The purpose of this seminar is to promote an exchange of ideas across sectors on the transformative changes that digital developments, particularly broadband are bringing to the Asia-Pacific region. This seminar will provide an opportunity to discuss the characteristics of the second IT revolution and its unique regional characteristics and global path-breaking potential. Questions will be raised on whether Asia-Pacific's developmental objectives are being well served in the broadband age, and why the readiness now exists for a new social contract between government and commercial interests, including in the Transport, Energy, Trade, and ICT sectors.

Prof. Craig Smith has had teaching and research roles at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s MIT Media Lab, and Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at National University of Singapore. In Thailand, he has established a research lab for True Corporation and currently directs the Digital Divide Institute (DDI) and Meaningful Broadband Working Groups. The current focus of his research, lecturing and application-development is “meaningful broadband.” In this approach, government reformers join with commercial supply chains to introduce broadband technologies for economic and social transformation.