The Converging Technology Revolution and Human Capital l 17
TABLE 2.1 Summary of Interview Responses: Kerala (India), Nepal, and Pakistan Kerala: Long-term investment in STI, community capacity, and engagement
Nepal: Many local innovations; private sector diaspora willing to engage
Pakistan: Under crisis, government willing to adopt joint solutions with the private sector
What has changed as a result of COVID-19?
• Disaster preparedness anchored over decades in science clubs in schools, universal literacy, land reforms, decentralized planning with local governments, and active citizen involvement in saving rainforests • Relevant experience in using technology during the floods of 2018 and Nipah virus • Mass volunteerism; spontaneous demand from society for STI solutions; widespread use of open-source programming • Local resilience considered important, such as nongrid solutions for water, electricity, and waste management, especially as there is no centralized legacy system
• Technology adoption on user side; diverse microlevel innovations; ongoing engagement with key stakeholder groups (such as school administrators and health care workers) to address their concerns • Strong demands by private sector and diaspora to implement national digital strategy in coordination with government
• Launch of educational TV with interactive SMS and private educational content • Telemedicine platforms and local production of PPE but lack of entrepreneurial drive and solutions orientation by private sector
What has the greatest potential for quick wins?
• Open-source platforms for developing innovative products; FABLABs (maker spaces) linked to enterprises • Colleges and universities operating as incubators, focusing on finding solutions to local problems
• Use fintech and pointof-service network to improve delivery of social transfers and lay groundwork for digital ID registration • Ramp up tech training for teachers; pilot “roving teachers” and mobile learning centers to reach local communities • Expand Nepal’s narrative beyond tourism to demonstrate the country’s digital potential through incubation centers and support for start-ups • Build an up-to-date health profile of Nepal’s provinces to address priority needs, including through telemedicine
• High performance of national ID system; potential for cross-platform integration of human development service delivery • Rethinking of traditional schoolhouse education delivery model • Elimination of fifthgrade examination to reduce stigma of school choice • Solutions for reaching a high level of adult illiteracy; incentives for national campaigns (such as offering smartphones as rewards upon successful completion)
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