Project Description
Urban processes and practices are becoming highly responsive to a form of data-driven urbanism, and here big data is the critical mode of production for smart cities. Therefore, it is essential to understand how the emerging data-driven smart city is being practiced and justified in developing and implementing its innovative solutions.
In the Smart City Ecosystem, data is collected from the Smart City component and analyzed for informed decision-making in city planning and city management. ASEAN Member States have the common goal of innovative and sustainable urban development to improve the lives of ASEAN citizens, using technology as an enabler. However, ASEAN Member States have remarkably different conditions regarding their current status, such as city development plans, perspectives, visions and readiness, and Smart city creation. In this regard, there is a considerable demand to cultivate key human resources in the area of Smart City who can contribute to the smart city development in the ASEAN Member States.
The objective of this project is to support the capacity building of participants from the ASEAN Member States. Participants will understand the background, necessity, and knowledge of data-driven Smart City, including the application of data analytics, social media, and the internet of things, through the courses, project development, workshop, technical visit, and knowledge sharing platform, including international conference, webinar, workshop, and seminars.
The proposed capacity building program includes two tracks: a short-term training program for ASEAN Smart Cities Network member cities and a long-term training program, a regular master’s course for the ASEAN Member States. Considering different conditions and target areas of ASEAN, customized seminars and project-building activities will be designed. This project also enhances and supports the implementation of the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity (MPAC) 2025.

Introduction of Proponents/Implementing Agencies
Seoul National University Global R&DB Center (hereinafter referred to as “GRC”) is a state-designated organization under Seoul National University (hereinafter referred to as “SNU”) with 11 staff members. GRC has a global R&DB cooperation platform based on an international Science & ICT Innovation network which has been firmly and actively established through the International Technology Professional Program(ITPP) and Integrated Major in Smart City Global Convergence (SCGC), sponsored by the Ministry of Science and ICT of the Republic of Korea.
Since its start in 2003, GRC’s international ITPP network consists of more than 350 Science & ICT policy professionals from over 70 countries. GRC aims to reinforce the future of Science & ICT innovation on a global level with its experience and resources. GRC is actively and continuously building strategic national, regional, and global partnerships with various stakeholders in the development of value-added Science and ICT transformation.
Since its start in 2020, SCGC Graduate Program provides the opportunities for interdisciplinary convergence studies in various fields such as engineering, international studies, law, and landscape architecture, intensive practical training with field experts, and industry-academic cooperation activities with domestic and international companies.
GRC has been hosting global knowledge sharing seminars and workshops in cooperation with relevant agencies. For instance, World Bank Group Virtual Knowledge Exchange (WBG VKE), co-hosted by SNU GRC and World Bank Group Open Learning Campus (WBG OLC), was conducted on the WBG OLC online platform to promote knowledge sharing and foster a community of practice for smart city development through a global open innovation partnership under the theme of ‘Smart Cities for Sustainable Development’ from April to May in 2021 and ‘Smart Cities for Global Frontier Infrastructure’ from April to May in 2022.
Second, Governance Capacity Development Session Series on Strengthening Public Governance and Accelerating Innovation to Achieve Agenda 2030 were held from April to June in 2021, co-hosted by SNU GRC and UN Project Office on Governance (UNPOG). The sessions introduced the framework of the 2030 Agenda and the integrated nature of SDGs in terms of capacity building of public governance for SDG implementation regarding Smart City Development.
In July, 2022, SNU GRC operates the ESADE Global International Week Program for the students from the Executive Master’s program in ESADE, located in Spain. This program consists of a series of lectures on smart city ecosystem delivered by leaders from public, private, university, and international organizations and the visits to business sites and laboratories in Korea.
Since its start in 2011, SNU GRC has hosted Green Smart Development and Vision (GSDV), as an annual international conference. The GSDV has provided a great framework to deal with critical issues associated with major impacts of new technologies on governments, businesses, civil society, and individuals in terms of a sustainable development by addressing the various thematic sessions with global leaders, innovators, policymakers, technology leaders and scholars to generate innovative investigations and acceleration of applications with collaborations across geographies, sectors, and disciplines.