Bangkok, 5 August 2024: ERIA and King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL) co-organised a joint workshop on Digital Talent Development. The workshop aimed to address the urgent need to strengthen digital talent within the ASEAN region and explore strategies for upskilling and reskilling to bridge existing digital skills gaps. This workshop was part of the ASEAN Technology University Network project.

The event began with remarks from Associate Professor Dr Komsan Maleesee, President of KMITL, who highlighted the workshop as part of KMITL’s commitment to innovation and producing a skilled workforce that supports regional digital transformation. This was followed by comments from Dr Aladdin Rillo, Managing Director for Policy Design and Operations at ERIA, who emphasised the need for collaboration between government and the private sector to advance digital talent in ASEAN, along with the importance of a growth mindset and critical thinking for effective upskilling and reskilling.

The workshop was conducted in three sessions. The first session focused on the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA) negotiations related to digital talent development. Kasama Kongsmak, Executive Vice President of the Digital Strategy and Security Promotion Unit at Thailand’s Digital Economy Promotion Agency (DEPA), presented Thailand’s strategy for promoting the digital economy. Dr Doungkamon Phihusut, a Policy Developer at Thailand’s National Higher Education Science Research and Innovation Policy Council (NXPO), highlighted NXPO’s role in supporting DEFA, particularly through programmes such as the STEM-One Stop Service Platform. Dr Aladdin D. Rillo then outlined ERIA’s contribution via the ERIA Digital Innovation and Sustainable Economy Centre (E-DISC) as a knowledge partner for ASEAN DEFA negotiations.

The second session covered innovative and effective educational and training systems for digital talent development in the region. Asst. Prof. Dr Akkradach Watcharapupong, Vice President for Information Technology and Cyber Security at KMITL, discussed KMITL’s efforts to enhance students’ digital skills through collaborations with organisations like AWS Academy and Cisco Networking Academy. Assoc. Prof. Dr Nor Zairah Ab. Rahim, Senior Lecturer at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), explained Malaysia’s digital talent landscape and UTM’s strategies for upskilling students. Dr Masamu Kamaga, Rector of Kirirom Institute of Technology (KIT) in Cambodia, described the outcome-based education system at KIT, emphasising academia–industry collaboration. Mishell Albores, Case Study Writer at Nikkei BizRuptors, presented how Nikkei BizRuptors contributes to enhancing digital capabilities in Southeast Asia.

The third session focused on enhancing ASEAN competitiveness through digital talent development. Dr Rashesh Shrestha, ERIA’s Economist, stressed the need for a comprehensive approach to nurturing the talent ecosystem in ASEAN, including collaboration between education systems and labour market needs. Asst. Prof. Dr Rutchanee Gullayanon, Executive Vice President for Research and Innovations at KMITL, explained how KMITL supports a learning ecosystem to boost students’ digital skills and emphasised the importance of private sector evaluation of student capabilities as feedback for the education system. The final speaker, Ryosuke Fujioka, a representative of the AEM-METI Economic and Industrial Cooperation Committee (AMEICC), discussed Japanese government support for enhancing the digital workforce in ASEAN, such as aiding the Thai-Nichi Institute of Technology in developing new courses related to green and digital transformation.

The event concluded with closing remarks from Daisuke Nakayama, ERIA’s Chief Manager of E-DISC, who highlighted the critical role of digital workforce development in supporting transformation in sectors like manufacturing. Dr Rutchanee Gullayanon, on behalf of KMITL, expressed optimism that the collaboration between ERIA and KMITL will significantly advance digital transformation in the region.

Photos Credit: King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL)