In December 2022, the Digital Ambassadors based in Asia met for the first Regional Digital Ambassadors APLAK Meeting 2022 at the GEFE conference in Vietnam. Following the conference, the Digital Ambassadors were invited to visit a TVET partner college of GIZ in Dong Nai Province.
Besides the visits, the Digital Ambassadors got together in a workshop and team retreat to exchange and strengthen the network.
Highlights of the GEFE conference (Green Economic Forum & Exhibition)
The GEFE conference was organized by the European Chambers of Commerce in Vietnam, bringing together stakeholders to discuss the European Innovation and Sustainable Solutions. All in the light to achieve COP26 commitments and SDG goals reflected in the National Green Growth strategy 2012 to 2030.
A panel discussion on Digital Entrepreneurship and Climate Change
Organized by the Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society (HIIG), in close cooperation with the Digital Transformation Center Vietnam, as part of the Sustainability, Entrepreneurship and Global Digital Transformation (SET) research project, the research sprint brought together a group of international scholars with various disciplinary backgrounds to examine the obstacles that green technology entrepreneurs in Vietnam face, and the factors that promote or inhibit investments in Vietnamese green technology startups. On the panel, three experts from academia, business, and public sectors discussed the sprint’s findings, their implications, and the factors to promote green technology investments in Vietnam more generally.
“Working a full day at the TVET-GIZ booth and joined by two teachers from Ninh Thuan Vocational college (NTVC). Presenting many interesting exhibits like a fuel cell powered remote controlled car and a playable virtual reality simulation of maintenance at a wastewater plant. Plenty of discussions of interested people and potential partners for cooperating on TVET topics. For these three reasons, GEFE was a successful event for me as the green tech industry of Vietnam came together, making it a great networking opportunity.” – said Mirco Rudolph, Development Advisor at the NTVC.
Visit to the College of Machinery and Irrigation (VCMI)
Most of the Digital Ambassadors in Vietnam work with a TVET college. We had the chance to visit one partner college onsite, and to interact and exchange with the management and teachers on Digital Transformation topics.
The VCMI is one of eleven TVET partner colleges that GIZ is supporting.
As of May 2021, one digital ambassador is working onsite with the mission to facilitate trainings, raise awareness on digital transformation, and support the VCMI to become a smart/digital college.
The interaction was organized in a format of Brown Bag Brunch event with the objective to inspire teachers with digital topics. More than 120 teachers participated and had the chance to present their best practices on integrating digital transformation into their training and teaching activities at the college. The role of the Digital Ambassadors and the benefits of the network was explained while participants were enjoying tasty treats.
After the interaction with the teachers, we had an interesting call with Regina Ecker who is the Country Director of Vietnam. She had triggered the Digital Ambassadors initiative while working at the Africa Department in Eschborn.
The call has been followed by an amazing college tour and a visit to the e-learning studio.
A dialogue between the VCMI and GIZ’s Digital Ambassadors has taken place on Digital Transformation challenges. The Digital Ambassadors presented successful projects from their countries to serve as inspiration for the Digital Transformation.
