What is AESCON?
AESCON is a meeting place for discussion on Asia-Europe sustainable connectivity, bringing together policy analysts, government representatives, the private sector and other stakeholders, with a particular focus on Asia-Europe connections.
The second edition of Asia-Europe Sustainable Connectivity Scientific Conference (AESCON2) will build on the success and recommendations of the first AESCON held in November 2020. The online conference will be organised after and as a following of the ASEM Summit (ASEM13) in Cambodia in November 2021. Thematically, the conference will focus on one key subsect of connectivity: digital connectivity, which is high on the ASEM agenda and an EU priority.
Next to high-level opening and closing sessions, key policy priorities of digital connectivity will be discussed in four thematic sessions: (1) secure, resilient and responsible digital infrastructure; (2) norms and standards for Trusted Connectivity; (3) digital connectivity for development; and opportunities in the digital economy.
PROGRAMME
Last update 29 March 2022. All times are shown in Central European Time (CET).
Day 1 | Tuesday | 22 March 2022
Video Recording of the day
09:30 OPENING SESSION
Organised by The Clingendael Institute, The Hague
Maaike Okano-Heijmans, Senior Research Fellow, Clingendael Institute (moderator)
High-level panel
Aaron Maniam, Deputy Secretary for industry and information, Ministry of Communications and Information, Singapore
Markus Berndt, Head of Operations EIB Global, European Investment Bank (EIB)
Raul Rikk, Director of National Cyber Security at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications for Estonia
Bruno Carrasco, Director General for Sustainable Development and Climate Change, Asian Development Bank (ADB)
Followed by Q&A and discussion between panelists and with the audience
Keynote adresses
Ngurah Swajaya, Director General for American and European Affairs, Indonesia (pre-recorded)
Thierry Breton, European Commissioner for the Internal Market (pre-recorded)
10:45 BREAK
11:00 THEMATIC SESSION 1: Secure, resilient and responsible digital infrastructure
Organised by the Kosciuszko Institute, Kraków
Michał Rekowski, Programme Director, The Kosciuszko Institute (moderator)
Cameron Archer, Assistant Secretary, Cyber Affairs and Critical Technology Branch, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Australia
Hilary Mine, Vice President Strategy & Technology, CX at Nokia
So Jeong Kim, Principal Researcher, Institute for National Security Strategy, South Korea
Patryk Pawlak, Executive Officer, Brussels Bureau, European Union Institute for Security Studies (EUISS)
Followed by Q&A and discussion between panelists and with the audience
Day 2 | Wednesday | 23 March 2022
Video Recording of the day
09:30 THEMATIC SESSION 2: Norms and Standards for Trusted Connectivity
Organised by Carnegie India, New Delhi
Priyadarshini D., Associate Fellow, Carnegie India (moderator)
Yoichi Iida, Deputy Director-General for G7/G20, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Japan | Download Presentation
Arindrajit Basu, Research Lead, Centre for Internet and Society
Hosuk Lee-Makiyama, Director of European Center for International Political Economy (ECIPE)
Rene Summer, Director of Government & Industry Relations, Ericsson | Download Presentation
Followed by Q&A and discussion between panelists and with the audience
10:45 BREAK
11:00 THEMATIC SESSION 3: Digital connectivity for development
Organised by GIZ, Bonn
Aldo Dell’Ariccia, Team Leader of the Enhanced Regional EU-ASEAN Dialogue Instrument (E-READI) at GIZ Indonesia (moderator)
Miguel Rocha De Gouveia, Policy Officer for Digital Connectivity, Directorate-General for International Partnerships, European Commission
Tanja Rödiger-Vorwerk, Deputy Director, General Private Sector, Trade, Employment and Digital Technologies, German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development
Krishnan Pallassana, Country Director, Digital Green
Dulip Tillekeratne, Senior Manager, GSMA Mobile for Development / Mobile Innovation Hub
Followed by Q&A and discussion between panelists and with the audience
Day 3 | Thursday | 24 March
Video Recording of the day
09:30 THEMATIC SESSION 4: Opportunities in the digital economy
Organised by Institute for South Asian Studies (ISAS-NUS), Singapore
Karthik Nachiappan, Institute for South Asian Studies (moderator)
Fabian Bigar, CEO of MyDigital, Governent of Malaysia
Douwe Lycklama, Founding Partner at Innopay and Member the Board of Holland FinTech
Visa Kannan, Partner, Saison Capital
Claes Mikko Nilsen, Investment Director, Nordic Ninja
Followed by Q&A and discussion between panelists and with the audience
10:45 BREAK
11:00 CLOSING PANEL: TOWARDS A MULTI-STAKEHOLDER APPROACH TO DIGITAL CONNECTIVITY?
Organised by The Clingendael Institute, The Hague
Maaike Okano-Heijmans, Senior Research Fellow, Clingendael Institute (moderator)
Charles Mok, Founder of Internet Society Hong Kong and visiting scholar at the Global Digital Policy Incubator of the Cyber Policy Center at Stanford University
Pascal Kerneis, Managing Director European Services Forum (ESF)
Tiziana Bonapace, Director, Information and Communications Technology and Disaster Risk Reduction Division, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP)
David Ringrose, Head of the Connectivity and Digital Transition Division, European External Action Service (EEAS)
Followed by Q&A and discussion between panelists and with the audience
12:15 CLOSING OF THE AESCON CONFERENCE
#AESCON2022
