The first AUN-UIE Webinar 2022 exploring ways to foster innovative thinking and entrepreneurship in ASEAN Higher Education Institutes

By Ng Lok Hin, AUN Intern and Suchanaad Dhanakoses, AUN Programme Officer

The AUN University Innovation and Enterprise (AUN-UIE) webinar 2022 successfully concluded on 9 December 2022. The webinar was co-hosted by Chulalongkorn University, Singapore Management University, and ASEAN University Network Secretariat.

Throughout the 3-hour webinar on the topic “Roles of Higher Education Institutes in Promoting Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and Ways Forward”, attendees have learned from numerous experts in entrepreneurship and innovation areas. The list of speakers include:

• Prof. Kaywalee Chatdarong from Chulalongkorn University
• Prof. Sun Sun Lim from Singapore Management University
• Assoc. Prof. Steven White from Tsinghua University
• President Herbert Chen from International Association of Science Parks and Areas of Innovation (IASP)
• Dr. El lza Mohamedou from the OECD Centre for Skills
• Mr. Kjell-Håkan Närfelt from VINNOVA

The participants were welcomed by Prof. Kaywalee Chatdarong, Chairperson of AUN-UIE, followed by opening speech of Prof. Sun Sun Lim, Vice President of Partnership and Engagement at Singapore Management University (SMU), introducing how SMU encourages students to think innovatively and acquire an entrepreneurial mindset. The webinar explored the possibilities for ASEAN countries to transition from a manufacturing-based industry to an innovation, research, and development industry.

The first session kicked off with a presentation by Prof. Kaywalee Chatdarong, emphasizing how the landscape for education after covid has shifted towards innovation. The session was followed by Assoc. Prof. White, bringing up a successful example from China, where the degree of innovation had been massively encouraged in the past decades. President Herbert Chen then dived deeper into the role of Higher Education in fostering innovation and entrepreneurial development in China.

The second session started with Dr. El lza Mohamedou on the topic “Fostering Education-Industry Partnerships, Trends and Policy Implications to Develop a New Set of Skills and Boost Innovation” reminding ASEAN Higher Education Institutions of the importance of skills development such as up-skilling adults, and promoting on-the-job training. Followed by the presentation of Mr. Kjell-Håkan Närfelt on “EU’s New Guidelines for Knowledge of Valorisation”. The webinar concluded with a panel discussion and Q&A session, moderated by Dr. Ronnakorn Vaiyavuth.

See presentation slides from the webinar here.

Stay tuned for the next webinar if you are interested in innovation and entrepreneurship!