ADOC Wins Top Prize at AFACT eASIA Awards
Date: 2013/12/12
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Digital Opportunity Center (ADOC) project (note 1), which was supported by the Bureau of Foreign Trade (BOFT), Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), and implemented by the Institute for the Information Industry (III), won the top prize in the Bridging Divide category at the 2013 eASIA Awards. The eASIA Awards were presented by the Asia Pacific Council for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (AFACT) Nov. 28, 2013 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
The eASIA Awards is a biennial event and was initiated in 2003 by Taiwan when it served as the AFACT Secretariat. The purpose of the awards is to recognize the great efforts made within AFACT community and to encourage experience sharing under the following four categories: trade facilitation, electronic business in the Public Sector, electronic business in the Private Sector, and bridging digital divide. This year, 2013, after a jury written examination, a total of 13 projects in 4 categories entered the finalists. In the bridging digital divide category, 4 projects from 3 AFACT member economies (one from Iran, two from Vietnam and one from Taiwan) were selected as finalists. The ADOC Project and another project shared the third place in the preliminary examination.
Ms. Meili Hsiao, the Director General of International Division at III and also the Secretary General of the ADOC Secretariat, presented in the final competition. The ADOC Project was the winner and won the top prize in Bridging Digital Divide category. The best practice of secure mobile payment for electronic business project, submitted by CyberSoft Digital Services Corp. and recommended by III, also won the top prize in the Electronic Business in the Private Sector category.
The eASIA award ceremony was held in the Rex Hotel Saigon in Ho Chi Minh City on Nov. 29. Dr. Nguyen Manh Quyen, AFACT chair 2013 and deputy director general of Vietnam e-Commerce and Information Technology Agency (VECITA), Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT), gave the trophy and medal to Ms. Eva Y. Y. Yueh, deputy director general of IDEAS at III and represented for International Division. “The ADOC Project is not simply giving a person a fishing rod; it teachers him or her how to fish as well,” Ms. Yueh said, adding that in this case the “rod” is the opportunity to employ digital capacity to improve one’s quality of life. It also creates overseas business opportunities for local firms in Taiwan and promotes humanitarian care. Since 2009, the ADOC Project has also served as the platform for public-private partnership. The Acer Inc., AsusTek Computer Incorp., Chunghwa Telecom Co., Ltd., Tzu Chi Foundation, World Vision, and ADOC2.0 Non-Gov. Project Office have participated in the project.
The ADOC will continue to serve as a platform for linking resources, disseminating digital expertise and facilitating knowledge and experience by working with partners to create digital opportunities. As part of effort to localize the ADOC Project, the ADOC Secretariat will assist 101 centers to build their capability to operate independently, nurture sustainable business opportunities and help more people in the world.
Picture description: Ms. Meili Hsiao, Director General of III’s International Division and Secretary General of ADOC Secretariat, displays the Bridging Digital Divide top prize at the AFACT eASIA Awards Nov. 28 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
Photo of eASIA Awards Taiwan delegation: Mr. Oliver Ho (second from the left) from CyberSoft Digital Service Corp., the Head of Business Development and the Electronic Business in the Private Sector top prize at the AFACT eASIA Awards; Ms. Eva Yueh (center), Deputy Director General in IDEAS at III; Mr. Ethan Hung (fourth from the right), Section Chief from Bureau of Standards, Metrology & Inspection, MOEA; and Ms. Meili Hsiao (third from the right), Director General of International Division at III.
【Contact】
III-ADOC Secretariat: Mr. Jose N. H. Cheng (886-2-6631-8512)
III Planning and Evaluation Division : Ms. Meredith S. Y. Chang (886-2-6631-8638)
【Note 1, ADOC Project】
The APEC Digital Opportunity Center (ADOC) Project is an Economic and Technical Cooperation (ECOTECH) initiative first proposed in 2003 by Chinese Taipei at the 11th APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Bangkok. The mission of ADOC Project is to narrow the digital divide among APEC member economies and enable the development of digital economies to cope with the challenges of globalization.
Since that time, ADOC has cooperated with ten ADOC partner member economies (hereinafter PMEs) to take concrete steps to address the digital divide issue including Chile, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines, Russia, Thailand, and Vietnam. ADOC Project has worked with the local governments, education institutes, industrial and business associations and non-profit organizations etc. to set up 101 ADOC centers. As of Oct. 2013, more than 540,000 trainees have been benefited. 2,600 SMEs have started their businesses and 4,000 drop-outs and street kids have been benefited through the programs.
There are many languages in the 10 PMEs. To overcome the language barriers, the ADOC Project develops 6 languages (English, Spanish, Thai, Vietnamese, Russian and Indonesian) in common teaching material with digital format. The distance to 10 PMEs is far away and it across 16 time zones. The staffs in the ADOC Secretariat have to stay up late, for instance, meeting at 11 P.M. online in order to catch the local partners 10 A.M. in Peru. The ADOC Project works with 300 local partners in 10 PMEs to bring computers, training material, and know-how. The ADOC Secretariat assists the local partners to manage the centers and provide digital training programs to serve disadvantage groups (e.g. women, children, aged people, drop-outs, refugees, SME owners, visual impaired people, handicaps, etc.).
【Note 2, AFACT】
The Asia Pacific Council for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (AFACT) is a non-profit, non-political, voluntary and independent organization since 1990. AFACT aims to support in the Asia Pacific region policies and activities, especially those promoted by UN Centre for Trade Facilitation and E-business (UN/CEFACT). Its focus is to facilitate international transactions, through the simplification and harmonization of procedures and information flows. Its member economies include Afghanistan, Australia, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mongolia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, R.O.C., Thailand, Vietnam etc.