Conference on Sustainable Development
ASEM holds Conference on Innovative & Human Resource Building for Sustainable Development in Viet Nam
H.E. Mr. Vu Duc Dam, Deputy Prime Minister of Viet Nam, during his opening speech
HSF
Government officials and decision makers of the ASEM Partners utilized this event to meet and discuss opportunities and challenges of the era of the 4th industrial revolution with researchers, educators, universities, businesses, related regional and international organizations, and other stakeholders.
H.E. Mr. Vu Duc Dam, Deputy Prime Minister of Viet Nam, highlighted in his opening speech the urgent need of the ASEM community to “promote education and human resource building to meet new requirements of the industrial development in most countries in Europe and Asia.” He then urged the 180 participants to explore possibilities to strengthen innovative education and build a highly skilled workforce through cooperation between the two continents.
Participants highlighted education as a key enabling factor in promoting sustainable development and poverty reduction while distinguishing between higher education, vocational education and training for human resource development. “It is crucial for the development of any country to enhance education and youth labor market outcomes through reforms and investment in human resource development”, said Dr. Axel Neubert, Regional Representative of the Hanns Seidel Foundation. “The cooperation between European and Asian countries therefore has to focus on building inclusive learning societies and equal opportunities for quality learning, especially for the disadvantaged groups.”
Plenary of the ASEM conference on Innovative & Human Resource Building for Sustainable Development in Hue, Viet Nam
HSF
The conference emphasized the need for countries to help workers develop employability skills for the 21st century to foster reemployment and entrepreneurship. The participants agreed that current education and human resources challenges need to be tackled through integrated approaches with joint efforts not only at national but also regional and global levels. They stressed the importance of capacity development, good governance at all levels, innovation and technologies application, transdisciplinary research, public-private partnerships enhancement and financing. Those are among the most effective ways to ensure creative and innovative education and skilled, adaptable and professional workforce for sustainable development.
The consensus of the outcomes and recommendations of this conference is going to be reported to the next ASEM Education Ministers’ Meeting in the Republic of Korea in November 2017, the 13th ASEM Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Myanmar, also in November 2017, and the 12th ASEM Summit in Brussels next year.