Higher Education Institutions Across Asia to Double the Rate of Innovation with Artificial Intelligence

Microsoft Asia and IDC Asia/Pacific released findings specific to the education sector for the study, Future Ready Skills: Assessing APAC Education Sector’s Use of AI[1], where it found that Artificial Intelligence (AI) will help double the rate of innovation improvements for higher education institutions.

With student outcomes being a key performance metric for higher education institutes, many are turning to leverage data to glean insights and drive improved outcomes. “For many institutions, student performance has a direct impact on rankings. AI can be a tool to help better manage outcomes and ensure continued innovation to optimize operations and enhance student engagements, as it reduces resource intensive work among faculty and administrative staff,” said Larry Nelson, Regional General Manager – Education, Microsoft Asia.

“In fact, we found that 3 out 4 education leaders agree that AI will be able to drive competitiveness in the next 3 years. However, only 32% of education institutions in Asia Pacific have embarked on their AI journey,” added Nelson.

Based on the study, the top business drivers for education leaders to adopt AI include better student engagement, higher funding, and accelerated innovation. For institutions that have adopted AI, they are already seeing improvements in the range of 11% to 28% today in areas such as higher funding, accelerated innovation, higher competitiveness, improve efficiency and better student engagement. By 2021, education institutions with AI stand to experience the biggest jump in higher funding, which is expected to increase by 3.7x, higher than most industry sectors in Asia Pacific.

Developing a globally engaged citizenry is of utmost importance for all countries and is also one of Japan’s key priorities. However, many students would avoid these opportunities as doing so can delay them from taking the classes they need for graduation.  As one of the top universities in Japan serving over 17,000 students, the Faculty of Engineering at Hokkaido University has embarked on its AI journey as part of its mission to encourage students to study abroad.

In a bid to remove this obstacle and contribute to a better abroad experience, the university developed a Microsoft Azure-based e-learning system that enables students to keep up with coursework back home. Leveraging AI and automation capabilities, the system helped the university broaden student access, expand capacity, streamline course prep from days to hours, and enhance security – transforming the abroad learning experience.

“Our Azure-based e-learning system far better meets the needs of our students, who can access courses from PC, Android, iOS, and other devices. This gives them a more enjoyable and convenient educational experience,” said Professor Yukinori Kobayashi, Doctor of Engineering and Director of the Graduate School of Engineering, Hokkaido University.

Asia Pacific’s Education Institutions Need to Focus on its Strategy and Investment, Culture and Data

The Study evaluated six dimensions contributing to the sector’s AI readiness. The educational sector is currently lagging in Data, Strategy and Investment, as well as Culture when compared to Asia Pacific’s overall AI readiness. This signifies that more work needs to be done for these specific areas for educational institutions to remain competitive.

1. Data: Education institutions need to work on availability, quality and governance of existing data

Data readiness is a key issue for education institutions. Today, data within higher education institutes is siloed, with limited usage of a cloud platform for scalability. Institutes also face issues with data timeliness and quality from sources, and a lack of governance practices to ensure trust in data usage.

2. Strategy and Investment: Education institutions need to evaluate investment allocation to support their AI strategy

For education institutions to reap the benefits of AI, they must have a sound AI strategy in place to help improve their AI readiness. With this, they need to also look at investment strategies that can be allocated to support organization-wide AI efforts.

3. Culture: Traits required for AI adoption lacking in education institutions

More than half of the education staff, and nearly half of the education leaders polled believe that cultural traits and behaviors are not pervasive in their organization today. For example, 67% of staff and 46% of education leaders do not agree that staff are empowered to take risks, and act with speed and agility within the institution.

“For education institutions to fully harness the power of AI, they will need to work on developing an AI strategy which can help better integrate AI elements in various areas of the institution. To do so, they will first need to have better data hygiene and work on improving data readiness. Lastly, culture is an important key to help nurture the AI-mindset. Education leaders will need to develop an innovative culture and empower their staff to work in an agile manner,” said Victor Lim, Vice President, Consulting Operations, IDC Asia/Pacific.

AI Skills Required for Future of Educational Sector

Both education leaders and staff in the education sector are equally positive about AI’s impact on jobs. Majority of education leaders (61%) and staff (61%) believe that AI will either help to do their existing jobs better or reduce repetitive tasks. In addition, both are optimistic of the impact AI will bring to their jobs, with 21% of education leaders believing that AI will create new jobs while 13% of staff agreeing so.

However, according to education leaders, the skills required for an AI future are in shortage. The top three skills identified to face a shortage of supply in the next three years include:

* IT skills and programming
* Digital skills
* Quantitative, analytical and statistical skills

The Study also noted that there is a disconnect with education leaders’ perception of their staff’s willingness to reskill. Although the education leaders realize that there is an urgent need for reskilling efforts in order to cultivate an AI-ready workforce, they are not fully convinced that their staff are committed to being reskilled. Based on the study, 26% of education leaders felt that workers have no interest to reskill, but only 11% of staff had no interest.

“Education management needs to better understand their staff and prioritize reskilling efforts to address skills shortage. Only then, are they able to bring their respective institutions forward into an AI future, and achieve better student outcomes,” shared Nelson.

The 6th Edition of Asian Summit on Education & Skills (ASES) Commences in Bangalore

Key Highlights

* The summit is an Asian chapter of the annual Education World Forum in London
* India's only annual Leadership & Ministerial event dedicated to the Education & Skills sector in Asia
* Hosted by Department of Education, Government of Karnataka
* Organised by IDA along with MHRD, NITI Aayog, MSDE
* Ministers & Ministerial delegations from over 15 countries converging in this year’s edition

India Didactics Association (IDA), the exclusive membership association in India for the education & training fraternity has organised the 6th edition of the Asian Summit on Education & Skills (ASES) in Bangalore on 23rd September 2019. The event was presided over by C. N. Ashwath Narayan, Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka and current Minister of Higher Education, Information Technology & Biotechnology and Science & Technology in the Government of Karnataka and Aditya Gupta, CEO, India Didactics Association (IDA).

The summit was organised with an objective to offer an insight and inspiration from leading education pioneers, policy makers and education experts. The theme of this year’s ASES is ‘What should we do with what we know? Agency, Communities and Technology. ASES brought together the Ministers & Ministerial delegations from over 15 countries on this platform to exchange the dialogues on the challenges and opportunities which lies in the education and skill sector in the Asian countries.

C. N. Ashwath Narayan, Hon’ble Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka and current Minister of Higher Education, Information Technology & Biotechnology and Science & Technology in the Government of Karnataka said “I extend a warm welcome to the Ministers, Excellencies and eminent education leaders on behalf of the people and government of Karnataka. We would like to appreciate and recognise the contribution of India Didactics Association in the field of education.  The need of the hour is to address the challenges that persist particularly in the field of education sector. It is important to empower the youth with the opportunities and provide them the platform as quality education is imperative for the betterment of the society. I feel honoured and privileged to extend all the cooperation to India Didactics Association to make a difference in the field of education.”

Aditya Gupta, CEO, India Didactics Association said, "As our education system is taking a quantum leap towards Education 4.0, India is witnessing a paradigm shift in the way teachers and students are assimilating information. At present over half of India’s population is under the age group of 25 years. The number of people in the age-group of 5-24 years (education seeking population) is likely to reach 478.8 million by 2020. With such a huge education seeking population, we need to encourage formulation of policies that would prepare these young brigades of India to be future ready with all sets of skills and innovative mindset using technology. ASES brings together policy makers and senior educators from across Asia and the world to discuss and address the latest trends and solutions prevalent in education sector. It also provides an opportunity for knowledge sharing and facilitates the policy development and its implementation.”

The event was hosted by Department of Education, Government of Karnataka and partnered by Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), NITI Aayog, The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE). The other partners of the event include AICTE, NCERT and National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) apart from various Indian and international partners. The event saw participation from over 300 Ministers, Policy Makers & Senior Education Leaders from India and other Asian countries.

Bank of Baroda Launches National Digital Platform for Farmers

Bank of Baroda, India’s third largest lender, launched the Agri Digital Platform - “Baroda Kisan” for farmers across the nation, on September 21, 2019. Mr. P S Jayakumar, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Bank of Baroda launched the app in the presence of the Executive Director of the Bank Mr. Vikramaditya Singh Khichi, Mr. B R Patel, Agriculture and Financial Inclusion, General Manager (Chief Co-ordination), senior officers of the Head/Regional Office of Bank of Baroda and others. Farmers, women members of self-help groups and other villagers also attended the function in huge number.

The national Agri Digital Platform – “Baroda Kisan” is a powerful platform to fulfill various needs of farmers.  It is a web-based portal which is easily accessible on mobiles.  The mobile platform will use the existing feature of M Connect Plus mobile application as a landing page.  It is envisaged on an information technology based platform that will fully cater to all the major needs of farmers. These include notification, weather forecast, crop conditions, soil moisture, information on crop worms, market prices, special crop-related consultation, inputs for purchase (e.g. seeds, fertilizers, pesticides), agricultural equipment on rent, consultancy services and innovative financing options for the sale of agricultural products etc. Some of these services also supported by advanced technology such as advance prediction, advance analysis, grading of crops based on image sensing, advance information about pests etc.  Gradually this platform will cover various services in a phased manner. This platform has been started from Gujrat.

In addition to the launch of Agri Digital Platform- "Baroda Kisan", various other activities were also launched at the event.  These included launch of the centralized processing of agriculture proposals, for farmers across the country, which have been set up the bank at two places – Gandhinagar and Hyderabad, launch of loan scheme for construction/renovation of toilets and domestic drinking water facilities under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, launch of loan scheme for construction of houses in rural areas. 

Apart from this, loan acceptance letters and cheques were handed over to the farmers opting loans from the bank under various schemes of the bank such as Kisan Credit Card, Self Help Group, Dairy, Smartphones, Agricultural Equipments etc.  Cheques were also handed over to the beneficiaries of various social schemes such as Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana.  Certificates were awarded to the trainees who have undergone training at RST institutions established by the Bank for unemployed youths to empower them for self-employment.  The programme concluded with vote of thanks by Shri P. Vinod Kumar Reddy, General Manager and Head, Agricultural Advance.

Students Expressed their Penchant for Science with Creative Essays

Students of St. Johns school Bangalore were in for an extravagant activity when they were asked to write essays on their thoughts on Mankind without science. With a strong gathering of more than 900 students of Std. 06th to 10th, competition was bustling with pool of creative talent who expressed their novel ideas through essays

The essay writing competition was organized in line with the ongoing “Vigyan Samagam”, a one-of-a-kind first ever mega science exhibition in India, jointly promoted by the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), Mumbai, Department of Science & Technology (DST), New Delhi along with National Council of Science Museums, Kolkata. The students were briefed on the theme and objective of Vigyan Samagam before the competition. The students were also guided to explore the website, app and social media handles of Vigyan Samagam to know more about the exhibition, projects displayed so that they can pursue their interest in science.

After going through a huge number of entries, a panel consisting of eminent personalities from the scientific fraternity picked up the winners of the competition. Khushi of Std 10th won the first prize, for her innovative thoughts and interesting content. Aarthi Kumari B and Pavithra P, of Std 10th and 9th respectively, were adjudged as first and second runners up for their wonderful participation.

The Principal of the school Asil Arasi said that any kind of unique initiative would always encourage students to follow their creative mindsets. And especially with this activity, students know about the nuances of essay writing on science

The judges too were astonished at the response and appreciated students’ writing abilities. They too enthusiastically interacted with students to understand more about their novel thoughts on science.

The representatives from the organizers of Vigyan Samagam distributed informative material to the students and teachers. The material included hands on information about Vigyan Samagam, the projects displayed at the ongoing exhibition.

Many initiatives and activities are being taken across other schools in Bangalore in a phased manner to promote Vigyan Samagam. The key motive of arranging this mega science exhibition is to demonstrate the technical ability and scientific acumen of Indian Scientists in global mega science projects like CERN, LIGO, SKA, TMT, INO, FAIR and ITER.

Start the Fashion Calendar - Mirchi Face of Fashion at Mantri Square

September has always been an important month for Fashion, with brands showcasing their Autumn/Winter Collection to eager consumers. Mantri Square launches the festive season of the year, introducing Mirchi Face of Fashion – a hunt for the city’s new young Fashionista!

Sandalwood sweetheart, Shanvi Srivastava will not only mentor, but will also be the evening’s showstopper, walking the ramp with the Top 20 finalists, who have been chosen after an arduous month of auditions.

Speaking on her role as mentor, Shanvi Srivastava says, “I am extremely happy to be a part of Mirchi Face of Fashion. Somewhere I feel that I will be helping in making a young girl’s dream come true, and there is no better feeling than that. Excited and happy to be able to choose Ms Fashionista 2019!”

Choreographed by celebrity choreographer, Rajesh Shetty, the finalists will compete for the title of Ms. Fashionista at the Grand Finale on Sunday, September 22, 2019, 4:30pm onwards at Mantri Square mall. Along with winning the crown and a host of prizes, the winner also get the chance to audition in Sandalwood’s next blockbuster to be directed by Mahesh Kumar, who will be on the panel of judges along with Shanvi Srivastava.

To make the evening more memorable there is also included a scintillating performance by Bengaluru’s loved band Vasu Dixit Collective who will be kick-starting the show with an exhilarating performance.

Speaking on this, Mr. Nitin Bir, Head – Mall Management stated, “Mantri Square has always had the honour of being one of the fashion destinations of Bengaluru. We try and cater to all the fashion needs of our patrons by offering an array of collection to choose from under ethnic, western casual, office-wear, evening wear, athleisure wear, etc. With Mirchi Face of Fashion, we want to highlight the latest offerings to all our young trendsetters.”

Stay Free in Dubai When You Fly First, Business Class on Emirates

As the heat of the Dubai summer begins to wane, an opportunity to experience the vibrant Emirate with a stopover in October, November or early December awaits passengers travelling with Emirates. The offer is valid for all flights from Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi to Europe, the Americas or Africa.

Customers who book their tickets between 24th September and 3rd October for travel ending 10th December 2019 to destinations on the three continents in First and Business Class will receive free hotel accommodation provided the transit time is 10 hours or more.

First and Business Class passengers will receive two nights’ accommodation at the Address Downtown or Address Dubai Mall, two of Dubai’s swankiest hotels. “The end of the year is one of the best times to visit Dubai, especially for those seeking adventure and thrilling outdoor experiences the city is renowned for,” said Essa Sulaiman Ahmad, Emirates’ VP for India and Nepal. “We are always looking to give our passengers the best value and we hope that our offer for a free stay at our global hub will help them experience the excitement of not just one, but two destinations during their trip.”

The offer spans a 10-week period, with the exception of the week of 15th – 22nd November.

Customers are entitled to a single room per ticket or a double room for two adults travelling together, subject to availability. One child under 12 years of age is permitted to share accommodation with the parents in the same room, with existing bedding. The offer does not include Dubai visas.

One of the most dynamic hubs of entertainment and travel experiences, Dubai has a host of mega-events for culture, music and sports enthusiasts during the period of the free stay offer. These include the ‘Wake Up Call’ Music Festival (10th – 12th October); the staging of Phantom of the Opera (16th October – 6th November); ‘Insomnia’ – Dubai’s biggest gaming festival (October 17th – 19th); ‘Party in the Park’ with Fatboy Slim, The Kooks and Richard Ashcroft (31st October – 2nd November), One-night tribute to Aretha Franklin (14th November); the Dubai Rugby 7s (5th – 7th December) and Kylie Minogue at the Dubai Rugby 7s (6th December).

Trend Micro Finds IoT Is a Hot Topic in Cybercriminal Underground

Trend Micro Incorporated, a global leader in cybersecurity solutions, today released new research detailing a fast-growing market for IoT attacks. Cybercriminals from around the world are actively discussing how to compromise connected devices, and how to leverage these devices for moneymaking schemes.

Trend Micro Research analyzed forums in the Russian, Portuguese, English, Arabic, and Spanish language-based underground markets to determine how cybercriminals are abusing and monetizing connected devices. The results reveal that the most advanced criminal markets are Russian- and Portuguese-speaking forums, in which financially driven attacks are most prominent. In these forums, cybercriminal activity is focused on selling access to compromised devices – mainly routers, webcams and printers – so they can be leveraged for attacks.

“We’ve lifted the lid on the IoT threat landscape to find that cybercriminals are well on their way to creating a thriving marketplace for certain IoT-based attacks and services,” said Steve Quane, executive vice president of network defense and hybrid cloud security for Trend Micro. “Criminals follow the money – always. The IoT market will continue to grow, especially with landscape changes like 5G. While IoT attacks are still in their infancy, we also found criminals discussing how to leverage industrial equipment for the same gain. Enterprises must be ready to protect their Industry 4.0 environments.”

According to Trend Micro’s findings, most conversations and active monetization schemes are focused on consumer devices. However, discussions on how to discover and compromise connected industrial machinery are also occurring, especially the vital programmable logic controllers (PLCs) used to control large-scale manufacturing equipment. The most likely business plan to monetize attacks against these industrial devices involves digital extortion attacks that threaten production downtime.

Additionally, the report predicts an increase in IoT attack toolkits targeting a broader range of consumer devices, such as virtual reality devices. The opportunities for attackers will also multiply as more devices are connected to the internet, driven by 5G implementations.

Trend Micro urges manufacturers to partner with IoT security experts to mitigate cyber-related risks from the design phase. End users and integrators should also gain visibility and control over connected devices to be aware of and curb their cyber risk.

The full report, The Internet of Things in the Criminal Underground, can be found here: https://www.trendmicro.com/vinfo/us/security/news/cybercrime-and-digital-threats/the-internet-of-things-in-the-cybercrime-underground.