APO Secretariat Welcomes Students from the ASEAN Initiatives Program of the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies

ASEAN Initiatives Program Students with APO Secretary-General Dr. Indra Pradana Singawinata and Secretariat officers.

On 9 January, six students from the ASEAN Initiatives Program of the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) led by Program Director Professor Mikitaka Masuyama visited the APO Secretariat.

APO Secretary-General Dr. Indra Pradana Singawinata warmly welcomed the students to the Secretariat and expressed his admiration for the high quality of GRIPS graduates who applied the knowledge gained from their studies to the betterment of their respective countries and went on to have illustrious careers. This was followed by remarks by Professor Masuyama, who expressed hope that this engagement would deepen mutual understanding between the APO and GRIPS and set the foundation for enhanced collaboration in the future.

A presentation by APO Secretariat staff provided an overview of the APO's history and activities, highlighting the APO's past projects in Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Vietnam. The presentation also elaborated on the current and planned APO for 2025, which emphasize the importance of Green Productivity and leveraging the use of AI to improve productivity in member economies.

This was followed by a lively Q and A session with the students, who, as promising bureaucrats, were keen to learn how they could contribute to productivity growth in their countries. Secretary-General Dr. Indra stressed the importance of a two-pronged approach toward productivity improvement: human capital development should be supported by clear targets and harmonizing policies set out in the national productivity master plans developed by the APO. Once a master plan is developed, a dedicated team is required to implement it by coordinating productivity improvement efforts across sectors.

Professor Masuyama expressed his appreciation to Secretary-General Dr. Indra and APO Secretariat staff for engaging the minds of his students. Summarizing the discussions, Professor Masuyama highlighted that the core principles of productivity are to identify present limitations, set achievable goals, and develop measures to achieve those goals.

Professor Masuyama expressed satisfaction that this first interaction between GRIPS students and the APO had led to such fruitful discussions and hoped that this would pave the way for future collaborations between GRIPS and the APO.

Closing remarks were delivered by the student representative Tann Boravan from Lao PDR, who expressed appreciation to Secretary-General Dr. Indra and APO Secretariat staff for their hospitality and insightful presentations.