BIT Council holds maiden ICT seminar

THE first Brunei Information Technology (BIT) Council event was organised by the Authority for Info-communications Technology Industry (AiTi), as the secretariat for the council, yesterday at the Empire Hotel and Country Club.

The event was divided into two sessions, a seminar in the morning and a closed session in the afternoon.

The seminar's main objective was to share the knowledge and experiences of world-renowned ICT expert with Brunei's ICT stakeholders including the ICT industry players, as well as providing the opportunities to guide BIT Council in strengthening Brunei's competitiveness within the international ICT arena.

Dr Bruno Lanvin, Executive Director of e-Lab from Insead (European Institute of Business Administration) was invited as the presenter and moderator during this one-day event. He has been the Executive Director of the e-Lab since September 2007 and is currently the chairman of the World Economic Forum's Global Advisory Council on the Future of the Government.

He has also worked with various international agencies including the World Bank

and the International Telecommunications Union (ITU).Dr Lanvin gave a presentation on the government's role in ICT which revolved around the main trends, best practices and possible implications for Brunei.

The afternoon session on the other hand, focused on developing policy and strategic directions for Brunei's economy by creating a competitive edge within the ICT industry to achieve economic resilience without depending heavily on the oil and gas industry.

Dr Lanvin did a presentation on "Who is winning the race for competitiveness in the global knowledge economy? How is Brunei positioned?" that was followed by a brainstorming session on "What priorities should be addressed next if Brunei wants to make the most of the knowledge and ICT-based opportunities in the emerging new global distribution of labour?"

Among the invited participants for the closed session include the BIT Council Chairman, Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Kerna Dato Seri Setia Hj Abu Bakar Hj Apong, and the Deputy co-chairman, Dato Seri Paduka Hj Eussoff Agaki Hj Ismail, who is also the Deputy Minister at the Prime Minister's Office.

The Brunei Times