Delegates taking part in the 7th International Students Science Forum that opened in HCM City on Saturday. — VNA/VNS Photo Hồng Giang

HCM CITY — The role of the youth in digital transformation was highlighted at the 7th International Students Science Forum, which was held in HCM City from October 6-8.

The event drew the participation of 100 students from 37 universities in 10 countries, namely Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Việt Nam, who came for high-quality academic exchanges, and to promote their role in the digital transformation process in their nations.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Deputy Secretary of the Hồ Chí Minh Communist Youth Union of HCM City and Chairwoman of the municipal Students’ Association Trần Thu Hà said that the forum, among the outstanding activities of the students’ association, aimed to create a venue for students to share experience in scientific research as well as academic issues.

Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Dương Đức Anh said digital transformation, which creates substantial changes in production, management and consumption, poses both opportunities and challenges to all sectors, adding HCM City is making unceasing efforts to shape up a business climate and digital infrastructure system, and devise incentives to encourage investments in IT and AI, creating favourable conditions for startups.

The youth has played an important role in the digitalisation process as their creativity, devotion and knowledge will help countries overcome challenges to realise their digital transformation targets, he said, stressing that the forum was expected to encourage students to better engage in the process, helping their countries develop prosperously in the digitalisation era.

In the framework of the forum, an array of research works on digital transformation were delivered by researchers and lecturers from Vietnamese and foreign universities.

According to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Chandra Setiawan, former Rector of President University in Indonesia, digital transformation is the application of advanced technologies to carry out business activities in a faster and more effective fashion, thus it is necessary for education establishments to give digitalisation training to their students.

The 1st International Students Science Forum was organised in 2016 to welcome the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community. The annual forum spotlights an array of issues, including sustainable development, the fourth industrial revolution, and digital economy. — VNS