SAP SE (NYSE: SAP) and the ASEAN Foundation announced that three teams from Saint Joseph Convent School, Kirirom Institute of Technology, and Sunway University have emerged as the winners in the ASEAN Data Science Explorers (ASEAN DSE) Regional Finals 2021 which took place from October 5 to 7 virtually.
The three teams came out on top for their insights and data-driven solutions that support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), highlighting the importance of climate action and sustainability. Below are the details of the winners:
- Team Youth Forward, comprising Rada Prapaikornkiet and Kanjaree Suppawittaya from Saint Joseph Convent School, Thailand, emerged as the first winner. Their presentation was focused on empowering farming towards a sustainable future of the ASEAN Community covering SDG 2 – Zero Hunger, SDG 4 – Quality Education, and SDG 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth
- Team Sprinkle, comprising Chakriya Suy and Serei Neath Reasey, from Kirirom Institute of Technology, Cambodia, took the first runner-up position. Their presentation was focused on recycle centers as the solution for waste management covering SDG 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth and SDG 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities
- Team Brain Drain, comprising Ryan Kok Lam Liew and Jia Hui Ng, from Sunway University, Malaysia, secured the second runner-up place. Their presentation was focused on prioritising e-waste covering SDG 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production.
“The ASEAN Data Science Explorers competition, the ASEAN Foundation’s flagship programme, has proven ASEAN’s commitment to preparing our youth to be future-ready. This initiative plays a vital role in igniting students’ creative minds in tackling problems with innovative, creative, and sustainable solutions,” said The Honourable Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Hamzah, Minister of Education, Brunei Darussalam.
In a three-day virtual event, ASEAN Foundation and SAP organized a series of engaging activities for the regional finalists to build connections, strengthen their future-ready skills and grow their appreciation for being a citizen of ASEAN.
Amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, ASEAN DSE continues to equip youth from across the region with essential digital skills by organising key activities, such as enablement sessions and data analytics competition in a hybrid model – virtually and in-person, wherever possible. As 2021 marks the fifth-year milestone for ASEAN DSE, the programme has a renewed focus on UN SDGs that target climate and sustainability.
In addition, the programme also collaborates with Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in ten ASEAN member states (AMS) to deliver online and in-person enablement sessions to youth, including those with limited access to technology and youth with disabilities.
The collaboration with IHLs and NGOs made it possible for the programme to deliver SAP Analytics Cloud training to 11,782 students and lecturers in 2021, with females making up 53% of the youth beneficiaries. These figures mark a 158% increase compared to 2020 (4,563 youths and lecturers).
Furthermore, this year saw 714 students from ten ASEAN countries across the region compete to represent their country in the National Finals.
“The ASEAN DSE initiative sets the foundation of a digital world where our ASEAN youth are inspired and motivated to create and solve challenges through technology. This will also cultivate digital inclusion by imbuing youths and lecturers with data analytics skills and nurturing and deepening a pool of homegrown talents in the region to build the workforce of the future,” said Verena Siow, President and Managing Director of SAP Southeast Asia.
“Through our collaboration with the ASEAN Foundation, we aim to empower the diverse ASEAN community to be the world’s economic powerhouse, be at the forefront of innovation, and drive sustainable economies,” added Siow.
“ASEAN Foundation and SAP aspire to help young people in the region to be future-ready by nurturing their 21st-century skills. Aligned with the theme of Brunei’s ASEAN Chairmanship 2021 ‘We Care, We Prepare, We Prosper,’ this programme also allows youth to better understand the shared challenges the region must overcome together and fosters a deeper sense of belonging towards the ASEAN Community.
“We also hope that the collaboration between ASEAN Foundation and SAP can inspire more public-private partnerships in the future to support the development of our future generation,” said Dr. Yang Mee Eng, Executive Director of ASEAN Foundation.
The ASEAN DSE Regional Finals 2021 was live-streamed on the ASEAN Foundation’s Facebook channel, attracting more than 2,200 views. The live stream videos can be accessed through this link: bit.ly/regionalfinal2021
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