the authors of the APEC Youth Forum 2012 project were the youngest contenders, and it was the great pleasure of her to see the youth realize the big and audacious projects like this.

In response, on behalf of the APEC Youth Forum’s organizing team the coordinator of the project Alexandra Tatomir expressed her deep gratitude to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, “Rosmolodezh” Federal Agency, Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU) Administration and Primorskiy Region Administration who significantly helped make the project real.

The project of APEC Youth Forum was initiated by the students who are members of NPMP “Model United Nations on the Russian Far East” (MUNRFE), which is one of the largest youth organizations in the region, uniting 3 local clubs in Blagoveshchensk, Vladivostok and Khabarovsk. The work upon the project started in autumn of 2009. During three years such events as Model APEC Summit 2010 and projects on debates and introduction of APEC methods of functioning in frames of Seliger Forum international sessions in 2010-2011 were implemented by MUNRFE as well. MUNRFE students were also granted with the opportunity to conduct national selection for “APEC Voices of the Future” program, which gives the young leaders the chance to see APEC, one of the greatest global political events, with their own eyes. This remarkable experience was significant for the APEC Youth Forum organizers in realizing the project at a new level in 2012.

As it was stated by the Secretary General of APEC Youth Forum 2012 and MUNRFE Managing Director, Andrey Kozinets, the purpose of the project was not only to hold one large event ‘for the record’, but also to launch close connections between young people all over the APEC on a constant basis. The Youth Declaration adopted at the I Forum was presented personally to the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, and, furthermore, was brought to the notice of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs in all 21 APEC member-economies. Even now, a year before APEC 2013 that will take place in Indonesia, the negotiations about the conduction of the II APEC Youth Forum on a higher level are being held. A long way ahead is in the upcoming prospect, he says.

The FEFU Administration rendered its invaluable support and all the assistance necessary for APEC Youth Forum to be conducted on the highest level and make a favorable impression on its participants throughout the whole period of preparations. As the main specialist of the Students Initiative Support division of the FEFU Department of Youth Policy, Evgeniya Kiparenko underscored that the FEFU Administration had always been ready to promote the creative ideas of its students, giving the required consultations and providing the projects with all the documentary support. It primarily concerns all events that are principally important for the University and the Primorskiy Region.

Annually dozens of projects and organizations all over the country and from its near abroad take part in the Contest, and for the first time in its history such a great award went to the Far Eastern representatives. The honor rendered to the students indicates the extremely high level of the project organized on the FEFU basis and its significance not only for the Primorskiy Region, but for the whole Russian Federation.