The 2024 United in Diversity Foundation (UID) and Tsinghua Southeast Asia Center (TSEA) Academic Summit convened on 30 April at the UID Bali Campus and hybrid online, gathering 35 distinguished experts from academia and industry. This momentous event focused on the strategic and operational development of academic programs, activities, and the establishment of the initial faculty.
The summit commenced with inspiring remarks from Sir Gordon Duff, Honorary President of UID and then dove into deep discussion on TSEA’s the areas of academic focus: entrepreneurship & innovation, human health & biotechnology, and AI & Data Science. A keynote address was given by Prof. Edward Crawley, Senior Advisor to TSEA and Ford Professor of Engineering at MIT. Prof. Crawley, and Honorary Professor at Tsinghua University, who outlined TSEA’s academic initiatives, including Happy Digital X, The Tsinghua Happiness Entrepreneurship Bootcamp, and the upcoming Smart Supply Chain Management program. He emphasized the summit’s role in gathering input on the strategic goals and programs of UID and TSEA and highlighted the critical importance of collaboration in achieving these objectives.
Notable attendees at the summit included, Prof. Song Sen, Prof. Zhang Linqi, and Prof. Wong Tien Yin of Tsinghua University, as well as Mr. Dei Sudarmo, Special Advisor to the Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of Indonesia, Ravenna Chen, Director of TusStar Asia-Pacific, and Prof. Victor Chan, Professor and Associate Dean of the Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School.
The 2024 UID and TSEA Academic Summit concluded with a reaffirmation of the collaborative spirit and shared vision among the participants. The discussions underscored the importance of strategic partnerships, innovative academic programs, and the development of centers of excellence to drive sustainable development in Indonesia and the broader Southeast Asian region. By leveraging expertise in innovation, entrepreneurship, health, biotechnology, AI, and data science, UID and TSEA are poised to make significant contributions towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
The summit fostered valuable insights and actionable strategies, setting a robust foundation for future initiatives. The commitment of UID and TSEA to nurture local talent, enhance research capabilities, and build strong international collaborations will undoubtedly propel the institutions towards becoming global leaders in academic excellence and sustainable development.