Global ICT Capacity Building Symposium to explore developing skills for the ‘Digital Economy and Society’

The Dominican Republic is set to host ITU’s Global Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capacity Building Symposium (CBS-2018), 18-20 June in Santo Domingo. The annual symposium is the main global event for capacity development in the fields of ICT and digital development.

CBS-2018 is organized by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations specialized agency for ICTs, and is hosted by the Dominican Institute of Telecommunications (INDOTEL).

Under the theme “Developing Skills for the Digital Economy and Society”, CBS-2018 will explore how emerging trends in the ICT field change skills requirements for the digital economy and society, and in turn impact capacity building and skills development.

The symposium will address several topics including:

• Skills requirements for using ICTs to contribute towards the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals;
• the role of academic institutions in preparing a workforce fit for the digital economy;
• challenges and opportunities faced by least developed countries, landlocked developing countries, and small island developing states and related implications for skills development;
• digital skills needed in view of the global digital transformation, including artificial intelligence, robotics and machine learning, the Internet of Things, cloud computing and big data analytics; and
• capacity building needs and policy interventions particularly on community-based ICT development.

The symposium brings together a variety of stakeholders from government, industry, academia and other experts working in the field of emerging technologies and human skills development. Participants will share experiences, present case studies, discuss potential partnerships, and make recommendations on the way forward to strengthen capacities for the digital economy and society.

Original source: ITU
Published on 18 May 2018