A REGIONAL WORKSHOP BY THE YOUNG SOUTHEAST ASIAN LEADERS INITIATIVE
ATTENTION: EDITORS
June 14, 2022
KUALA LUMPUR – The United States Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, in collaboration with Sarawak Digital Economic Corporation (SDEC) and Center for Governance and Political Studies (Cent GPS), is delighted to present the Young Southeast Asian Leaders (YSEALI) Regional Workshop on Enhancing Digital Connectivity For All, a program to foster conversations and collaborations among ASEAN and Timor-Leste young leaders to tackle digital connectivity challenges and find solutions to bridge the digital divide within their communities.
This three-day workshop will be held in Kuching, Sarawak from June 14 to 16, and will bring together 100 participants across the ASEAN region as well as guest speakers, experts, and stakeholders from the digital industry. Expert speakers will share their experiences in the connectivity space and guide the participants in producing policy papers on enhanced digital connectivity that can be proposed to government agencies, international bodies, or corporate funders.
The workshop will cover topics including digital inclusivity for a broad spectrum of devices and users, the digitalization of local economies and businesses, digital literacy, data privacy and security, and the formation of a digital regulatory framework. All participants will draft white papers with their ideas for a more robust and inclusive digital ecosystem and share them on the last day of the workshop with their peers.
The YSEALI Digital Connectivity Workshop was officiated by Sarawak Deputy Minister for Energy and Environmental Sustainability YB Dr Haji Hazland bin Abang Hipni, SDEC Chairman Sudarnoto Osman and Chargé d’ Affaires of U.S. Embassy Kuala Lumpur, Michael Newbill.
YB Dr Haji Hazland said, “A key factor to achieving prosperity and elevating the well-being of our people is to give all Sarawakians access to knowledge, information and economic opportunities and in this age, that translates to digital connectivity. Sarawak, I believe would be one of the focal points of the region. To YSEALI’s fellow participants, I wish that you would have a productive workshop ahead, network with and get to know each other and do conspire amongst yourselves for a collaborative effort that would do good for all of us in the region.”
U.S. Embassy Charge d’Affaires Michael Newbill commented, “As the past few years have shown us, connectivity can be the key to positive outcomes in education, healthcare, building small businesses, and ensuring access to government services. We’ve brought 100 young leaders from across Southeast Asia together to spend a few days discussing and debating how to ensure better connectivity and better outcomes for all. Our Embassy is especially proud to host this YSEALI Digital Connectivity Workshop here in Sarawak, a pioneer in the digital economy space.”
As noted recently in the U.S-ASEAN Summit in May, the U.S. is committed to supporting the development of ASEAN’s digital infrastructure. The Embassy is proud to hold this program in Sarawak, a pioneering state in Malaysia’s digital economy transformation. The United States Department of State, through the YSEALI initiative, will continue to build bridges across the region by bringing like-minded young leaders in collaborating to build a more prosperous region.
For more details on the workshop visit: http://centgps.com.my/yseali-connectivity/
Press Inquiries: kimberly@centgps.com.my / info@centgps.com.my
Website : http://centgps.com.my/yseali-connectivity/
Contact : +603 9770 9197
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