Bangkok--22 Jan--SAP
As the world rapidly marches into an era of digitalization, a workforce with fluent digital skills have been more and more desired by companies across the globe. Data analytics is one of many new sciences world's forward-thinking enterprises have given priority to. The hiring reason lies in the fact that data analytics specialists can help detect market trends and insights then turn them into highly valuable business strategies. Beyond such, data analytics is also an important tool to help transform in-depth data into profound solutions to social challenges across communities around the globe.
In late 2018, two young Thais, Amarin Udompol and Teerapong Srisupan, students from the School of Business, University of Thai Chamber of Commerce took a journey to explore the world of data analytics learning through "ASEAN Data Science Explorers" or ADSE competition organized by ASEAN Foundation in cooperation with SAP. The program gave young individuals from across ASEAN region a chance to take part in in-depth data analyzing by using cutting-edge SAP Analytics Cloud software in order to identify solutions to social challenges they're facing in their communities. The competition's aimed social contributions worked towards 6 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations which are (1) Good health and well-being for people, (2) Quality education, (3) Gender equality, (4) Decent work and economic growth, (5) Industry, innovation, and infrastructure and (6) Sustainable cities and communities. The ADSE program in 2018 welcomed more than 5,000 young participants from 175 educational institutions in ASEAN countries, and received a number of competing social projects 3 times higher than the program in 2017. The variety of student participants in 2018 was also outstanding. This year, 801 students including those who study political sciences, engineering, and architecture, took part in the program to learn about data analytics in order to seek solutions to social issues.
Amarin Udompol or 'Win' from the School of Business of UTCC International College revealed, "I have always wanted to study data science but there were not so many courses in Thailand so I chose business instead with hope to take on data science later on. Then, I discovered this program from ASEAN Foundation's Facebook page from which I learned that I needed no data analytics skill to apply and that I would learn more skills from the program. At the time, I thought it would be nice to give myself a chance to learn about new things. And I was right. It was such an amazing experience. I got to learn about so many things."
"First of all, I understand better why data analytics skill is important. With data that has evolved dramatically in recent years, in type, volume, and velocity, data has become the new business currency. Those who can analyze data will be able to drive transformation and growth of enterprises. Secondly, I've learned how SAP technology helps identify social problems and solutions. It's how we can utilize smart technology to make our lives better, not only in a business sense. Finally, I made new friends, learned how to work as a team, learned how to communicate properly and learned how to solve problems. Every skill I learned from the program is highly essential in the society today. I was really impressed by this program as it allowed me to stand up and freely express my mind and what I aim to achieve. It has truly widened my perspective and allowed me to see what I have never seen before in life." Amarin added.
With SAP's software, the Thai students performed data analytics and discovered that suicide rates of high school students aged 13-17 years in ASEAN were on a rise while the lack of mental health professionals (lower than 1: 100,000) and budget allocation were the main obstacles to the cure. Talking about the importance of such issue, Amarin indicated "It is highly essential to build awareness regarding the mental health of high school students across ASEAN community. Although there are low attention and no dedicated policy for this matter, we must not forget that the youths are the future."
Receiving the opportunity to learn and utilize data analytics innovation, other ASEAN representatives came up with many interesting social development topics and proposals including sustainable slum-to-green space transformation, entrepreneurship skills and educational enhancement, and regional maritime trade competitiveness solution.
How does data analytics build a bridge to the future of a country? On this point, Teerapong Srisupan or 'James' said, "Data analytics plays a vital role as it helps us identify useful data to analyze and therefore discover significant insights beneficial to underlining issues that must be fixed. From that, we can work on finding proper solutions. A country with data analysts is a country with strong strategic thinking system and efficient planning process. It leads to more profound and more extensive social development."
Although the Thai representatives did not win the first prize this year, they have won a greater reward. "I push myself beyond limit to learn about new digital skill. This is one of my great achievements from this program. In my opinion, every young Thai should learn how to formulate ideas and voice their opinions, using data as foundation. We must know how to seek for data and plan systematically. The key to the future is data analytics and it's very important to our future. This is the skill we cannot afford not to master," said Teerapong.
Elaine Tan, Executive Director of ASEAN Foundation said, "Education is one of the key fundamentals to the integration of ASEAN, and any economic and social development programs. All initiatives including ASEAN Data Science Explorer are with an aim to help connect people across borders and also support the youths of each community to be armed with skills essential in the future, particularly with digital skills being more and more important each day. From the many projects applied to compete in ADSE program in 2018, it was such a promising milestone to see creativity and dedication to team work on innovative development as it reflected how much the young generations of ASEAN care for the better future of the community they are part of."
Ms. Verena Siow, Managing Director of SAP Indochina, SAP System Applications and Products in Data Processing (Thailand) Ltd., on behalf of ADSE co-host stated, "For SAP, innovation is not only a tool that builds business growth but also a bridge that leads to greater well-being of a community. By partnering with ASEAN Foundation in the past two years, SAP have achieved significantly in creating social innovation. We are very honored and pleased to help equipping youths of Thailand who are the future of the country with digital skills and providing them a platform for their social developments. The positive feedback from Thai students underlines why this program matters and must be supported. We look forward to welcoming more young participants to the program in the coming years with our hope that data analytics shall be one of the bridges that lead Thailand to its strong future, economically and meaningfully."
Images
Image 1
Thai students Teerapong Srisuwan (far left) and Amarin Udompol (far right) from the School of Business, UTCC International College, participants of "ASEAN Data Science Explorers", a competition organized by ASEAN Foundation in cooperation with SAP, photographed along with distinguished guests Phasporn Sanasubana, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Permanent Mission of Thailand to ASEAN (second from right) and Dr. Orawan Sriboonruang, Program Office II of Southeast Asia Ministers of Education Organization Secretariat or SEAMEO Secretariat (second from left).
Image 2
Young participants from Thailand and other ASEAN countries took a group photo with representatives from ASEAN Foundation and SAP.
Image 3-4
Amarin Udompol (left) and Teerapong Srisupan (right), students from the School of Business of UTCC International College, Thai representatives at ASEAN Data Science Explorers co-organized by ASEAN Foundation and SAP
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