The Path to Digitalization for WSMEs

Policy Breakthroughs from Vietnam, Singapore and South Korea

In today’s business environment where going digital is a necessity, all business owners must be equipped to become part of the digital economy to stay relevant. In particular, women-owned small and medium enterprises (WSMEs) can and want to thrive in the digital age. However, support from policymakers and private stakeholders is necessary to set inclusive digital transformation agendas that can unleash their dormant potential. Organised in cooperation with Woomentum and in partnership with the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, the webinar, 'Path to Digitalisation for WSMEs- Policy Breakthroughs from Vietnam, South Korea and Singapore', had policy experts from Vietnam, South Korea, and Singapore share breakthroughs and learnings from digital transformation policies in their countries as well as discussed the next steps to crafting a path to digitalisation for WSMEs. The webinar took place on Tuesday, 14 December 2021 from 17:00 JST. 

Women in Japan

Current Roles and Expectations

The first in the series of events titled, 'Women in Japan', the 'Women in Japan: Current Roles and Expectations' webinar took place on 3 December 2021. The webinar focused on providing an overview of Japan’s current gender environment in the three sections of politics, economy, and society with prominent speakers (politicians, journalists, and academics).

Labour Mobility and Global Health Governance in Asia

Contagious viral diseases had affected the Asian continent in the past, yet the COVID-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on the region. Disrupted travel and business connections have highlighted the vulnerability of global health governance and international labour migration in the region. The region lacked a clear and effective leadership in the pandemic, as the WHO’s role as a global health organisation came under increasing pressure and international public health has become an arena of heavy contestation between global powers. Consequently, countries in the region have dealt with COVID-19 differently, even though personal health security has become a transnational issue in a region that relies heavily on migrant workers. Current policies were not designed with pandemics of this scale in mind, and their defects are showing. The conference, ‘Labour Mobility and Global Health Governance in Asia’, organised with the Leiden Asia Centre (LAC) and the IAFOR Research Centre at Osaka School of International Public Policy (IRC), discussed all these topics and took place on Thursday, 4 November 2021 from 17:00 – 19:30 (JST).

Digitalisation

Managing Time, Cost, and People to Embrace Technology in Your Business

In a post-pandemic world, the need for digitalisation in business has become a necessity. On top of their day-to-day operations, it can be overwhelming for small and mid-sized enterprises (SMEs) to try and navigate the many digital tools available. The “Managing Time, Cost and People to Embrace Technology in your Business” webinar covered valuable insights and lessons learnt from 140 women-led small and mid-sized enterprises (WSMEs) across 7 Asian countries and featured a panel of successful entrepreneurs and digitalisation experts. The webinar took place on Thursday, 28 October 2021 from 17:00 – 18:30 (JST) with interpretation in English, Vietnamese and Burmese.

After the Voting

What Happens Next?

Discussion on the 2021 German federal election with Mr Jürgen Hardt, Member of the Bundestag

Digital Asia

Crafting Responsive Trade Policies

The exponential growth of the digital economy in Asia is driving large numbers of firms and consumers online. Digital ecosystems, regional platforms, 5G technology, digital financial services and payments are key trends that feature prominently in “new generation trade agreements” in Asia. Trade agreements such as the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), the Digital Economic Partnership Agreement (DEPA), among others, are trying to create a multilateral framework to tackle these critical issues. However, national governments in the region are still struggling to manage and regulate these trends. The results often lead to contentious issues, including inconsistent data policy, digital taxation and consumer protection rules.

Before the Voting

What Can We Expect?

Discussion on the 2021 German federal election with Ms. Ursula Groden-Kranich, Member of the Bundestag

Following up with Actions instead of Words

German-Japanese Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific

Public Symposium “Security Dynamics in the Indo-Pacific” as part of the German-Japanese 1.5 Track Security Dialogue

Inter-Parliamentary Dialogue

Event Report

This is the event report for the very first Inter-Parliamentary Dialogue which was organised by the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) Japan office between German and Japanese Members of Parliaments (MPs). The dialogue took place on 27 April 2021.

Leading with Grit and Grace

Conference Report

This report summarises the key take-aways and recommendations from the International Leadership Conference “Leading with Grit and Grace”, jointly organised by TalentNomics India and KAS Japan's Regional Economic Programme Asia (SOPAS). The event was held virtually on November 5th and 6th, 2020. The meeting brought together more than 20 Global Leaders as speakers and panelists, and was attended by over 500 participants. The event, held in the backdrop of COVID19 health, social and economic global crisis, centred around charting an inclusive recovery from the crisis and highlighting traits of leaders who can impactfully steer the new post-COVID world.