WHAT WAS THE ASEFINNOLAB4 ABOUT?
The 4th ASEF Higher Education Innovation Laboratory (ASEFInnoLab4) was designed to promote collaboration and facilitate the development of innovative and actionable projects concerning AI Innovation Ecosystems. It provided an opportunity for university academics and senior administrators to exchange knowledge, co-create innovation projects, and explore areas for collaboration among their institutions.
ASEFInnoLab4 brought together 20 University Academics and Senior Administrators for the onsite programme which took place at Fudan University, Shanghai, China, from 23 to 28 October 2023. ASEFInnoLab4 Participants were also invited to participate and speak during various Roundtable Discussions of the Shanghai Forum.
WHO WILL PARTICIPATE?
ASEFInnoLab4 was designed for academics and senior administrators from higher education institutions interested in joining a cohort of like-minded peers who wanted to exchange knowledge, expand their professional network, and collaborate to address challenges concerning AI Governance, AI in Education, and AI for Sustainable Development. Participation in this project was by invitation only.
The project brought together 20 university academics and senior administrators. To learn more about the participants, view the Participant Booklet Here.
WHAT WERE THE OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME?
ASEFInnoLab4 aimed to:
EXPAND THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE NEED FOR AI SKILL
ASEFInnoLab4 aspired to help participants expand their understanding of the role of higher education in fulfilling the growing skills gap in the workforce and the importance of collaborating for AI Innovation. Due to the rapid innovations in technology and AI, universities play a pivotal role in AI Innovation.
EXPAND PROFESSIONAL NETWORK ACROSS ASIA AND EUROPE
ASEFInnoLab4 aspired to provide various opportunities for participants to interact and explore potential spaces for collaboration with peers, higher education stakeholders and partners, and industry partners attending ASEFInnoLab4 and the Shanghai Forum.
ESTABLISH A COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE TO ADVANCE AI INNOVATION ECOSYSTEMS
ASEFInnoLab4 aspired to establish a Community of Practice now known as the Asia-Europe for Artificial Intelligence (AE4AI) Network, a network of higher education academics and senior administrators determined to advance AI Innovation Ecosystems and support the collaboration of higher education stakeholders and partners across Asia and Europe.
WHAT ARE THE OUTCOMES OF THE PROGRAMME?
ASEFInnoLab4 had two key outcomes:
THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE JOINT STATEMENT
The ASEFInnoLab4 was designed to facilitate the development of a Joint Statement, with subject matter experts on the topics of AI Governance, AI in Education, and AI for Sustainable Development, delivering presentations during Roundtable Discussions throughout the programme.
Highlighted in the ASEFInnoLab Roundtable Discussions was how “AI technology has recently reached an unprecedented level of capability” bringing with it “benefits, risks, and challenges that have manifested with the transition from Narrow Intelligence to Generative AI”.
The Joint Statement underscores the critical need for robust collaboration among different stakeholders of higher education institutions in Asia and Europe. Collectively, they can become critical hubs of innovation and knowledge centres laying down guiding principles to inform policymakers and build an ecosystem for a future where AI is a force of good for government, businesses, and our societies.
To view the Joint Statement, click here.
LAUNCH OF THE ASIA-EUROPE FOR ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AE4AI) NETWORK
ASEFInnoLab4 brought together 20 University Academics and Senior Administrators from across Asia and Europe to facilitate the collaboration and the promotion of new partnerships. The outcome of this initiative is the launch of the AE4AI Network. This network provided the university academics and senior administrators the opportunity to design innovative and actionable projects aligned with the three subtopics: AI Governance, AI in Education, and AI for Sustainable Development.
To learn more about the Asia-Europe for Artificial Intelligence (AE4AI) Network, visit the AE4AI Project Page, click here.
WHAT WAS THE PROGRAMME DESIGN?
The 6-day programme is designed to facilitate knowledge exchange, capacity building, and collaboration among participants specifically through:
ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS
ASEFInnoLab4 consisted of three Roundtable Discussions focused on the following priority areas:
1. AI Governance
From Generative AI to quantum machine learning, trends in tech innovations are shaping the future of AI and society. Technology ethics and social governance issues of AI, and skill needs of the future economy and workforce were part of the priority areas of ASEFInnoLab4.
2. AI in Education
Universities are at the crossroads of education, research, and innovation. With the impact of technological disruptions of the 4th Industrial Revolution on higher education and the labour market, universities must adapt quickly to new skills and technology transfer demands.
3. AI for Sustainable Development
The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2030, specifically SDG 4, Target 4.4, sets the objective to increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills for employment, decent jobs, and entrepreneurship. AI has the potential to contribute to this among other SDGs.
Each roundtable discussion contributed to the drafting of the Joint Statement.
WORKSHOPS
ASEFInnoLab4 workshops were conducted immediately after the Roundtable Discussions. These workshops were designed to facilitate the development of Innovation Projects for the Asia-Europe for Artificial Intelligence (AE4AI) Network to pursue.
AT-A-GLANCE
WHEN
23 October – 28 October 2023
WHERE
Fudan University
Shanghai, China
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
COSTS
Participation in the programme was fully funded.
TAKE A LOOK AT PREVIOUS EDITIONS
ASEFInnoLab1 | 25 March – 13 May 2021
Learn more, visit the Project Page, click here.
ASEFInnoLab2 | 4 November – 9 December 2021
Learn more, visit the Project Page, click here.
ASEFInnoLab3 | 28 June – 26 July 2023
Learn more, visit the Project Page, click here.
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