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Justin Sun Plans to Set up a Fund Worth over $1.1Billion to Catalyze TRON Ecosystem’s Growth

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 2 November 2021 – TRON founder Justin Sun tweeted his plan to earmark $1,111,111,111 (roughly $1.1 billion) to establish a fund in support of the growth of the TRON ecosystem. The TRON and BitTorrent-based Frog Nation will be the first project supported by the fund after its launch. 

It is understood that TRON will leverage the fund to equip developers with more efficient and affordable developing tools, while allowing the protocols in the network to yield more returns. Meanwhile, it can also give users access to transactions at the lowest costs. 

As one of the three biggest public chains in the world, TRON now boasts over 59 million users and more than 2.5 billion transactions. It also leads the game in many popular fields including DeFi, NFT, DApp, stablecoins, and distributed storage. 

 

Available statistics show that TRON now boasts the biggest DApp ecosystem across the globe and its DeFi’s TVL has also exceeded $11.7 billion, ranking among the top three globally. TRON also hosts the most-circulated stablecoin worldwide and supports the on-chain circulation of major stablecoins including USDC, USDT, TUSD, and USDJ. Moreover, the daily transfer volume of TRON-based stablecoins topped $10 billion multiple times already. 

 

Moreover, TRON has been active since 2021 in the world of NFT. Besides launching the first NFT standard TRC-721 in March, it has improved the world’s largest distributed storage system BTFS, providing a comprehensive and efficient infrastructure for transforming artworks into NFTs on blockchain. TRON is also proactively making inroads into GameFi and NFTFi. 

 

TRON has grabbed broad attention and won wide recognition thanks to the exponential growth in its metrics and the constant improvement and innovation of its ecosystem.

 

On October 30, TRON and BitTorrent officially launched the cross-chain scaling solution BitTorrent Chain (BTTC) with its Testnet enabled. As BTTC arrives, TRON will see the emergence of a closed-loop ecosystem of layer 1 and 2 networks with sound cross-chain connectivity. By integrating both a robust underlying network of Global Human Settlement Layer and a heterogeneous, scalable cross-chain network BitTorrent Chain that features high throughput and full compatibility with EVM, TRON will unveil a brand-new chapter where all chains are connected. 

As BTTC goes live, TRON will draw more users from other chains to its increasingly prosperous and diverse ecosystem, unleashing even greater potential.

 

#TRON

Cyberport Venture Capital Forum 2021 Commences

Total investments facilitated by Cyberport Investors Network breaks the HK$1 billion mark

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 2 November 2021 – The Cyberport Venture Capital Forum (CVCF), Cyberport’s premier annual venture capital event commenced today at Cyberport. Presented in a brand-new hybrid format of online and offline engagement, CVCF 2021 gathered more than 70 global venture capital investors to deliberate under the theme “Venturing for Success: Resilience, Growth & Opportunity”. Against a backdrop of promising market dynamics and rapid emergence of unicorns in the post-COVID era, speakers discussed trends in global tech venture and financing, investor strategies and emerging areas in venture capital, opportunities and prospects in the Greater Bay Area, and more.

 

CVCF was officially unveiled today in conjunction with the 4th anniversary of the Cyberport Investors Network (CIN). Achievement of the CIN and Cyberport Macro Fund (CMF) over the past 12 months in supporting start-ups with financing was also announced.

 

Dr David Chung, Under Secretary for Innovation and Technology of HKSAR delivered the opening speech for the Forum. Co-officiating the opening ceremony of the Forum were Dr George Lam, Chairman of Cyberport, Peter Yan, Chief Executive Officer of Cyberport, Eric Chan, Chief Public Mission Officer of Cyberport and Cindy Chow, Cyberport Investors Network Steering Group Chairperson, alongside other guests.

 

In his speech, Dr David Chung, Under Secretary for Innovation and Technology of HKSAR shared, “The Cyberport Venture Capital Forum provides an excellent platform to connect and facilitate exchange among investors, start-ups, enterprises, and industry professionals, as well as foster investment matching opportunities. I trust that investors will discover numerous useful solutions developed by Cyberport’s start-ups through this platform. I wish the Forum another year of great success.”

 

Dr George Lam: Start-up financing shows strong performance

Dr George Lam, Chairman of Cyberport, mentioned in his welcome address, “The innovation and technology industry displayed strong resilience amidst the COVID-19 pandemic last year. The completion of a number of significant investment deals has set multiple records in the venture capital market. Cyberport’s start-up community also delivered exceptional performance in fundraising. In the first five months of this financial year, the total amount of funds raised exceeded that of the entire previous year. The cumulative funds raised by Cyberport’s start-up community has reached HK$18.7 billion to-date – a year-on-year growth of more than 40% from HK$13.2 billion in the same period last year. Cyberport has been promoting and facilitating investment matching and supporting start-up fundraising through the CMF. This year, the CMF has achieved an excellent co-investment ratio. Over the last year, a total of approximately HK$38 million was injected into 5 start-ups, attracting co-investments of HK$621 million to reach a total investment of HK$650 million to achieve an investment ratio of 1:16. This is much higher than the past average of 1:8. This reflects investors’ confidence in start-ups and the high-potential investment field.

 

“It is now prime time for innovation and technology development. With the increasing enthusiasm of venture capital, the rapid emergence of unicorns, a thriving Greater Bay Area, and favourable policies set out in the 14th National Five-Year Plan, I have full confidence in Hong Kong’s development into the world’s innovation and technology centre.”

 

From September 2020 to August 2021, Cyberport injected capital through the CMF into five Cyberport start-ups. They include Lynk, Rice Robotics, Dash Living, Hex Trust and GOGOX. Since its establishment, the CMF has approved a total of around HK$162 million for 22 projects and driven additional co-investment of over HK$1.418 billion, bringing a total of more than HK$1.58 billion of investment for start-ups.

 

Peter Yan, Chief Executive Officer of Cyberport, said, “This year’s ‘Cyberport Venture Capital Forum’ is being held in a hybrid format for the first time to provide a unified online and offline experience, covering several popular emerging investment themes such as the new space economy, NFT, ESG, and more. I believe the Forum provides participants with an in-depth understanding of the latest trends and opportunities in venture capital and innovation technology, as well as creates investment possibilities for start-ups. All the while, the Forum has further deepened project matching and the development of the FinTech industry by providing a platform for start-ups participating in the Fintech Proof-of-Concept Subsidy Scheme to exchange ideas with regulatory bodies, industry leaders and investors, and explore the latest trends of innovation with financial services, and the urgency of promoting financial innovation.”

 

Cyberport Investors Network investments close to HK$500 million in the past year

The achievements of the Cyberport Investors Network (CIN) were also unveiled at the Forum on the CIN’s fourth anniversary. Despite the on-going pandemic, the CIN facilitated deal flows of 14 projects between investors and Cyberport start-ups, resulting in investments totalling HK$496 million in the past year. Matched projects covered various fields such as FinTech, artificial intelligence & big data, enterprise solutions, the Internet of Things, and smart living. This also brought the total investments under the CIN over the HK$1 billion mark to an encouraging HK$1.124 billion over 51 matched deals since its establishment.

 

On the future direction of the CIN, Cindy Chow, Chairperson of Cyberport Investors Network Steering Group shares, “The Cyberport Investors Network has been working closely with the Cyberport Macro Fund. With the CMF expanding its scope to investments beyond the A round, we have recruited more investors who focus on investing in growth-stage start-ups to match more projects. At the same time, we will continue to intensify ties within the CIN, including working with investors in specific industries to facilitate more targeted matching, and recruiting more corporate venture and family office members to meet the investment needs of enterprises. We will also maintain a diversified membership in the CIN to meet the various fundraising needs of the Cyberport start-up community.”

 

Several keynote speeches were delivered to kick off the Forum. KPMG China partner Irene Chu presented the latest global trends in tech venture investments, including sector hotspots, opportunities and challenges; Hong Kong Stock Exchange Group Chief Executive Nicolas Aguzin shared on how the capital market is supporting the tech Innovation ecosystem and the role of Hong Kong Stock Exchange; Founders Space Captain and CEO Steve Hoffman spoke on how the next wave of technology  disruptions in the next few decades will change the venture capital ecosystem; three Cyberport “unicorn” companies, Klook, WeLab and Animoca Brands, shared their journeys of success. There were also a series of discussions around topical issues including the impact of the Cross-boundary Wealth Management Connect Scheme on the development of FinTech innovation, non-fungible tokens (NFT), ESG (Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance) and impact investment, as well as the prospects for tech start-ups in the Greater Bay Area, special purpose acquisition companies (SPAC), and the new space economy, etc.

 

Cyberport Entrepreneurship Programme Graduation Ceremony 2021

The Cyberport Entrepreneurship Programme Graduation Ceremony was also held on the first day of the Forum to celebrate the graduation of 170 start-ups from Cyberport Creative Micro Fund and Cyberport Incubation Programme this year.

 

Cyberport Incubation Programme received more than 650 applications last year competing for 130 places while Cyberport Creative Micro Fund received close to 750 applications with only 97 projects shortlisted, reflecting a keen interest from entrepreneurs to participate in innovation and technology development. In addition to celebrating the milestones of these start-ups, the graduation ceremony also provides a valuable opportunity for Cyberport start-ups to connect with investors and industry professionals.

 

Edventures GBA Summit explores EdTech Development

Two additional spotlight events under CVCF will also be held tomorrow, including the “Edventures Global Business Acceleration Summit” (Edventures GBA Summit). The event is co-organized between Cyberport and Esperanza, which was founded by Mr John Tsang. The Summit aims to develop Hong Kong into an education technology (EdTech) centre in the Greater Bay Area, introduce cutting-edge global EdTech proposals, assist corporations with venturing into Asia and beyond, facilitating collaboration between local enterprises, global EdTech corporations and investors. Twelve finalists of the Edventures GBA Fellowship 2021 which are EdTech start-ups from Israel, Canada, India, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Hong Kong, will share their EdTech solutions. The finalists of the Global EdTech Startup Award (China Final) will also be selected at the Summit. Working with the world-renowned venture capital event “Silicon Dragon”, CVCF recruits global investors and start-ups to explore venture investment opportunities, connecting capital, innovation and technology, entrepreneurship, and development opportunities.

Cyberport FinTech InnoCon

This year’s Forum debuted the Cyberport FinTech InnoCon yesterday to present in-depth discussions on the development of vertical sectors. The event brought together more than 30 representatives from regulatory bodies, professional organizations and start-ups. Under the theme, “Innovation of FinTech Proof-of-Concept for Hong Kong Financial Services Industry”, the Conference deciphered emerging trends and opportunities for technology application in various financial services areas, from RegTech, InsurTech and ESG to cross-border finance in the Greater Bay Area. Innovative case studies on financial institutions and start-ups participating in the Fintech Proof-of-Concept Subsidy Scheme were examined at the event to illustrate how innovation between traditional financial institutions and FinTech companies create win-win situations. These partnerships promote digital transformation that further consolidate and enhance Hong Kong’s competitive advantages as a leading international financial centre, asset management centre and risk management centre.

 

To provide start-ups with an all-round platform to explore venture opportunities, more than 100 online booths will be featured until mid-November as part of the Forum and its series of spotlight events. Through this platform, start-ups can showcase their innovative technology solutions, participate in investor matching and put forward project pitches.

 

More information about the contents and speaker line-up of Cyberport Venture Capital Forum 2021 is available at:

http://cvcf.cyberport.hk/

 

For high resolution photos, please download HERE via this link

Image Captions:

The Cyberport Venture Capital Forum commenced today to explore trends in global tech venture and financing, investor strategies and emerging areas in venture capitals, opportunities, and prospects in the Greater Bay Area against a backdrop of promising market dynamics in venture market and rapid emergence of unicorns post-COVID. The achievement made by Cyberport Investors Network in supporting fundraising for start-ups over last year was also announced.

 

(Front row, Fourth from the left to third from right) Peter Yan, Chief Executive Officer of Cyberport, Dr David Chung, Under Secretary for Innovation and Technology of HKSAR, Dr George Lam, Chairman of Cyberport, Cindy Chow, Cyberport Investors Network Steering Group Chairperson, and Eric Chan, Chief Public Mission Officer of Cyberport.

Dr David Chung, Under Secretary for Innovation and Technology of HKSAR, says the Cyberport Venture Capital Forum provides an excellent platform to connect and facilitate exchange among investors, start-ups, enterprises, and industry professionals, as well as foster investment matching opportunities.

Dr George Lam, Chairman of Cyberport, notes a strong performance in the local venture investment market.

Cindy Chow, Chairperson of Cyberport Investors Network Steering Group, shares that Cyberport Investors Network has matched 14 projects for investors and Cyberport start-ups with a total investment of HK$496 million

 

About Cyberport

Cyberport is an innovative digital community with around 800 on-site start-ups and technology companies. It is management by Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited, which is wholly owned by the Hong Kong SAR Government. With a vision to be the hub for digital technology thereby creating a new economic driver for Hong Kong, Cyberport is committed to nurturing a vibrant tech ecosystem by cultivating talent, promoting entrepreneurship among youth, supporting start-ups on their growth journey, fostering industry development by promoting strategic collaboration with local and international partners, and integrating new and traditional economies by accelerating digital transformation in the public and private sectors.

For more information, please visit www.cyberport.hk

#Cyberport

Malaysia Healthcare Gears for Industry Resilience with insigHT2021

Themed ‘Forging Resilience’, the three-day, cross-disciplinary conference will uncover post-pandemic recovery strategies for healthcare travel

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA – Media OutReach – 2 November 2021 – The Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC) will be hosting insigHT2021, the region’s leading medical travel market intelligence conference, which is set to take place virtually this 16 to 18 November. Themed Forging Resilience, insigHT2021 will focus on how the global medical travel industry can remain resilient in manoeuvring through uncertainties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Now in its sixth instalment, the conference has grown to attract many international speakers and audiences, who recognise insigHT2021 as a platform to strategise and collaborate in sustaining and growing the healthcare travel industry.

 

“The global severity of the pandemic has posed several challenges for the medical travel industry value chain due to prolonged lockdowns on both the local and international scale. “It is crucial that the medical travel industry turns lessons learnt from COVID-19 into actionable strategies. This is where insigHT plays the role as a fodder for ideas to drive the industry forward into the future,” said Mohd Daud Mohd Arif, Chief Executive Officer of MHTC. “However, if there is one thing we can take from the pandemic, it is that cross collaboration is crucial in accelerating industry recovery and our nation’s healthcare landscape moving forward,” he added.

 

insigHT2021 is poised as a catalyst for cross collaboration as the conference gathers key speakers and experts across various sectors of the value chain to share insights on post-pandemic recovery strategies and opportunities for industry resilience. Participants stand to benefit from live Q&A sessions with regional speakers, roundtable discussions, networking with experts from various industries through private meetings and downloading e-business cards as well as gaining access to on-demand videos from the conference. Among topics that will be discussed during the conference include reimaging the health system, the future of healthcare and well-being, and rebuilding hospitality.

 

Joining insigHT2021 are an esteemed line-up of speakers, comprising of global thought leaders and experts in the field of medical travel. They include: YB Khairy Jamaluddin (Minister of Health Malaysia), Ir. Rizki Handayani, MBTM (Deputy Minister for Tourism Product and Events, Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy of Republic of Indonesia), YBhg. Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Dr. Noor Hisham Abdullah (Director General, Ministry of Health Malaysia), Datuk Musa Hj. Yusof (Deputy Director General (Promotion), Tourism Malaysia), Aireen Omar (President – AirAsia Digital, AirAsia Group), Nongyao Jirundorn (Tourism Authority of Thailand), Michel Julian (UNWTO Spain), and Arnaud Bauer (L.E.K. Consulting).

 

“Through initiatives such as insigHT2021, we will continue to build trust for Malaysia Healthcare as a thought leader for the industry. Our priority during this recovery period is to forge resilience for the sector driven by collaboration with industry players to further build a conducive and sustainable healthcare travel ecosystem,” Mohd Daud concluded.

 

insigHT2021 is supported by TM One (Digital Partner), Tourism Malaysia, Tourism Selangor, IMM Carehub, and Magicopper. For more information and to register for insigHT2021, visit www.mhtc.org.my/insigHT2021. To download the insigHT2021 e-brochure, click here.

 

ABOUT THE MALAYSIA HEALTHCARE TRAVEL COUNCIL

The Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC) is a government agency that has been entrusted with the responsibility of curating the country’s healthcare travel scene. Founded in 2009, MHTC works to streamline industry players and service providers in facilitating and growing Malaysia’s healthcare travel industry under the brand “Malaysia Healthcare” with the intended goal of making Malaysia the leading global healthcare destination.

Start Planning Your Healthcare Journey with Malaysia Healthcare

To find out more information, visit: www.malaysiahealthcare.org or contact the MHTC Call Centre at 1-800-188-688 (within Malaysia) or +603 272 68 688 (outside Malaysia), which operates from Mondays to Fridays from 9.00am to 6.00pm (GMT +8).

Experience a seamless end-to-end patient journey beginning at our Malaysia Healthcare Concierge and Lounge(s) located at:

  • Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA): Arrival Hall, Gate 8 (+ 603 8776 6168)
  • Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (klia2): Departure Area, Level 3 (+603 8778 5566)
  • Penang International Airport (PIA): Level 1, Arrival Concourse (+ 604 643 1626)

Malaysia Healthcare Social Media

  • Facebook – facebook.com/malaysiahealthcare.org
  • Instagram – instagram.com/malaysiahealthcare

Malaysia Healthcare’s Recent Awards & Recognition:

International Medical Travel Journal – Medical Travel Awards (2015-2020)

  • Health and Medical Tourism: Destination of the Year – Malaysia (2015 – 2017, 2020)
  • Highly Commended – Health and Medical Tourism: Destination of the Year – Malaysia (2018 and 2019)
  • Health and Medical Tourism: Cluster of the Year – Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (2016-2020)

International Living (Global Retirement Index 2015 – 2019)

  • Malaysia – “Best Country in the World for Healthcare”

Asia Pacific Healthcare & Medical Tourism Awards (2017 – 2021)

MasterCard-Crescent Rating Global Muslim Travel Index (2011 – 2021)

  • Top Country for Muslim Travel

World’s Best Hospitals for Medical Tourists by the Medical Travel Quality Alliance (2013, 2014, 2017-2019)

For more information and details on awards listing, visit: www.malaysiahealthcare.org

#MalaysiaHealthcareTravelCouncil

Appier COO Winnie Lee debuts on Forbes Asia Power BusinessWomen list

Recognized as one of 20 outstanding female leaders by Forbes Asia

TAIPEI, TAIWAN – Media OutReach – 2 November 2021 – Appier Chief Operating Officer and co-founder, Winnie Lee, was recognized as one of 20 outstanding female leaders by Forbes Asia’s annual Power BusinessWomen list of 2021. The women who made it on this list hold leadership roles across industries and achieved marked milestones despite challenges posed by the pandemic. Notably, all the women highlighted this year are new entrants to the list and have been selected for their achievements in managing either a business with sizable revenues or a startup valued at over $100 million.

 

Winnie credits her achievements and success to her parents. “Even when I chose to pivot my career from academia to starting a company, they continued to stand by me, knowing that I have considered all factors,” she says. “I feel truly blessed for all their love and support, and I wouldn’t be who I am today without them.”

 

Read more on Forbes Asia here.

 

About Appier

Appier is a software-as-a-service (SaaS) company that uses artificial intelligence to power business decision-making. Founded in 2012 with a vision of democratizing AI, Appier now has 17 offices across APAC, Europe and U.S., and is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Visit www.appier.com for more information.

#Appier

Second Annual Laos-focused Indo-Pacific Business Forum Held

United States Embassy to Laos
United States Embassy to Laos (Photo: Google)

 

For the second consecutive year, the United States, in partnership with the Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LNCCI) and Ministry of Industry and Commerce, convened a Lao-specific forum in parallel with the Indo-Pacific Business Forum taking place in India. 

Okta Advances Customer Identity with Auth0 and New Okta Features

New capabilities for customer identity and access management drive increased business agility, better security outcomes, and more frictionless user experiences across the enterprise

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 2 November 2021 – Okta, Inc. (NASDAQ: OKTA), the leading independent identity provider, announced continued growth and advancements in both Okta’s and Auth0’s Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM) offerings at the company’s annual Showcase event. Marking the first joint event since the Auth0 acquisition closed in May, the team shared their vision to jointly grow the CIAM market, and launch new capabilities from Okta’s Customer Identity products, including Device Authorization Grant, Branding, and Custom Administrator Roles. A replay of the event, hosted at the company headquarters in San Francisco, can be viewed at okta.com/showcase.

The development time and continuous optimization required to deliver safe and superior digital experiences across devices and applications is increasingly burdensome and complex for companies in today’s marketplaces. It requires customization per application, specific coding, and additional security measures to protect against the evolving threat environment. The risk of security and deterioration of the end user experience is a key challenge. Identity is the common foundation on which organizations can build both secure and frictionless experiences. A new era of identity-first security has emerged as a result and is driving demand for CIAM. Early adopters of CIAM now have a distinct competitive edge.

 

Okta’s acquisition and continued investment in Auth0 is at the center of this growing demand and massive $30 billion market opportunity for CIAM. Okta announced its plan to operate as one combined company, with two CIAM product units across both Okta and Auth0, providing customers with more choice in how they want to deploy CIAM.

 

Okta and Auth0 enable organizations to deploy digital customer-facing experiences that overlay security, governance, privacy, and engagement policies throughout a customer journey, without making tradeoffs to usability. The growth of each platform and the benefits they bring to varied use cases is why Okta will continue to invest in both.

 

Continued investment in Okta’s CIAM offering includes the release of key new capabilities, including:

●        Device Authorization Grant: Simplify and secure the registration and access for end users across input-constrained, shared, and IoT devices (like Smart TV apps, smart speakers, kiosks, and terminals), improving user-experience, reducing abandoned registrations, and increasing security for users regardless of interface.

●     Branding: Communicate with confidence and go live faster with consistent branding across login, error pages, and email templates without wasting hours of developer time. Customers can deploy their brand templates without adding custom code, ultimately providing ease of implementation.

●        Custom Administrator Roles: Spend less time on the governance of who has access to what and more time focusing on the challenges that will drive businesses forward. Enable Super Admins to follow the principle of least privilege by creating granular roles for admins to manage their users, groups, and applications. Easily apply a flexible approach to administration that fits each unique organization structure, ensuring each admin has the right level of access they require.

 

Okta’s Customer Identity platform currently serves leading enterprises including Crate & Barrel, Albertsons Companies, and JetBlue.

 

Verisk is a leading data analytics provider serving customers in insurance, energy and specialized markets, and financial services,” said Atul Bahl, Vice President of Cloud Infrastructure, Verisk Analytics. “As a data-focused organization, security is of the utmost importance to us. Okta’s Custom Administrator Roles allow us to follow the principle of least privilege and only grant admins access to the tasks they need to perform across our many business units. We save time for our internal teams and ensure the best-in-class security of our customer applications.”

 

“Identity sits at the core of all digital experiences and provides the security, agility, and usability needed to quickly adapt to any current or future challenge,” said Todd McKinnon, CEO and co-founder, Okta. “Together, Okta and Auth0 deliver the most comprehensive approach to customer identity. We are investing in and supporting both platforms, and we are proud to empower our customers to choose with confidence.”

 

Availability

Okta’s new features, including Device Authorization Grant, Branding, and Custom Administrator Roles, are all available today in early access. Customers can opt-in to use all three new capabilities in the Okta Admin Dashboard. Device Authorization Grant and Branding will be generally available in Q4 2021 and Custom Administrator Roles will be generally available in Q2 2022.

 

Customers can opt-in to use all three new capabilities in the Okta Admin Dashboard. For more information, visit: okta.com/customer-identity.

About Okta

Okta is the leading independent identity provider. The Okta Identity Cloud enables organizations to securely connect the right people to the right technologies at the right time. With more than 7,000 pre-built integrations to applications and infrastructure providers, Okta provides simple and secure access to people and organizations everywhere, giving them the confidence to reach their full potential. More than 13,050 organizations, including JetBlue, Nordstrom, Siemens, Slack, Takeda, Teach for America, and Twilio, trust Okta to help protect the identities of their workforces and customers.


#Okta

Vientiane Residents Struggle with Fuel Shortage

Fuel shortage in Vientiane Capital

 

Motorists in Vientiane have taken to social media citing a chronic fuel shortage among petrol stations in the capital.

Higher education leaders discuss building resilient universities in Asia at QS APPLE Conference

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 2 November 2021 – Distinguished higher education leaders in the Asia-Pacific acknowledged at the Quacquarelli Symonds Asia-Pacific Professional Leaders in Education (QS APPLE) 2021 Conference that the strategic direction of transdisciplinary education and research is fundamental to the development of higher education in the region, and that universities need to become more resilient to cope with technological advancements and uncertainties in the post-pandemic era.

The Presidents Panel of the QS APPLE 2021 Conference featured higher education leaders in the region including (clockwise from top left) Professor Alexander Wai, President and Vice-Chancellor of HKBU; Professor Lily Kong, President of the Singapore Management University; Professor Joonki Paik, Provost and Executive Vice President of Research of the Chung-Ang University in Korea; Professor Yang Bin, Vice President and Provost of Tsinghua University in mainland China; and Professor T.G. Sitharam, Director of the Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati as panelists; and Mr Anton John Crace, Editor & Programme Designer of QS, as the moderator.

 

The sector leaders, who joined the Presidents Panel with the theme “Building resilient universities for tomorrow: An Asian perspective” yesterday (1 November) at the QS APPLE 2021 Conference, also agreed that artificial intelligence (AI) will empower both educators and students to cope with future education and workforce trends.

 

The QS APPLE 2021 Conference, hosted by Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) and co-hosted by Prince of Songkla University in Thailand, is being held virtually from 1 to 3 November with the theme “Future Rebalance: Emerging trends and workforce in the Asia Pacific”. The conference features more than 80 distinguished speakers from world-leading universities and organisations, and the programme includes keynote speeches, debates, panel discussions and case studies that reflect the opportunities and trends in education in the Asia-Pacific region.

 

In his opening remarks at the conference, Professor Alexander Wai, President and Vice-Chancellor of HKBU, pointed out that higher education is in the midst of an exciting transformation brought about not only by the pandemic, but also the incredible advances happening in AI and the technology sector. He said that in this fast-evolving world, we need to race against time: “Education is the key to adapting to new technologies, and universities will play a key role in closing an imminent skills gap by enabling their students to acquire transferable competencies alongside technological skills.

 

“Universities must sow the seeds of systemic change to nurture cultures that emphasise care, collaboration and community engagement if we are to reap the harvest of transdisciplinary research – a rich yield where scientific rigour, societal impact and wider engagement collide,” he said.

 

Ben Sowter, Senior Vice President of QS Intelligence Unit, said: “As a consequence of recent challenges faced, and largely adapted to, by universities, the cat is truly out of the bag – universities can change and they can do it fast. On what other challenges should they next focus their collective might? The primary purpose of this conference is not merely to sustain the conversation, but to evoke action. Beyond action universities might take to reinforce their own resilience as institutions, to what they can do to augment ours as a species.”

 

The Conference’s Presidents Panel featured higher education leaders in the region, including Professor Alexander Wai of HKBU; Professor Lily Kong, President of the Singapore Management University; Professor Joonki Paik, Provost and Executive Vice-President of Research of the Chung-Ang University in Korea; Professor Yang Bin, Vice-President and Provost of Tsinghua University in mainland China; and Professor T.G. Sitharam, Director of the Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, as panellists.

 

The panellists shared their visions and experience on how we can build resilient universities in the Asia-Pacific region that can help students flourish in the face of an uncertain future that has been brought about by recent rapid technological advancements and the COVID-19 pandemic. The importance of both natural and social sciences, as seen in transdisciplinary research in terms of addressing grand global challenges, was also ascertained.

 

“At HKBU, we foster transdisciplinary research with a focus on three areas. The first one is wellness, and it includes health, food, drug discovery and Chinese medicine. Another area is art-tech, which embraces visualisation technologies for traditional art history and culture. All these areas are powered by technologies including AI and big data, which is our third area of focus. We strongly believe that these are the areas which will build students’ resilience and prepare them for an unknown future,” said Professor Wai.

 

The Panel discussion also touched on their experience of integrating AI into education programmes, strengthening the AI capabilities of students for the future world of work, and ways to boost internal administrative efficiencies.

 

Please visit the official website of the conference (https://qsapple.org/) for the full agenda and other information about the event.