SUMMER COURSE 2025 SMART CITY, DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION, AND SOCIETY IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

PROGRAM

Background

The rapid advancement of information and communication technology (ICT) has significantly influenced the development of cities worldwide. The concept of smart cities has emerged as a strategic response to various urban challenges, integrating technology to enhance efficiency, sustainability, and quality of life. Southeast Asia’s unique challenges require tailored smart city initiatives to ensure sustainable and inclusive development. Building on this momentum, smart city initiatives have expanded beyond major urban areas to include districts and villages, reflecting the growing need for accessible and efficient governance across all regions. In Indonesia, ICT is increasingly viewed as a solution to persistent urban issues such as congestion, environmental degradation, and service inefficiencies. The government’s commitment is reflected in programs like the “Movement Towards 100 Smart Cities” and participation in the ASEAN Smart City Network (ASCN), a collaborative platform launched in 2018 to support smart solutions across the region. National policies, such as the 2020–2024 RPJMN and related regulations, emphasize digital transformation as a key development agenda, aligning with global trends and ensuring that smart innovations contribute to equitable and sustainable progress.

Following last year’s program, the 2025 Summer Course returns to offer interdisciplinary insights and regional case studies, exploring how Southeast Asia is leveraging digital innovation to build smart cities, drive digital transformation, and address evolving societal challenges in the region.

Objective

Developing a cross-disciplinary summer course at the Center for Southeast Asian Social Studies that focuses on learning and sustainable development of Smart Cities, Digital Transformation, and Society in Southeast Asia.
Providing knowledge and knowledge to participants, especially learning and development of Smart Cities, Digital Transformation, and Society in Southeast Asia.
Develop international networks in the fields of information and communication technology as well as social and culture for cross-disciplinary collaborative learning and research which will be useful for producing research and publications.

Learning Outcomes and Curriculum Description

Participants were able to understand the basic principles, methods, and application of Smart Cities, Digital Transformation, and Society in Southeast Asia and other countries to support learning and development in Southeast Asia.
Participants were able to understand various processes in Smart Cities, Digital Transformation, and Society in Southeast Asia to increase their knowledge of development processes in Southeast Asia and other countries.
Participants can analyze and evaluate how information and communication technology is developing.
Participants can apply various theories in class in the form of articles or essays about Smart City, Digital Transformation, and Society in Southeast Asia and other countries.

Courses

In general, the curriculum consists of:

Introduction of Smart City, Digital Transformation, and Society in Southeast Asia
Understanding Cities and Identification of Problems (The Urgency of Smart City)
Digital Transformation
Information Communication and Technology
Big Data, Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Smart City: Concept and Definition
Digital Infrastructure
Smart City: Implementation, Adoption, and Evaluation
Digital Transformation in Government Sector
Cyber Security
Digital Society
Data Infrastructures, Data Ecosystems, and Approaches for Data-Driven Urban Development
Social-Political Aspects of Smart City, Digital Transformation, and Society in Southeast Asia
Smart City for Sustainable Urban Development
Metaverse for Urban Future
Smart City Case of Southeast Asia
Digital Transformation and The Use of ICT: Case of Southeast Asia
Urban Planning: Case of Southeast Asia
Smart Governance: Case of Southeast Asia
Smart Transportation & Mobility: Case of Southeast Asia
Smart Cities in Enable Urban Environmental Management: Case of Southeast Asia
Urban Development and Building Strategy (Smart Building)
Smart Health: Case of Southeast Asia
Creative City