Taiwan showcases readiness to Smart Education and Healthcare at 2019 Smart City Expo

This week, I was treated to a technological spectacle at 2019 Smart City Summit and Expo in Taipei, Taiwan. For 6 years, the summit showcases several working solutions to make the world a smarter place to live in. What better way to do it than hold the expo in a city like Taipei where technology flourishes and makes up a huge chunk of their GDP. Taipei is about 43% the size of Metro Manila, and yet its GDP is 300% bigger.

I got the chance to check around the booths at the show floor, and boy was I impressed with what Taiwan has got to make their cities a pleasant and technologically-advance to live in. Ranging from eGovernance to Smart Education, Taiwan has got everything covered at 2019 Smart City Summit and Expo.

Taiwan showcases readiness for future of education

The country is aware of the rising demand of improving the state of smart education. In the age when students rely much on technology on their daily tasks, there are growing issues of (1) updating online resources, (2) retention, (3) comprehension, and, (4) passion to learn.

Taiwan’s openness to collaborate with several education ministry officers of various countries is a testament of their dedication to improve the state of smart education. During 2019 Smart City Summit and Expo in Taipei, a leaders panel discussion was held, which was moderated by Robert Ting, Vice President of Mitac Information Technology Corporation. Mitac is the corporation behind the recently implemented E-Gate system at NAIA, which I tried yesterday.  The panel consists of experts in smart education.  It seems that the common challenges among educators is how they can address the issues of: (1) aging educators who are having troubles in adapting to new technology; (2) and how schools can be ready to utilize new type of learning programs for children who are so glued to their tablets and smartphones. Panelists presented solutions that they implemented in their respective countries like holding specific training programs to educators and gamifying learning modules to raise the interest level of students.

It is interesting to note that during the panel discussion, Alexandros Papaspyridis, Higher Education Industry Solutions Director at Microsoft, said that Microsoft’s move to acquire Minecraft and LinkedIn is relevant to higher education and career advancement. Microsoft does not just simply see Minecraft  as a game, but an educational tool to expand the creativity and skill among students and learners.

On the other hand, Dr. Somkiat Tangkitvanich, President of Thailand Development Research Institute, stressed his opinion that the classroom setting is antithesis to the current learning condition and presupposition among students. Tangkitvanich believes that the modern teacher needs to be properly equipped with skills to use technology as medium to educate and motivate students to learn.

Smart Healthcare is top priority

The ICT industry and global hospitals are dedicated to improve efficiency of healthcare management and quality of hospital service. The goal of Smart health at 2019 Smart City is to bring about and showcase existing solutions to all attendees. From continuity care to precise health management, Taiwan has the technology that they are continuously ripening up for the world to see and use.

Data is highly significant in healthcare industry. I was particularly astounded with innovations and technologies they presented at the show floor. I saw a bed packed with sensors that can identify and give nominal data for patients and healthcare professionals, relevant to their condition. They even showed the world’s first biggest E Ink that shows data and reminders for both patient and doctors/nurses. Again, these tools are readily available in Taiwan, ready to be used in other countries. The only challenges that remain are inter-operability and compatibility to legacy systems present in hospitals and healthcare centers.