On Wednesday, June 22, 2022 from 09.30-12.00 in Meeting Room M301 on the 3rd floor of Khon Kaen University’s Academic Center and Fundamentals Learning Building, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Department of Information, in collaboration with Khon Kaen University International College (KKUIC), organised the 4th APEC Media Focus Group: “Smart City and Connectivity.” The opening speech was given by the Department of Information’s Deputy Director-General, and the Department of International Economics’ Director General described hosting APEC Thailand and issues related to Khon Kaen Province.
The 4th APEC Media Focus Group: “Smart City and Connectivity” aims to exchange ideas, raise awareness among all sectors of society, and share experiences regarding the Smart City in Khon Kaen project in order to provide concrete opportunities to Thai businesses in the region. Khon Kaen is the central hub of the northeast and is approaching provincial development based on the concept of the “Smart City” as emphasized by APEC.
The Department of Information’s Deputy Director-General acted as the event moderator, and the Director-General of the Department of International Economics, along with experts in various fields related to the discussion topic, spoke at the event. The dean of KKUIC, Asst. Prof. Sirimonporn Thipsingh, was invited to be an honorary speaker on “Uplifting the Image of Smart City Tourism” and Associate Dean for Strategy, Research, and International Affairs at KKUIC, Asst. Prof. Chavis Ketkaew, lectured on “The Role of Researchers on the Integration of Circular Economy and Digital Transformation in Khon Kaen”.
Moreover, we were honoured to be joined by other experts consisting in the field, including Mr. Channarong Buristrakul, President of the Khon Kaen Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Sa-nga Sattanan, Program Manager of Trade and Investment Facilitation Department, Mekong Institute, Mr. Charoenluck Petchpradap, Secretary-General of Khon Kaen Community for the Future Foundation, to discuss their experiences on topics related to “Smart City and Connectivity”.
Moreover, the 4th APEC Media Focus Group also allowed staff, academics, business owners, students, and other interested parties to participate in this brainstorming event and exchange ideas during the Q&A session in order to achieve the goals of the discussion.