Senior Research Fellow Denise Cheong and Research Associate Nivedita S participated in the webinar on ‘Role of Academia in Shaping the Energy Transition in ASEAN’ organised by the ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE) on 24 February 2021. This webinar was held in conjunction with the first celebration of the ASEAN Researchers Network on Energy and Climate Change (ARNECC). The keynote speech by Prof. Bundhit Eua-arporn, President, Chulalongkorn University highlighted the role of higher education and the need for new learning platforms. He emphasised the need for universities to educate tomorrow’s leaders to be an agent of change in multidisciplinary issues. In this regard, he also stressed the need for re-skilling for instructors, introduction of new interdisciplinary curriculums and the sharing of experience among ASEAN Member States. During the panel discussion that followed, the importance of academia working with policymakers and the industry to provide evidence-based, data-driven policy recommendations was emphasised, as was the need for better communication between stakeholders to break existing silos. A new ASEAN masters programme in sustainability management was introduced, this being a collaboration among Universitas Gadjah Mada (Indonesia), University of Agder (Norway) and ASEAN University Network. Future ARNECC activities being planned include the launch of a research database, activities to facilitate networking and collaboration as well as the organisation of the first ASEAN International Conference on Energy and Climate Change, in conjunction with ASEAN Energy Business Forum (AEBF).

Dr Nuki Agya Utama, Executive Director of ACE and H.E. Morten Hoglund, Ambassador of Norway to ASEAN provided welcoming remarks; Beni Suryadi, ACCEPT Project Manager, ACE, delivered the closing remarks. Rika Safrina, ICT and Data Research officer, ACE, moderated the discussion. For details of panellists, please click here.