ASEAN Centre in MGIMO-University the MFA of Russia

Центр АСЕАН при МГИМО

Digital Transformation of ASEAN and Russia: Points of Convergence

Digital Transformation of ASEAN and Russia: Points of Convergence

14.04.2022

On April 14, in the framework of the international conference "Digital International Relations", the ASEAN Centre held a session devoted to the prospects for cooperation between Russia and ASEAN in the digital area.

Dr. Andrey Baykov, MGIMO Vice-Rector for Science and Research addressed his welcoming remarks to the session’s participants. He marked the relevance of the raised issues during the conference and stressed the importance of exchanging experience and best practices in the digital area, taking into account those risks and threats that countries face today in the field of information security.

The session’s discussion covered three topics - Digital Education; Digital Government, Economy and Business; Threats and Challenges in Digital Area and Digital Solutions. The session was moderated by Dr. Andrey Baykov, MGIMO Vice-Rector for Science and Research and Dr. Ekaterina Koldunova, Director of the ASEAN Centre in MGIMO. Among the session’s guest speakers were officials from the state agencies, representatives from leading research institutions and from large enterprises both from ASEAN and Russia. ASEAN was represented by eleven participants from Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Cambodia, and Vietnam. The session was also attended by Russian students, lecturers and students from Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar and Singapore studying in MGIMO.

Such distinguished guests of the conference as H.E. Theo Seng Lee, Honorary Consul of Russia in Penang State, Dr. Carlos Tabunda, Dean of the School of International Relations at the New Era University, Dr. Thanit Pewnim, Associate Professor of the Kamnoetvidya Science Academy, Dr. Emmanuel S. Lallana, Chief Executive of IDEACORP, Dr. Tith Sinoeun, Deputy Director of the Departments of Standards, Department of the Accreditation Committee of Cambodia, Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, Ms. Nadezhda Galkina, Head of Higher Education Unit at Skillbox discussed the best practices in the field of digitalization of secondary and higher education and shared their own perspectives on the future evolution of online education.

Mr. Khalek Awang, Chief Executive Officer of Khalek Awang and Associates, President of the Alumni Foundation of the International Islamic University of Malaysia, Mr. Sergey Pronin, Deputy Chairman-Executive Director of Russia-Singapore Business Council, Mr. Dmitry Kamynin, Head of the Project Office for Digital Development of the Samara Region, Mr. Mohd Khair bin Ngadiron, Chairman of the Education Division “Ilum Holdings”, Dr. Elena Churina, Expert of the Scientific-Expert Council of the Working Group of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, Mr. Muamar bin Mohd Mokhtar, Executive Director of “3F Resources”, Ms. Adibah binti Omar, CEO of “Ilum Entrepreneurship & Consultancies” and Mr. Zulkarnain Azman, Operation Manager of the International Islamic University of Malaysia Alumni Foundation discussed the latest digital trends in the sphere of business, including startups in FinTech, EdTech, MedTech and others. Malaysian speakers presented recent innovations in the digital transformation of book industry and in the sphere of artificial intelligence. Dr. Le Trung Kien, Director of the Center for Security and Development Studies at Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam in his presentation focused on the most promising areas for digital cooperation between Russia and ASEAN.

Subsequently the representatives from Russian companies also introduced its innovative solutions in the field of information security, digital infrastructure management, public administration, medicine and education. In addition, guest speakers from leading Russian research institutes, as well as the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, paid attention to the international legal component of monitoring digitalization processes and emphasized the necessity to advance international cooperation in order to create a reliable global information security system.