After two days of comprehensive discussion among government officials, experts, and scholars from both the public and private sectors, the relevant partners have agreed that five proposals will be prepared to be submitted to ASEAN external partners by early next year.
The two-day workshop, themed “Building Regional Connectivity through Common Needs Proposal Writing”, held at Kirirom Institute of Technology (KIT) located in Kirirom National Park, in Kampong Speu province concluded yesterday.
This first-ever programme in Cambodia was co-organised by the Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology & Innovation (MISTI)’s National Institute of Science, Technology & Innovation and KIT.
“We will try to submit the proposals by early next year, likely in January or February,” said Kuok Fidero, an Under-Secretary of State of the MISTI, who co-chaired the workshop.
The proposals related to ‘Digital Transformation in Manufacturing’, ‘Renewable Energy’, ‘Carbon Neutrality’, ‘Talent Development’ and ‘Sustainable Community’.
At the end of the workshop yesterday, the experts, who on the first day were divided into five separate groups, had concluded their discussions and brainstorming of their initiated proposals, before giving presentations.
According to Fidero, the projects to be considered are on ASEAN cooperation that must address challenges at the regional level and create synergies with other projects that address the same issues.
These must benefit ASEAN and engage all ASEAN Member States, aligning with ASEAN Community Blueprints and other relevant ASEAN documents.
In addition, they should also be endorsed by either the relevant ASEAN Sectoral Committee or ASEAN Body, or the Committee of the Permanent Representatives to ASEAN (CPR).
ASEAN external partners include 11 “dialogue partners”, namely Australia, Canada, China, European Union, India, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Russia, the United States and the United Kingdom; eight sectoral external partners, Brazil, Norway, Pakistan, Switzerland, Turkiye, United Arab, Emirates, South Africa and Morocco.
In addition, external partners also include the bloc’s Development Partners, Chile, France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands as well as International Organisations, namely, the United Nations and its agencies, ADB, World Bank and others.
Hernandi Dwi Prasetyo, Senior Officer, Programme Cooperation and Project Management Division from the ASEAN Secretariat, has noted three types of project funding mechanisms – ASEAN funds, ASEAN partners’ trust funds and ASEAN partners’ funds.
ASEAN funds consist of the ASEAN Cultural Fund (ACF), ASEAN Sectoral Funds (Contributions from ASEAN Member States) and other ASEAN Member States’ Contributions.
Taro Sonobe, Deputy Director of the Kyoto University and Research Administrator for Kyoto University ASEAN Centre, Japan ASEAN Science, Technology and Innovation Platform (JASTIP), outlined the common challenges to achieve sustainable and self-sustaining development of bilateral and multilateral research collaboration and network toward Grand Challenges through cultivating human resource for STI Coordination.
KIT Vice President Kamaga Masamu, who co-chaired the workshop, considered the two-day meeting which concluded yesterday as “highly productive”.
“We had the opportunity to discuss with experts from a wide range of backgrounds with many nationalities. Their insights and expertise greatly influenced our decisions and enriched the discussions,” he told Khmer Times.
He emphasised the workshop can serve as an “excellent example” for future discussions.
“The content of the workshop itself was very valuable, and we should also mention the location and surroundings. Kirirom, situated in a national park, provided a serene and inspiring environment that allowed us to relax and be more productive,” he said.
This workshop contributed to regional cooperation projects by fostering collaboration between the private and government sectors, as well as academia and industry, Masamu added.
“Within just two days, we were able to propose five projects related to digital transformation, renewable energy, carbon neutrality, talent development, and sustainable communities,” he said.
“These projects have the potential to make a significant impact and contribute to regional cooperation initiatives,” he added.
The programme is designed to support the member states in achieving the objectives of the ASEAN community through results-oriented projects that prioritise the central role of ASEAN.
Professor Shamiso Mahohoma, Head of Management at KIT, who attended the workshop and was one of the speakers, said yesterday she was impressed by the programme.
“The sessions were well-structured, engaging, and insightful, benefiting greatly from the diverse range of participants and speakers who shared their unique perspectives,” she told Khmer Times.
The discussions centred on the ASEAN region’s ability to leverage diverse funding opportunities to drive sustainable development.
“In my view, this workshop has been an unequivocal success, fostering an environment of collaboration and knowledge exchange,” she said.
“As someone with a keen passion for the sustainable development of communities and regions, this workshop is crucial to me.” she added
The workshop focuses on bringing together the ASEAN region through common needs and finding solutions to address pertinent issues such as carbon neutrality, renewable energy, and sustainable communities.
“I firmly believe in developing homegrown solutions to local and regional challenges. To achieve this, it is imperative that we collaborate within our region, and this workshop has provided the perfect platform for doing so,” she said.
The workshop plays a vital role in the process of establishing regional cooperation projects, Prof Mahohoma said.
“Through dialogue and information exchange, participants discover shared needs, investigate possible areas of cooperation, and obtain a deeper understanding of the ASEAN context,” she said.
“With the help of the workshop, participants can network and share knowledge while gaining insightful information that they can use in developing various projects. The collaborative environment witnessed during this workshop is highly conducive and will undoubtedly contribute to the development of well-informed and impactful proposals for regional cooperation projects,” she added.
Source: Khmertimeskh
