GoodWalk Thailand: Designing “Walkable City” Revitalizing the Economy, Enhancing Quality of Life for City Dwellers

Chula joins hands with the Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) to design “Walkable City” using the GoodWalk Score as the criteria for selecting the pilot area to be developed as Walkable City in Bangkok as well as many cities around the country. The plan is to help reduce pollution, revitalize tourism, and the local economy while enhancing the quality of life and health for city dwellers.

  • At the GoodWalk Forum Thailand 2023 some interesting average figures were shown.
  • Bangkokians spend an average of 800 hours travelling by car.
  • Expenses for car travel of city dwellers is about 20% of their entire expense.
  • The furthest distance a city dweller is willing to walk is 800 meters or around 10 minutes.
  • 44 % of all Bangkokians have some form of obesity.
  • What do these figures mean for us?

The Bangkok Metropolis is a city of car dependency. The more roads we have, the higher the number of cars on the streets. The price we pay is the rising number of PM2.5 on the Bangkok Air Quality Index, and traffic congestion that takes a toll on the economy while bringing about increased mental and physical distress.

Concepts and guidelines for urban development must be altered. Instead of focusing on increasing new roads, we might need to pay attention to designing “Walkable City” to ensure that walking becomes a part of our daily lives.

Such an idea isn’t an outmoded matter that goes against development concepts. Several countries in America, Europe, and Asia are now focusing more on walking and applying the concept of “Walkable Cities.” Copenhagen is one such city that has taken over 10 years to recover areas and dedicate public spaces for pedestrians.

Thailand has also responded to this trend by creating “Walkable Cities” with the collaboration between the Urban Design and Development Center, Center of Excellence in Urban Strategies, or UDDC-CEUS) Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Faculty of Architecture, Chulalongkorn University, and the Thai Health Promotion Foundation (Thai Health) in the “Walkable Cities: GoodWalk Thailand” starting from 2014 up until the present.

“The project which isn’t only about improvements or widening pavements, is crucial for Thailand’s urban development strategies — environmental, economic, social along with health and well-being and preparation for the effects of climate change and an aging society.” Associate Professor Dr. Niramon Serisakul Director of Chula’s Urban Design and Development Center explained the significance of the project at the “GOODWALK FORUM THAILAND 2023” held last October.

The forum offered a chance for people to find out more about the concept of walkable city in the Bangkok Metropolis and various other cities that the project has worked on for the past 9 years. The work started from a study and survey of the area to derive an index to develop the walkability potentials and develop the Goodwalk Score map to identify areas where the design will be piloted, improving the connection between various destinations until it becomes a concrete sample area. Some of these areas are that of Chula-Samyan, Bantadthong, Siam Square, and the Chaophraya River sky bridge.

Improved quality of life

Many research works indicate that the structure and environment of a city have a profound effect on the way of life and physical activities of its dwellers. Developing a city to make it more conducive for walking can bring about the following benefits such as:

Improvement in physical health

If the area offers the chance for people to be able to walk safely and conveniently it will motivate more people to go out and walk and increase their physical activities which in turn will yield positive health benefits.

Citing statistics from the World Health Organization, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Niramon said that each year about 1.9 million deaths result from insufficient physical activity (WHO advises people to engage in at least 150 minutes of physical activity each week.)

“For this reason, providing an urban structure that allows people to walk more will also help promote their health. Two to three more times one’s normal physical activity can help reduce illnesses and mortality from non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like diabetes and obesity which are related to death rates from cardiovascular disease”

Economic improvement especially for SMEs

Walkable District will help stimulate the economy and affect income distribution to small entrepreneurs in the area which will help maintain both the existing economy and increase the new economy. Moreover, land and real estate prices are higher in walkable neighborhoods than in non-walkable neighborhoods. a

In addition, research results from the past 10 years have found that 49 percent of the new generation that is so-called the Gen Me have a lifestyle where they choose their area of residence before choosing a job. They often show a preference for living in a walkable area. This means that creative urban designs with walkable areas also mean value added to the area.

Cultural creative incubation

Once the cities become walkable, they attract more people to take part in activities in the public areas. Along with that are artists and those with special abilities who now have a venue to show off their talents.

Inclusive Society

With more people walking around, there is an increased level of interaction creating a feeling of connection to one’s own place of residence, and being acquainted with people in the same neighborhood, leading to increased safety in the community along with greater implications for promoting equality in society. In addition, having walkable areas will help respond to the needs of the elderly so that they will no longer be lonely at home since there is now a safe space outside the house to come out and enjoy life in various ways.

“In Thailand, we still do not find many elderly people walking in public areas due to bad sidewalks making walking difficult and increasing the risk of accidents. This might be the reason why Thailand has the highest risk of the elderly who are bed-ridden in Asia” observed Adisak Guntamueanglee who is currently a Deputy Director at the Urban Design and Development Center, Chulalongkorn University.

What is a Walkable City?

The project has developed its website called GoodWalk (http://goodwalk.org/) as a channel for presenting stories, news, and perspectives about walkable cities and good walking cities, both domestically and internationally. The highlight of the website is the GoodWalk Score which ranks “walkable” and “good walking” areas in both the Bangkok Metropolis and upcountry.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Niramon defines “A Walkable City” as “a city’s space or area where people’s daily destination is in walking distance or approximately 500-800 meters.”

The criteria for measurement and scoring “a walkable city” is based on those destinations related to people and their daily lives which are 1) workplaces 2) educational institutions, 3) consumer goods, 4) recreation, 5) banking/transactions/public services, and 6) public transportation.

In Bangkok, the areas that scored highest in terms of their “walkability” are Siam Square, Khao San Road, and Bang Rak District – in that order.

For a city to be good for walking “it must be designed with safe and convenient walking in mind with wide and shady sidewalks, enough lighting, no obstructions and a pleasant environment that makes it conducive for walking.”

Some of Bangkok’s areas that are good for walking are roads like Rama I, Ratchawong, Chakrapong, Lad Ya, Lane 7 of Siam Square, etc.

Aside from Bangkok, the GoodWalk website has also assessed the walkability of streets upcountry. In Chiang Mai, for example, the areas deemed walkable are Chang Phueak, Ta Pae, and Warorot Market.

Those who are interested can access http://goodwalk.org/ to find out the Goodwalk scores in their neighborhood or travel destination.

Working together to create a “walkable city”

Bangkok’s vast number of automobiles has turned it into a city of cars. Developing it into a “walkable city” would take time, especially in its endeavors to get people to realize the merits of having a walkable city.

Deputy Director Adisak explained that “One of the most important factors in making a city walkable has to do with the city’s administrators – those with a vision, those who are daring enough to make decisions and make changes. Another factor is that all those who have a stake in a certain area must accept that all changes will affect one group or another. We need time to get people to understand the importance of these changes and the benefits they would yield before we can produce an urban development policy.”

The project has made use of the GoodWalk Score in its selection of areas targeted in concrete ways for in-depth development. The next step is to explain to all relevant parties the benefits of walkable cities. The project will need to work with government and private agencies, development partners, and the public sector in the area both in terms of surveys and design of various neighborhoods in Bangkok and cities in other provinces.

The Chula area as a Walkable Area or City sandbox

In his opinion, Mr. Adisak believes Bangkok has the potential to be developed into a Walkable City.

“It has been the policy of the previous as well as the current Governor of Bangkok to emphasize rail system public transport resulting in more people walking. Changing the entire city of Bangkok into a walking city is most difficult, however, since many areas are closed up, some have been left abandoned and there are overlapping problems between various agencies. The project has introduced the “city acupuncture” concept which involves developing small patches area by area that leads to physical and social changes on a larger scale.”

One of the areas that is ready for such changes is that of Chulalongkorn University.

A survey found that since the Patumwan, Siam and Samyan area has destinations in everyday life that are within walking distance, it is one of the highest walkability indexes in Bangkok and Thailand. Therefore, the project has worked together with several sectors in the University to create a master plan for this.

Associate Professor Jittisak Thammapornpilas, Chula’s Vice President for Property and Physical Resources Management has outlined some of the plans for making this a reality.

“Chula is an essential pilot sandbox. We now have covered sidewalks connecting various buildings on campus, we use electric buses and Tuk Tuks, and have also introduced car sharing and bike sharing which do not leave a carbon footprint and are environmentally friendly to ensure what is known as First and Last Mile Connectivity.”

Chulalongkorn University has also worked towards turning the Siam Square, Suan Luang, and Sam Yan areas walkable with sun and rain protection structures, connection to all surrounding areas, and installing car deceleration points, along with road closures in Siam Square turning the area into a walking street with various recreational activities like street performances, open-air markets as well as joining forces with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration to present an outdoor movie festival.

Changing our cities one walk at a time

Other than the Chula area, the project has joined hands with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration to roll out the BANGKOK 250 to turn Bangkok into a world-class city in time to celebrate its 250th anniversary in 2032.

The project aims to revitalize 17 inner city areas, accounting for 60% of Bangkok’s total area making it a walkable city. The areas are Ratchadamnoen Klang, Ta Chang-Ta Tien piers, Ban Mor, Bang Khun Non – Faichai, Kudi Chin – Khlong San, Yothi-Ratchawithi, Soi Polo-Ruamrudee, Talad Noi, Saphan Pla-Yannawa- Thanon Tok, Wongwien Yai and to restore the residential zone around Charan Sanitwong, Yannawa- Bang Kolaem.

There are also plans to restore the historical zone of Rattanakosin and Thonburi, the central commercial zone of Patumwan – Bang Rak, and the commercial Taksin area. Plans are also underway to develop a continuous walkway, Bangkok’s green bridge, and surrounding areas that link to the rail and public transport system with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration as well.

One of the successful and highly visible prototype projects that brings pride is the conversion of the abandoned Lavalin Skytrain structure into Chao Phraya Sky Park.

“This area is a connection point for foot and bicycle traffic of both the Phra Nakhon side and the Thonburi side. It also supports various activities such as walking, relaxing, and watching the sunrise and sunset. Trees were planted to provide shade and rest areas, allowing tourists easy crossing, and creating economic opportunities for people on the Thonburi side,” Mr. Adisak said.

According to Assoc. Prof. Niramon, the project is also working with the BMA to survey the Ratchawithi – Yothi area to construct a skywalk that links the service area on both sides and the surrounding areas.

“With as many as seven leading hospitals and medical schools, this neighborhood was once an area that Prime Minister Plaek Phibunsongkhram wished to develop into a medical metropolis. This is a good opportunity, therefore, to revitalize the area adding a skywalk to accommodate more users. With wider sidewalks, it should be safer to walk around with a roof to shield pedestrians from the heat and rain. It will help reduce the use of cars and increase the use of public transportation. It helps to connect hospital buildings and commercial areas and will act like capillaries in promoting the economy, well-being, and creation of good communities.“

Promoting tourism with walkable city planning

Aside from being a driving force in developing capital cities, the walkable city concept can also be used to develop secondary cities at the regional level as well.

“What makes it challenging is that each city is different, and has its own unique identity. The urban costs and cultural costs are not the same. These things can be further developed along with the development of the city that promotes walkability. Cities that emphasize cultural tourism must certainly promote walkability.” Assoc. Prof. Dr. Niramon stressed.

The project’s research team works in collaboration with local government agencies that understand the city to conduct surveys and consider the city’s selling points and strengths. This includes creating a community to listen to the voices of people in the area and provide the opportunity for participatory decision-making in an atmosphere of mutual understanding and acceptance of change. The next step is for the community to work together to design a city that is linked with pavements that enable walking along routes of cultural heritage, economic routes, learning routes, and green routes that promote health and well-being along with social activities to the members of those communities.

Some examples of the prototype cities that the project has been involved in developing are Lamphun which is an ancient city, Roi-et with its festivals, Nakhon Si Thammarat which has a temple that houses the Buddha’s relics and Rayong which is an old town.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Niramon said that the project has already worked with local agencies to develop as many as 33 cities in Thailand. Their target is to help promote health, society, and the economy by developing small businesses and creating walkable cities while responding to the needs of each city as much as possible.

After nine years of working on these projects, several cities have started to take strides. The project is confident in how these walkable cities are working out in both the capital city and regional cities. What is perhaps most challenging are the perspectives shown by agencies in the government sector.

“Since government agencies still do not see and neither do they accept the possibility of walkable cities as a way for developing cities in Thailand, there has yet to be any budget allocation for this effort. Instead, city development is still mostly about securing budgets for new roads or road improvement“ she added.

Nevertheless, the UDDC-CEUS and its development partners continue to push forward the concept of developing a Walkable City as a strategy for urban development in Thailand. Assoc. Prof. Niramon concluded that they hope the different ideas proposed by the project in such books as Walkable City: When Bangkok Starts Walking or Walkable 101 The Walkable Cities in Roi-et and Complete Streets: Standards for Walkable Cities can be used as reference and resources and become more widely accepted so that they can become part of the policies and guidelines for urban development in Thailand in the future.

For those interested in finding out more about Walkable Cities kindly access Facebook: www.facebook.com/uddcbangkok or contact the project at the UddC center via email at [email protected]

Read the full article at https://www.chula.ac.th/en/highlight/151458/

To support the military: Scientists of National Technical University «Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute» held a master class on eco-packaging

One of the most urgent problems in war time is providing quality food for the army and civilians in conditions of inappropriate storage. And scientists of NTU «KhPI» are working on it. Within the framework of the joint project of the general pharmacy department of Kharkiv Polytechnic and the University of Cardiff (UK), a master class on the production of eco-packaging based on bee products (beeswax wrappers) was held. The event was attended by volunteers, as well as teachers and students of the NTU «Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute».

The leaders of the project from NTU «KhPI» were scientists from the general pharmacy department of the Educational and Scientific Medical Institute of NTU «KhPI»: head of the department Igor Grubnyk and associate professor Yulia Yudina. According to them, beeswax wrappers have been used since ancient times to extend the storage life of food. «We have improved this technology and adapted it to modern requirements, and we are now working on improving its antibacterial properties. Our packaging is made of environmentally friendly natural products, reusable and can serve for up to a year. It is biodegradable and has no impact on the environment, unlike plastic. In addition, it can be made independently from materials that are available in any household,» the scientists of the NTU «KhPI» emphasised.

Volunteers also noted the benefits of this development: «We are trying to create balanced food packages for the military and civilians, taking into account all their needs, but still quite a lot of food spoils under the influence of natural conditions. The presented development can be very useful, especially for those who are close to the frontline, where there are no conditions for normal storage of food,» noted volunteer Victoria Kravchenko.

Watch the video to learn how to make such packaging yourself: https://youtu.be/Zn4gyuzPJ-k?si=R4fLFR8iKp0Z828B

Note:

The project «Promoting the development of eco-friendly packaging based on sustainability materials to reduce food spoilage and plastic waste» is being implemented by the general pharmacy department of NTU «KhPI» in cooperation with the University of Cardiff (UK).

The achievements of IPB University alumni in various sectors

The contributions/roles of IPB University alumni have a significant influence on various policies and academic backgrounds. They not only offer changes for Indonesia but also have an extraordinary impact internationally.

There is Mohammad Nabil Almunawar, an academic at the University of Brunei Darussalam holding the title of Associate Professor. Nabil migrated to Brunei in July 1999: https://www.alumniipbpedia.id/post/mohammad-nabil-almunawar, also read here: https://www.kemlu.go.id/bandarseribegawan/en/news/21148/congratulations-and-success-to-madya-professor-dr-haji-mohammad-nabil-almunawar. He is a lecturer and an IPB University alumnus who received an award from the Sultan of Brunei Darussalam for his ideas and education he taught which had a broad impact in the Sultanate of Brunei.

Additionally, there is Yurdi Yasmi, an alumnus with a significant position in the UN as the Deputy Head of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) for Africa. His involvement in driving food self-sufficiency and poverty alleviation is on here: https://www.alumniipbpedia.id/post/kuasai-empat-bahasa-asing-pernah-kunjungi-45-negara, further details: https://www.fao.org/africa/deputy-representative/zh/.U He is entrusted with ensuring food security and plays a crucial role in creating superior and highly nutritious rice varieties.

Another IPB University alumnus, Suryo Pratomo, is entrusted as the Indonesian Ambassador to Singapore. His active roles include pushing for Indonesia’s chairmanship of the G-20 in the Indonesia-Singapore Business Forum. The interesting journey of this livestock scholar-turned-ambassador is on here: https://www.alumniipbpedia.id/post/suryopratomo and https://www.antaranews.com/tag/dubes-ri-untuk-singapura-suryo-pratomo, also check out https://www.cnbcindonesia.com/news/20231217193735-4-498047/duta-besar-ri-kek-peluang-datangkan-modal-asing when he struggled to attract investments from various countries to invest in Special Economic Zones (SEZs).

In domestic affairs, there is Kamaruddin Batubara who received the MURI Record for initiating the Ready-to-Occupy Home Program through Cooperatives. Read about his achievements: https://www.radarbanten.co.id/2017/07/18/kisah-kamaruddin-batubara-peraih-penghargaan-bhakti-koperasi-dari-tangerang/. He’s also known for consistently upholding the dignity of cooperatives that implement solidarity and mutual cooperation principles. His roles can be found here: https://disway.id/read/665285/rekonstruksi-ruu-ppsk-dalam-menjamin-kemurnian-prinsip-nilai-dan-jati-diri-koperasi. He remains consistent in building a real people’s economy concept and offering it for the sake of public housing.

Do not forget the contribution of Bambang Hendroyono, the Secretary General of KLHK, who oversees the quality of forestry policies. Check out his story: https://www.alumniipbpedia.id/post/bambang-hendroyono, where he protects national forests and is deemed worthy of being the Chairman of the National Forestry Council (DKN): https://www.antaranews.com/berita/3580854/bambang-hendroyono-jabat-ketua-presidium-dewan-kehutanan-nasional. His role is crucial in ensuring legal certainty, business certainty, and community rights over forest resources, to promote effective forestry policies. Under his leadership, KLHK has achieved many successes: https://mediaindonesia.com/humaniora/548038/sekjen-bambang-hendroyono-raih-berbagai-penghargaan-bukti-kinerja-klhk.

From the banking sector, get to know Achmad Syamsudin: https://www.alumniipbpedia.id/post/achmad-syamsudin. He is known for various achievements in leading financial institutions: https://bangka.tribunnews.com/2022/11/02/direktur-utama-bank-sumsel-babel-raih-top-100-ceo-of-the-year-2022. Under his leadership, this regional bank has achieved outstanding performance: https://bangka.tribunnews.com/2022/07/01/bank-sumsel-babel-raih-the-best-overall-performance-di-infobank-service-excellence-award. With determination, he brings economic prosperity to the region through banking: https://bangka.tribunnews.com/2022/12/22/bank-sumsel-babel-kembali-raih-penghargaan-trusted-company, and his contributions are appreciated by many parties.

As Indonesia aims to become a global halal product producer by 2024, this woman consistently develops the global halal economy. Dr. Nancy Dewi Yuliana, a researcher from IPB University’s Halal Research Institute, has been recognized for her efforts: https://kl.antaranews.com/berita/15933/15-wanita-indonesia-berkontribusi-kembangkan-ekonomi-halal-dunia. She was awarded the 2nd Best PATPI Award for Academic Achievement and is involved in disseminating ideas through publications in reputable international and national journals: https://bogorupdate.com/bogor-raya/hebat-tiga-dosen-ipb-university-ini-sabet-patpi-award-2021/. She explores the application of metabolomics in the food science field and technology, and halal authentication.

Banana leaf nanofiber filter mask ready to be developed

Several Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU) students have developed mask filters that use nanofiber from banana stem waste. The team has submitted a research proposal for the Student Creativity Program (PKM) entitled “Effectivity of Cellulose Acetate Nanofibers from Banana Midrib Waste (Musa paradisiaca L.) as an Anti-bacterial Filter on Masks” and was presented at the 34th National Student Scientific Week (PIMNAS) event in October 2021.

The students, calling themselves the Nanofilter Mask team, consisted of Sylvia Romalia Simanungkalit, Putri Amelia Sihotang, Shofi Tasa Al-Khairi, and Dzul Hadi Sahputra from the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (MIPA) Chemistry bachelor degree, and Brian Christopher from the Faculty of Dentistry.

Sylvia, the team leader, said the work was done based on the COVID-19 pandemic, where masks are the main need for the community for self-protection. Moreover, many masks circulating in the market do not meet the World Health Organization (WHO) standards.

“Considering masks are highly crucial and needed, we decided to make a mask filter using nanofiber,” she said. “We studied the method of manufacture from a review of journals, and it turns out that we can do it in the laboratory. The filter we made is anti-bacterial; the nanofiber is tight enough to filter bacteria, increasing the effectiveness of the mask worn.” Sylvia explained.

Banana midrib was chosen as a source of nanofiber because it contains anti-bacterial compounds in the form of flavonoids, alkaloids, phenols, and saponins. The cellulose content in the banana midrib is also considerably high, about 63%. Banana stems were also chosen because they are easy to obtain, especially the Barangan banana species (Musa acuminata), an endemic plant in North Sumatra.

A lecturer supervised Sylvia and her team, Muhammad Zulham Efendi Sinaga S.Si., M.Sc., who helped develop their ideas further into a competitive proposal for the student research grant. The team designed a three-layer filter; the middle layer is made from banana midrib and then processed into alpha-cellulose. Then, it is synthesized into cellulose acetate and made into nanofibers through electrospinning method.

Zulham, as the supervising lecturer, explained that banana midribs are usually discarded because they are considered useless wastes. However, lab testing showed that they contain very high cellulose and possess antimicrobial properties; testing them against staphylococcus and E. coli bacteria showed positive results in bacteria inhibition. The team processed them into a mask filter, which can be inserted into a two-layer cloth mask.

The team stated that the filter from the banana midrib has nano-sized pores that can filter out aerial dirt and even coronavirus droplets, which are about 0.5 microns in size. They will further develop this filter by conducting clinical, pre-clinical, and efficacy trials for breathing difficulties while wearing it. A mask that uses a nano filter with anti-bacterial effectiveness can shield the wearer against bacteria and prevent bacteria from growing. With these capabilities, a cloth mask equipped with this filter can work well like medical masks.

Their hard work paid off; the team won a research grant from the Indonesian Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology to refine the mask filter further. In the future, the team hopes they can also find funding for manufacture and development so the filters can be distributed to paramedics and the public. Zulham was proud of the team’s achievement and hopes that this can inspire other students to continue to look for ideas from the humblest of sources and the university to support student innovations.

 

The Future is Still Human: Training the Next Generation of AI Leaders at Lingnan University

Artificial Intelligence (AI) promises to revolutionise all aspects of modern life. From healthcare to education, and more, AI is streamlining processes, enabling personalised solutions, and creating opportunities for growth and development. However, from its use to spread misinformation on social media and in military applications to autonomously identify targets, to the questions of authorship raised by AI-generated creative works, this technology presents us with numerous complex ethical and societal issues which need to be addressed.

Lingnan University’s new Master of Arts in Artificial Intelligence and the Future (MAAIF) will equip students with many of the skills and insights required to help shape a responsible, human-centred, and AI-enhanced future.

The programme’s representatives are Lingnan faculty Dr Adrian Yee of the Hong Kong Catastrophic Risk Centre (a research centre affiliated to the Department of Philosophy), and Dr André Curtis-Trudel of the Department of Philosophy.

“With any new technology there are always trade-offs that need to be navigated,” explains Dr Curtis-Trudel. “What we want students to take away from our programme is a set of skills that allow them to take a holistic approach to evaluating AI applications in all sorts of domains.”

Lingnan’s unique approach

Unlike traditional IT- and engineering-centric programmes, Lingnan’s MAAIF offers a unique, interdisciplinary approach to this emerging field, and will prepare students to tackle the wider ethical and philosophical issues thrown up by the technology. Students will not require a specific background in AI – nor a technical background or strong mathematical skills – but will be trained in the application of analytical tools that will allow them to think clearly and critically about AI systems.

Dr Yee highlights the singular perspective of this programme. “We’re going to teach our students the fundamentals of AI, a little bit of coding, a little bit of maths, but really the main focus is going to be on philosophical issues that AI systems raise.”

In a wide-ranging curriculum, students will consider the ramifications of AI in a variety of domains, including science, law, economics, public policy, healthcare, and business and finance.

Upon completion of the programme, graduates will be well-positioned for careers in a wide range of fields that extend to roles that blend AI technology with artistic or humanistic pursuits, such as AI Ethicist or Analyst, AI Developer or Art Creator, Educator, or AI Consultant or Strategist. With industries increasingly integrating ethical considerations into their AI strategies, our graduates will also find ample opportunities in tech, healthcare, finance, and government sectors, both in Hong Kong and abroad.

Dr Curtis-Trudel says that when it comes to choosing a topic for their capstone project, students will be given a lot of flexibility. “And, ideally, these capstone projects would be something they can show a prospective employer to demonstrate what they have to offer.”

A number of scholarships are available for the MAAIF programme, which will welcome its first cohort in September 2024 and can be pursued on a one-year full-time or two-year part-time basis.