The 5th ASEF Young Leaders Summit (ASEFYLS5) took place from August to December 2023. It focused on the theme of ‘Leadership & Society 5.0’ and incorporates 3 spheres for youth leadership: 1) self-leadership (you), 2) team leadership (we) and 3) societal leadership (all).
The Youth Summit of the 5th ASEF Young Leaders Summit took place in Salamanca, Spain, in September 2023. We interviewed 4 of our speakers about Leadership in Society 5.0. Discussing everything from technology’s impact on an individual level to a community level; leadership qualities and perspectives to be mindful of in Society 5.0; and providing words of wisdom for future international leaders – our 4 speakers share their perspectives on the interlink between technology and society and the effects it has on our future young leaders and the world.
Professor Kiron RAVINDRAN is a teacher and researcher in IE University’s Business School. Professor Ravindran holds a PhD from the University of California, Irvine and Mechanical Engineering degree from Kerala University in India, and is an enthusiastic observer of technology enabled changes to business and society. His publications have been in Outsourcing, Cloud computing, Organizational Networks, Machine Learning and Robotics. He teaches Technology and Innovation Management in the MBA programmes.
In this interview, Mr Ravindran discusses the pros and cons of technology and the effects it has on our day-to-day life. Furthermore, he explores how leadership can come in many different forms, and what things to keep in mind as future leaders in a society where the line between truth and non-truth is getting more and more difficult to discern. Watch the full interview below to learn more.
Ms Liana TANG has served for over 15 years in the Singapore Public Service. Her experience spans policy, planning, communications, and engagement across various domains such as culture, heritage, digital, and marriage and parenthood policies. Her current role as Second Director in the Digital Strategy Office (DSO) of Communications and Information covers Futures and Strategy in the digital domain. Prior to joining DSO, Liana led the Centre for Strategic Futures at the Prime Minister’s Office Strategy Group. Her academic and policy interests lie in the intersections of technology and society, and how identity, community and meaning-making are evolving.
In this interview, Ms Tang comments on the balance between individuals and community and how we can work together and learn from each other to address some societal challenges and uncertainties we are facing in Society 5.0. She continues to remark on how long-term planning and agility are crucial in both the public and private sector for ensuring a stable future where we are prepared to tackle the challenges that we will face. Watch the full interview below to learn more.
Ms Miriam GONZÁLEZ DURÁNTEZ holds a law degree from University of Valladolid and a Master’s degree in European politics from the College of Europe in Bruges. She is a lawyer specialising in international trade and the founder and President of Inspiring Girls – a global charity dedicated to raising the aspirations of young girls around the world by connecting school-age girls with women role models – as well as the founder of España Mejor: a non-profit seeking to respond to Spain’s challenges.
In her interview, she talks about how institutions play an important role in encouraging young people to use the opportunities that come along with the integration of technology, the digital world, and the physical world. Humanity needs to keep up with the technology, but whilst strictly STEM skills will be needed to tackle future challenges in Society 5.0, Ms González Durántez emphasises the need to also consider ethics and to maintain a humanistic approach in these new and exciting times. Watch the full interview to learn more.
Mr Mayank SHARMA has a Bachelor of Technology from Delhi Technological University and since 2018 he has been working at UNESCO in various positions. Since 2020 he is and Associate National Project Officer for Data Science, at UNESCO Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development, India. Mr Sharma was one of the Challenge Owners of the 5th ASEF Young Leaders Summit. Together with UNESCO MGIEP, he presented a challenge on “Socio – Emotional Health in the Age of Generative AI”.
We interviewed Mr Sharma on his experience as a Challenge Owner and about his challenge. In this interview, he discusses the importance of social and emotional health and how the process of working with a challenge on this topic allows the participants to further develop their research skills whilst simultaneously learning about risks with the increasing use of generative AI in everyday life. He talks about how education and cooperation between Asia and Europe through knowledge exchange will benefit both regions, as we delve into and explore the new landscape of Society 5.0. Watch the full interview below to learn more.
Find out more about the 5th ASEF Young Leaders Summit and the other programme elements here.