16 June 2014 - Over 130 international delegates gathered in Singapore on 16 June 2014 to discuss innovative solutions for an ageing society in the new era of ICT-enabled growth and to create opportunities for people with disabilities to capitalise on the digital wave.
Singapore, 16 June 2014 | For Immediate Release
Over 130 international delegates gathered in Singapore on 16 June 2014 to discuss innovative solutions for an ageing society in the new era of ICT-enabled growth and to create opportunities for people with disabilities to capitalise on the digital wave.
Jointly organised by the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA), Singapore e-Government Leadership Centre (eGL) and Institute of System Science (ISS) at the National University of Singapore (NUS), the workshop delved into ways to make ICT more accessible to the aged and people with special needs in order to enable them to participate in the digital economy.
Supported by the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), Waseda University and International Academy of CIOs (IAC), the event included government officials, academia, NGOs, VWOs and industry players from 24 economies.
"Governments today face higher expectations from citizens who use their best online transaction experiences from around the world, including that with the private sector as a yardstick for the quality of government digital services. Hence, it is no longer sufficient for Government to just provide and upkeep services online, but to innovate, and keep on innovating to raise the bar of public service and to enhance the service experience of citizens when they interact with the government." said Mr Amos Tan, Director, Strategy and Innovation Division (SID), IDA.
Consensus drawn at the workshop included the need for international cooperation and broad-based steps to be developed now, in particular the acceleration of innovation, design of secure and resilient environments, building strategic ICT capabilities, aligning policies with user-driven needs, promoting scalable solutions, harnessing data analytics for citizen participation, recognising the need for increased cross-cutting research and raising social awareness about ageing and disabilities.
"Learning from international best practices and the implementation of comprehensive strategies is a good start to address the needs of the elderly and people with disability in Singapore. We will continue to promote research and innovation of services in sectors such as healthcare, finance, training, transportation, community development, housing and e-government so as to provide an environment for the ageing and disabled folks with capabilities, opportunities, responsibilities and resources to maintain active participation and social inclusion. In addition, we advocate the use of design thinking to achieve good design to enable products, services or ICT for the elderly and people with disability," said Mr Lim Swee Cheang, Director of ISS.
The workshop concluded that to meet the challenges of the 21st century and to mitigate the social and economic impacts of people with special needs, economies must embrace the culture of innovation and enhance collaboration among governments, businesses and citizens. This includes social and organisational innovation, as well as the unlocking of information technologies through increased research and innovative new models.
JOINTLY ISSUED BY INFOCOMM DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY OF SINGAPORE AND EGOVERNMENT LEADERSHIP CENTRE
About Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore
The Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) is committed to growing Singapore into a dynamic global infocomm hub. IDA uses an integrated approach to developing infocommunications in Singapore. This involves nurturing a competitive telecoms market as well as a conducive business environment with programmes and schemes for both local and international companies. For more news and information, visit www.ida.gov.sg.
About eGovernment Leadership Centre & Institute of Systems Science
Established in 1981, the Institute of Systems Science (lSS) at the National University of Singapore (NUS) provides graduate education, professional development courses, consultancy and research services. To date, over 84,000 infocomm professionals, 5,100 corporate customers and 4,100 post-graduate alumni members have benefitted from ISS’s suite of services. The Singapore e-Government Leadership Centre (eGL) was set up in 2006 with the mission to conduct executive leadership education on e-Government, through the provision of training, research, capacity building and consultancy services. Since its inception, eGL has trained delegates from Africa, Asia, Europe, Middle East, Pacific Islands, Central and South America. For more information on ISS and eGL, visit www.iss.nus.edu.sg.
About National University of Singapore (NUS)
A leading global university centred in Asia, the National University of Singapore (NUS) is Singapore's flagship university, which offers a global approach to education and research, with a focus on Asian perspectives and expertise.
NUS has 16 faculties and schools across three campuses. Over 37,000 students from 100 countries enrich the community with their diverse social and cultural perspectives.
NUS has three Research Centres of Excellence (RCE) and 24 university-level research institutes and centres. It is also a partner in Singapore's fifth RCE. NUS shares a close affiliation with 16 national-level research institutes and centres. Research activities are strategic and robust, and NUS is well-known for its research strengths in engineering, life sciences and biomedicine, social sciences and natural sciences. It also strives to create a supportive and innovative environment to promote creative enterprise within its community.
For more information, please visit www.nus.edu.sg.
About Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is the premier forum for facilitating economic growth, cooperation, trade and investment in the Asia-Pacific region. Established in 1989 to further enhance economic growth and prosperity for the region, APEC is an intergovernmental grouping that operates on the basis of non-binding commitments, open dialogue and equal respect for the views of all participants. Unlike the WTO or other multilateral trade bodies, APEC has no treaty obligations required of its participants. APEC has 21 members - referred to as "member economies" - which account for approximately 40 percent of the world's population, approximately 55 percent of world GDP and about 44 percent of world trade. For more information about APEC, please visit: www.apec.org.
About International Academy of CIO
Established in 2006, International Academy of CIO (IAC) was founded in Japan by co-founders Japan, USA, Indonesia, Philippines, Switzerland and Thailand. Today, members and alliances include China, Cambodia, Holland, India, Korea, Laos, Hong Kong, Macao, Peru, Singapore, South Africa, Taiwan, UK, Viet Nam, Italy, Russia, etc. Its mission is to - establish academic standards based on its research on social phenomenon relating to ICT, facilitate the exchange of information and ideas amongst academy members, academia, ICT professionals and government officials, foster the development of best practices in CIO and CIO Councils, and introduce a global standard for CIOs to strengthen and enhance international competitiveness of the industry. For more information about IAC, please visit www.cio-iac.org.
About Waseda University
Waseda University was founded in 1882 by Shigenobu Okuma, late Prime Minister of Japan, with the aim of fostering contemporary Japanese leaders. It has since developed in a comprehensive university with more than fifty thousand students and staff, comprising 13 undergraduate schools, 23 graduate schools and other research and affiliated institutes. The pedagogy and spirit embraced through Waseda’s tradition and pride with a flexible and innovative mindset have ensured that Waseda stands firm at the forefront of Japanese education. For more information, visit www.e-gov.waseda.ac.jp.
For media clarification, please contact:
Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore;
Malini NATHAN (Ms)
Manager, Corporate & Marketing Communication
Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore
DID: (65) 6211 0660
Email: malini_nathan@imda.gov.sg
Mehul SHAH (Mr)
Assistant Manager, Corporate & Marketing Communication
Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore
DID: (65) 6211 1557
Email: mehul_shah@imda.gov.sg
Institute of Systems Science, National University of Singapore
Dolly CHENG (Ms)
Associate Director, Marketing Communications
DID: (65) 6516 2092
Mobile: (65) 9069 0642
E-mail: dollycheng@nus.edu.sg
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