SERI’s inaugural Digital Dialogue session discussed the role of digital upskilling as we navigate the opportunities and challenges brought about by digital disruption. Digital Upskilling is inevitable in the face of digital disruption in the new normal.  Among the main points raised were:

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1. The importance of timeless values such as privacy, trust, and resilience in societal, digital, and institutional  infrastructure.

2. Jobs of the future increasingly require a combination of soft skills and hard technical skills. This hybrid approach must be infused into educational institutions as we work to develop a globally competitive workforce.

3. Data as the lifeblood of the digital economy, and of future-proof policies. Policymakers and legislators must have reasonable and timely access to data in order to determine gaps which need to be addressed.

4. The potential of technology to be either a tool or a weapon. It is up to us collectively, as users, consumers, regulators, and creators of technology to play a role in ensuring existing divides are not widened.

5. Organizations should strive to be as flat as possible, avoiding unnecessary bureaucracy and hierarchy, and in turn encouraging the flow of talent and ideas across the organization.

6. While technology has been developing rapidly and has also become a platform to drive inclusivity, we have an opportunity to advance policies by leapfrogging and even replacing policies created for the analogue world, with new policies and regulations more fit for the digital world.

 

We would like to express our gratitude to YB Nurul Izzah Anwar for gracing our event, and NEC, MDEC, and Roland Berger for the partnership.

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